As a busy real estate professional, how do you efficiently reach buyers and sellers without spending hours on the phone or leaving hundreds of voicemail messages?
In order to increase sales, you have to increase the number of calls you make each day. While phone conversations are important to building meaningful relationships with clients, leaving voicemail messages and being screened by gatekeepers will end in frustration and wasted time.
It can take many calls to turn a prospect into a lead, and then into a sale. Even if no one answered the phone, you could spend most of the day leaving the same exact message for unavailable prospects. Spending too much time leaving messages can also slow down your sales process and negatively impact your bottom line.
If you’ve been in real estate long enough, you know that advertising can quickly get expensive and time consuming, whether it’s through online marketing, direct mail campaigns, or marketing software. Today, realtors, brokers, and agents alike can now use voicemail drop technology to significantly eliminate their time on the phone while effectively reaching buyers and sellers to promote listings or look for new ones.
What Are Voicemail Drops?
Voicemail drop technology allows you to record one message that can be shared with thousands of prospects at a scheduled time.
This technology delivers your recorded message to the recipient’s voicemail box without the phone ringing. The purpose is to deliver content straight to voicemail without interrupting the recipient. Skipping the ring does not change the rules, though: since November 2022 the FCC treats ringless voicemail to wireless phones as a “call” made with a prerecorded voice under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), so it needs the recipient’s consent, and the FCC noted that retrieving these messages can still cost people on limited-minute plans (FCC 22-85).
The recipients will get curious and listen to the voicemail at their convenience. Automating your voicemails provides a cost effective method to reach your audience without disrupting or irritating them.
How Does It Work?
Pre-recorded messages are sent directly to the recipients’ voicemail without the phone ringing. Today, people carefully screen their calls. Most people don’t answer the phone because they are in the middle of something, or they don’t want to be bothered. People will also send a call straight to voicemail if they do not recognize the phone number.
Recipients may be more open to pay attention and absorb the information as they listen to your message at their leisure. People will listen to ringless voicemail messages out of curiosity, and they will stay tuned in as long as the content is relevant to them.
You can deliver your messages to a large list of targeted clients who have agreed to hear from you. You can reach people who are considering putting their homes and properties on the market, or you can inform buyers about open houses and new listings. You can also target recipients by zip code. Just record your own personalized message to get started.
How to Use Voicemail Drop Technology To Grow Your Sales
When most business calls end up going to voicemail, why not use automated voicemail broadcasting as a cost efficient solution to wasting your hours leaving the same messages? You will get tired, and it will show in your voice.
Instead of trying to get prospects on the phone and pitch them, all you have to do is record an engaging message, and sit back as the message is delivered to thousands of people. Straight to voicemail technology will automate the sales process and let your prospects call you. Simply record and schedule your message, and then wait for your prospects to call you or send you a text message to join your groups.
Your sales team will no longer have to make endless outbound calls repeating the same message. When recipients call back, you can focus your efforts on closing sales during an inbound call.
Use this voice broadcasting technology to inform prospects about your latest product, service, or promotion. Do you want to let everyone know about a new listing or open house in the area? Just send out a quick message to the contacts who opted in. Looking for sellers that want to list in your area? Be careful here: calling expired listings, FSBO owners or a purchased list to win a listing is telemarketing, so prerecorded drops to their cell phones need prior express written consent, and numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry are off limits for sales messages (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2) and (c)). This section is general information about U.S. federal rules, not legal advice; state laws can add stricter limits. See this ringless voicemail compliance guide for more.
It can take many calls to turn a prospect into a lead, and then into a sale.
Broadcast Features
- Fast & Reliable Voice Broadcasting: You simply record a voice message, set your day and time, and deliver it to your contacts within minutes. You can select the date and exact time or time range to deliver your messages.
- Customized Caller ID: Select your caller ID for automated calls. This is the number that recipients will appear on their phone when you call them.
- Automatically Sync Contacts: Broadcast will keep your contacts up to date by syncing your contacts and transfer data by connecting Broadcast to one of our integration partners.
- Built-in Analytics & Reporting: You can see how your text messages and broadcasts are performing. You will see who picked up, who didn’t, and also track clicks from your texts.
How To Automate Sending Voicemail Drops
When you send automated voicemail drops, you can invite recipients to call back or send a text message. You can also use recorded voicemail message to invite recipients to send texts to opt in to your list or join your group. You can also capture lead information and store it to your contact records later. Every prerecorded message must state your name or business at the start and give a callback number during or after it (47 CFR 64.1200(b)).
Broadcast also lets you send out bulk SMS, SMS coupons, and SMS reminders to keep in touch with your list and communicate with your prospects. You can also use “text to join keywords”, where customers and motivated prospects can text in your keyword to join your group.
Aside from phone calls that require a conversation, you can automate the relationship building process by keeping in touch with your clients through voice broadcasting, send SMS online, and autoresponders that will integrate into a cohesive campaign.
Targeting the Right Audience with Voicemail Drops
Voicemail drops allow real estate professionals to target specific audiences efficiently. Here's how to ensure you're reaching the right prospects:
1. Geographic and Demographic Targeting Voicemail drops enable you to target prospects by zip code, ensuring your message reaches buyers or sellers in the right areas. You can also segment by audience type (buyers, sellers, or investors), tailoring messages to each group’s unique needs.
