Text messaging is important for real estate agents. It’s equally important for clients. 

Say you’re a real estate agent, representing a buyer interested in luxury coastal properties in Coronado. A new listing – 3-bed, ocean-view townhouse on Orange Ave, listed at $5.1M – goes live at 10:00 AM.

The property is already drawing attention, and showings are filling fast.

Considering real estate listings move quickly, SMS ensures your client sees the opportunity before it’s gone. Your text cuts through the noise. It is faster than email, more actionable than a portal ping. That’s probably why SMS has an average industry open rate of 98%, higher than all other communication channels. 

You’re anticipating the buyer’s need and offering the next step. 

In addition, real estate text message marketing boosts conversions. A high-intent buyer will respond to the message quickly, with a yes or a no. 

Moreover, according to an NAR report, over 62% of all buyers received property information and communication via text from agents. Your customers expect you to contact them via SMS after initial contact. 

If you’re looking to implement or improve SMS marketing for your real estate business or consultancy, we have you covered. 

Here are the 10 real estate text message scripts you can use across the customer’s purchase journey.

10 Text Messaging Tips and Scripts for Real Estate Agents

1. Welcome text with auto-responder flows

Let’s say a potential buyer or seller voluntarily gives you their contact info, usually their phone number. They may have filled a lead form on your website, subscribed to your property alerts, opted in for your text message, or signed up through a landing page or Facebook ad. 

Next, your system should instantly send a welcome text with auto-responder flows, to warmly greet the lead, qualify them, and move the conversation forward. 

The logic behind adding autoresponder messages in real estate is that you don’t want to let leads sit in your inbox overnight. You should be greeting them and start qualifying them the moment they land in your funnel. That way, you also set clear expectations and not run the risk of being perceived as unresponsive and lose business. 

Here is a sample welcome script for real estate autoresponder message:

2. Open house invitations and reminders 

Open houses are one of the most effective ways to showcase a listing, coming in after MLSs and yard signs, as per NAR’s Profile of the home buyer and seller in 2024. 

Real estate agencies use open houses to connect with potential buyers in person. But getting people to show up is a challenge, even for homes in the perfect locations. 

A well-crafted real estate text message drip sequence makes a huge difference here. You can drive attendance with timely property invites for your new listing or an upcoming event. 

Use this real estate text message script for the open house:

Remember to segment your audience before sending. Not every lead needs to hear about every open house. Target buyers based on location preference, budget range, or property type they’ve shown interest in. A buyer looking for a beachfront condo doesn’t want alerts about a 5-bedroom in the suburbs.

You can also automate the SMS reminders to make sure it doesn’t slip through the cracks and interested buyers show up.

Pro tip: Send replies (YES/NO) to trigger follow-ups. If they reply YES, you can automatically send them a thank-you text after the event. If they reply NO, you can share similar listings instead, keeping the lead warm without extra effort.

3. Follow-ups for cold or stalled leads

Data suggests that an average business loses about 10-25% of its customer base annually. In other words, your repeat business is diminishing, and you will spend more time and money attracting new customers. Real estate business is no different. 

Whether you’re a real estate agent working individually or a part of an agency, you need a plan to keep nurturing and following up with your leads. 

Here’s how you can do that using SMS for real estate marketing. 

1. Inactivity is tracked in the background

The SMS platform integrates with your CRM (like Salesforce or Zoho) to monitor lead engagement. This can range from message replies to clicks on a link to attending an open house or booking a call. 

If no activity happens for 7–14 days, the system flags the lead as inactive.

2. A follow-up message is automatically triggered

Based on your chosen timeline (e.g., 10 days of no response), the platform sends a friendly check-in text, something conversational, not salesy, to reignite the conversation.

3. Lead replies are categorized for action

When the lead responds:

• If they say “Yes” or express interest → you can automatically tag them as “warm” and assign a follow-up task.
• If they say “Not now” or don’t reply → move them to a long-term nurturing sequence with property updates every 2–3 weeks.

4. Everything is logged in your CRM

Your CRM record saves the message, the timing, and the lead’s response. This keeps your pipeline organized and helps you track how leads move between “cold” and “active” without manual effort.

You can use the following script for a friendly cold lead follow-up:

4. New listing alerts

SMS marketing lets you instantly alert serious buyers the moment a property that fits their brief hits the market. 

The buyer has saved their criteria, such as location, price range, number of bedrooms, or specific features. Your CRM can trigger a real-time text the second a match goes live. 

For instance, when a 3-bedroom ocean view townhouse for $5.1M listing on Orange Ave, Coronado is published, buyers receive a personalized alert while it’s fresh. This speed boosts their chances of booking a showing first and positions you as an agent who moves fast in a competitive market. 

Include a CTA like “Reply TOUR to reserve a time” or “Reply VIDEO for a walkthrough,” and you’ll quickly convert attention into action.

Here’s a sample real estate text message script for a new listing alert:

5. Price drop notifications

Price drop notifications are automated SMS alerts sent to your potential buyers when a property’s price is reduced. They’re part of a real estate SMS marketing strategy that helps keep leads engaged by surfacing listings they’ve already shown interest in but now at a more attractive price.

Think of them as a means to reignite cold leads. Buyers who went quiet after seeing a listing may become re-interested when the price drops. More like a subtle nudge to revisit the opportunity (and property). 

Also, a price cut signals increased seller motivation. Buyers often interpret this as a limited-time chance to negotiate or act before others do.

You can use this sample script for a price drop text:

6. Viewing scheduling with sellers

Coordinating a buyer’s interest with a seller’s availability sounds simple until you’re managing six properties, three buyers, and everyone has a different schedule.

The challenge?

• Sellers may be unavailable for calls during work hours
• You lose time in back-and-forth emails or forgotten voicemails
• Delays mean missed momentum, the buyer may lose interest, or find another property

This is where a well-timed SMS cuts through everything and lets the seller respond quickly, on their own terms. Even better: when paired with automation, it ensures no lead awaits you to confirm the showing.

Here’s what you can do with SMS automation:

• Predefine 2–3 time slots and send them to the seller in a single message
• Give sellers a simple reply flow: “Reply 1 for 3 PM, 2 for 5 PM, 3 to reschedule”
• Use inactivity triggers, if the seller doesn’t respond in 12 hours, a polite reminder is sent
• Log confirmations inside your CRM, making rescheduling or follow-up easier if needed

A sample script you can use for seller scheduling is:

After the seller confirms, send them a brief reminder the morning of the showing. It reduces no-shows, gives them time to prep the property, and shows you’re professionally managing the process.

7. Appointment reminders

An appointment reminder, as a part of your real estate text message marketing, can be the difference between customers keeping and missing appointments. 

You can make them as: 

Trigger-based automation

An SMS reminder is automatically scheduled when a client books a tour, consult, or open house RSVP (via a form, CRM, or calendar integration).

Multi-touch flow

24 hours before: “Hi Jake, reminder for your showing at 218 Orange Ave tomorrow at 3 PM. Reply YES to confirm or RESCHED to change.”

2 hours before: “You’re all set for 3 PM at 218 Orange Ave today. Parking available on Palm St. Call me at this number if you’re running late.”

Two-way replies

Clients can reply YES/NO/RESCHED, which either confirms attendance, flags a need to reschedule, or prompts follow-up.

8. Post-viewing check-ins

After touring multiple properties, your buyer may experience “showing fatigue,” causing details to blur. A timely follow-up helps keep a particular property top of mind, highlighting its unique features and reigniting interest.

Your buyer can have reservations after the viewing. A proactive check-in allows you to address these concerns quickly. It is your opportunity to turn hesitations into decisions. 

Also, at this stage, you want to use a post-viewing check-in to gain insights into what buyers liked or disliked about a property. This information helps you make necessary adjustments and refine future property recommendations.

Here’s how you can send a check-in via an automated SMS for real estate marketing to make the maximum impact: 

• Automatically triggers 1–2 hours after the scheduled showing ends
• Captures buyer sentiment through their response (e.g., “It was great!” vs. “Not quite right”), which can be tagged in your CRM to update lead interest status
• Triggers the next best action based on that response, such as sending similar listings, scheduling another tour, or moving them into a nurturing flow if they’re not ready yet
• Reduces manual follow-up tracking; you don’t have to remember who toured what and when

Here’s a sample script you can use for post-tour follow-up:

9. Buyer or Seller Progress Updates

Both buyers and sellers are emotionally invested in the negotiation phase, and are likely to have the following questions: 

 “Did they accept the offer?”
“Did the inspection pass?”
“Are we on track to close?”

That’s why milestone updates are essential. You can update your clients on:

• Offer submission + review status
• Counter-offer timelines
• Home inspection reports
• Appraisal scheduling or completion
• Legal/documentation steps
• “Clear to close” notifications

Follow this sample script for milestone updates:

Pro tip: You can batch updates into a weekly progress message, delivered every Friday:

“Here’s where we stand on [Property Address] this week:

• Inspection completed 

• Appraisal scheduled for Monday

• Still tracking toward a [Closing Date] close.

• Let me know if you have any questions!”

This method builds structure, improves transparency, and reduces client follow-up fatigue.

10. Referral request or testimonial prompt

Referrals build your pipeline for free, as they have zero acquisition cost. Referred clients tend to convert faster and trust you more. 