2. Personalized Messaging By segmenting your audience into cold leads, warm leads, or past clients, you can personalize your voicemail messages. Cold leads who have not given you written consent are not a fit for prerecorded marketing drops; introduce yourself through other channels first and invite them to opt in. Warm leads and past clients who opted in could benefit from timely updates on new listings or market conditions. This Do Not Call list compliance guide explains the registry rules.
3. Follow-Up and Engagement Voicemail drops are ideal for following up with interested prospects. You can send reminders about properties, open houses, or promotions, keeping your audience engaged without being intrusive.
Integrating Voicemail Drops with Other Marketing Channels
For maximum impact, integrate voicemail drops with other marketing efforts:
- Combine with Email Campaigns: Use voicemail drops to complement email newsletters or updates. A well-timed voicemail can remind recipients to check their inbox for more details.
- Pair with Social Media Ads: Boost the effectiveness of social ads by sending voicemail drops to the contacts in that audience who opted in to hear from you. This multi-channel approach helps reinforce your message and reach potential clients from different angles.
- Use with Direct Mail: Follow up direct mail campaigns with a voicemail drop to recipients who have given you consent, encouraging them to take immediate action, like calling you or attending an open house. Direct mail is also a good way to invite new prospects to opt in. For text follow-up ideas, see SMS marketing for real estate.
How Broadcast Can Help You Generate More Leads
Are you ready to automate tedious and repetitive tasks so that you can focus on closing sales? Broadcast provides a software that helps businesses automate your SMS marketing and voice broadcasting to effectively communicate and grow sales. Whether you’re looking for ringless voicemail drop or bulk SMS campaigns, Broadcast has a plan that will fit your voice broadcasting needs.
Sign Up For Your 14-Day Trial
Create your free Broadcast account to get started sending voicemails
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are voicemail drops, and how can they benefit real estate professionals?
Voicemail drops allow you to send a pre-recorded message directly to a prospect’s voicemail without their phone ringing. This can benefit real estate professionals by saving time, reaching a larger audience, and avoiding disruptions to the recipient, making it an efficient way to communicate with buyers and sellers.
How do voicemail drops work without the phone ringing?
Voicemail drops work by bypassing the phone’s ringing process and delivering the message directly to the recipient’s voicemail inbox. This technology ensures the message is received without disturbing the recipient, making it more likely they will listen at their convenience.
Can voicemail drops target specific groups of prospects?
Yes, voicemail drops can target specific groups, such as potential buyers, sellers, or investors. You can also use geographic targeting by zip code to ensure your message reaches prospects in the areas you’re focused on, making it highly customizable for your needs.
How are voicemail drops different from cold calling?
Unlike cold calling, voicemail drops don’t require the recipient to answer the phone. Instead, your message goes straight to voicemail, saving time and eliminating the frustration of being screened or ignored. This method is less intrusive and more likely to be heard by prospects at their convenience. Legally, though, it is not a way around cold-calling rules: the FCC treats a ringless voicemail as a prerecorded call, so it needs consent, and marketing drops need prior express written consent (FCC 22-85).
Can voicemail drops be integrated with other marketing strategies?
Absolutely. Voicemail drops work best when integrated with other marketing channels like email, social media, and direct mail campaigns. Combining these strategies helps reinforce your message and increases the chances of engaging potential buyers and sellers.
Are voicemail drops legal for real estate?
Yes, with consent. In November 2022 the FCC ruled that ringless voicemail to wireless phones is a call made with a prerecorded voice under the TCPA (FCC 22-85). Messages that market your services or a property need the recipient’s prior express written consent: a signed agreement that names the phone number and authorizes prerecorded marketing messages (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2) and (f)(9)). People can sue for $500 per violation, up to $1,500 if the violation was willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3)). This is general information, not legal advice.
Can I send voicemail drops to expired listings or FSBO sellers?
Not without their consent. Calling an owner to win a listing encourages the purchase of your services, which the rules define as telemarketing (47 CFR 64.1200(f)(13)). Expired-listing, FSBO and purchased lists rarely come with prior express written consent, and sales messages to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry are prohibited (64.1200(c)(2)). The FTC can seek civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation of its Telemarketing Sales Rule, which covers interstate telemarketing. Treat investor “we buy houses” messages the same way.
What should a real estate voicemail drop script include?
Start with your name and brokerage (the rules require the identity of the caller at the beginning), give one reason for the message, such as a new listing or open house, and leave a callback number (47 CFR 64.1200(b)). Marketing messages must also explain how to opt out, with a toll-free number when the message is left on voicemail. Example: “Hi, this is [your name] with [your brokerage]. You asked for updates on homes in [area]: a three-bedroom just listed on [street], with an open house Saturday. Call or text me at [your number]. To stop these messages, call [toll-free opt-out number].” More ideas in these voice message templates.
How often do I need to check the Do Not Call Registry?
For sales messages, the FCC’s safe harbor expects you to use a version of the National Do Not Call Registry obtained no more than 31 days before the call, keep records of that process, and keep your own internal do-not-call list (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(2) and (d)).
Can I use an AI voice for voicemail drops?
Yes, but it is treated like a recording. In February 2024 the FCC confirmed that AI-generated voices count as an “artificial or prerecorded voice” under the TCPA, so those messages need the same consent (FCC 24-17). For the wider rules, see what TCPA compliance means.