So, when to ask for a referral or testimonial from a customer? 

Right after a deal closes or a buyer moves in, emotions are high, and gratitude is fresh. That’s the ideal moment to request a short review or video testimonial to establish credibility.

You should send it 2–7 days after the transaction closes or when the client has moved in. Keep it short and simple. To reduce friction, add a link to your Google Review page or testimonial form. To make your job easier, automate this process. Use your CRM to trigger this text automatically after a status change (e.g., “Deal Closed” or “Transaction Complete”).

The real estate text message script you can use to ask for a testimonial is:

Now you have a full real estate text message script toolkit for every stage of the buyer and seller journey. 

How SMS Magic Helps Real Estate Teams Succeed with Text Messaging

Built with real estate workflows in mind, SMS Magic helps agents automate touchpoints across the entire client lifecycle, without sacrificing personalization. From lead capture and listing alerts to showing confirmations and post-closing follow-ups, every message can be triggered at the right moment, tracked for compliance, and logged in your Salesforce CRM.

Easy setup of autoresponders, keyword triggers, and follow-up campaigns

SMS Magic allows you to create a fully automated communication loop that starts the moment a lead engages. 

Set up keyword triggers like “TOUR” or “BUY” to instantly launch autoresponders tailored to that intent, like a message offering available times to visit a property. These replies are logged to your Salesforce record for complete visibility. 

From there, leads can be enrolled in personalized follow-up campaigns that drip messages over several days. These campaigns can include new listings, price drop alerts, or reminders based on their preferences and activity. 

Each step is automated, tracked, and dynamically updated as leads reply, engage, or convert. 

Contact segmentation for sending relevant listings or updates

By integrating with your CRM, SMS-Magic allows you to segment contacts using various criteria such as location, budget, property type, and buying stage. 

If your buyer is interested in 3-bedroom ocean-view townhouses in Coronado, they can be placed into a specific segment. This ensures they receive only relevant listings and updates, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Built-in consent tracking and compliance controls

You can automatically log every opt-in and opt-out action, capturing timestamps, message content, and the communication channel used. This information is directly linked to the contact’s record in your Salesforce CRM, such as Salesforce, ensuring a clear audit trail of consent history. 

SMS Magic allows for both single and double opt-in processes. For instance, when a potential client submits their phone number via a web form, with SMS-Magic, you can automatically send a confirmation message like “Reply YES to confirm.” The system records the user’s response, ensuring that only those who have explicitly consented receive further communications.

And if a recipient replies with “STOP” or any other configured opt-out keyword, SMS-Magic automatically:

• Sends a confirmation message acknowledging the opt-out
• Suppresses the contact from all future messages
• Logs the opt-out action in the CRM

This automation ensures that messages are not sent to individuals who have opted out. It helps you maintain TP compliance and respect client preferences. 

Real-time alerts and Salesforce-native logging 

For every critical client interaction, SMS Magic sends you a real-time alert. 

For instance, when a potential buyer responds to a property listing inquiry or confirms attendance for an open house, the system can send instant alerts via email or browser notifications.

All SMS communications are seamlessly integrated into Salesforce, allowing comprehensive tracking and management. Each message is logged under the relevant contact or lead record. When you talk to clients, you have access to the complete history of interactions. 

Ready-to-use templates for every stage of the client journey 

To optimize your real estate text message marketing, use SMS Magic’s pre-built template library. It ensures your messages are structured correctly, stay within size limits, and include content that meets your carrier’s compliance rules.

The pre-built library lets you respond within seconds to a new inquiry, tour request, or offer update, without writing a custom message. 

Templates in SMS Magic can include dynamic fields like [First Name], [Property Address], or [Appointment Time]. So while the message is automated, it still feels 1:1 and personal.

Book a demo today to see how SMS Magic helps real estate agents automate follow-ups, boost open house attendance, and engage clients at every stage. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why should real estate agents use text messaging?

SMS has a 98% open rate and gets seen within minutes, making it the fastest way to reach clients. It’s how modern buyers and sellers prefer to communicate: quick, convenient, and direct.

Are these scripts customizable?

Yes, every script can be personalized with client names, locations, price points, and property types. You can also adjust tone and timing based on where the lead is in their journey.

Is text messaging compliant for real estate marketing?

Yes, as long as you follow proper practices, like using opt-ins, tracking consent, and offering easy opt-outs. SMS Magic takes care of all compliance requirements automatically.

Can I automate messages based on lead activity?

Yes. SMS Magic allows you to trigger messages based on actions like form submissions, stage changes, or new listings. 

Do I need to use Salesforce to use SMS Magic?

While SMS Magic is deeply integrated with Salesforce, it also works with other CRMs like Zoho.