The Mortgage Lead Follow-Up System That Closes More Loans

Most mortgage leads don't die because they were bad leads. They die because nobody followed up enough. The average loan officer makes one or two contact attempts and moves on. Meanwhile, research shows it takes 6 to 8 touches to convert a lead into a conversation and 12+ touches to move them through the pipeline.

The LOs who close the most loans aren't necessarily better salespeople. They just have better systems. Here's how to build a follow-up machine in HighLevel that keeps every lead engaged until they're ready to move forward.

Why Follow-Up Fails for Most LOs

The typical loan officer's follow-up looks like this:

1. Lead comes in. Call them once.
2. No answer. Leave a voicemail (maybe).
3. Send one email.
4. No response. Move on to the next lead.

That's not a system. That's hoping the phone rings. And here's the painful truth: 80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th contact, but 92% of salespeople give up after the 4th. You're quitting right before the finish line.

The Three Phases of Mortgage Lead Follow-Up

Phase 1: The Hot Pursuit (Days 1-7)

The first week after a lead comes in is your highest-conversion window. This phase is aggressive, multi-channel, and mostly automated.

Day 1:

• Minute 0-1: Automated text message (conversational opener)
• Minute 1-2: Automated email (confirmation + intro)
• Minute 2-5: Personal phone call (you, not automation)
• If no answer: Voicemail drop via HighLevel

Day 2:

• Morning: Text with a helpful resource (market update, rate info, or guide)
• Afternoon: Email with video intro (30-second personal video)

Day 3:

• Text: "Hey [Name], wanted to make sure you saw the info I sent. Any questions I can answer?"
• Personal call attempt #2

Day 5:

• Email: Educational content relevant to their situation
• Text: Soft check-in

Day 7:

• Final "hot pursuit" text: "I don't want to be a pest, so this will be my last follow-up for a bit. If you have questions about buying/refinancing, I'm always here. Just text back anytime."
• Voicemail drop

Phase 2: The Warm Nurture (Days 8-90)

Most leads aren't ready to buy in the first week. They're researching, saving for a down payment, or waiting for the right time. Phase 2 keeps you top of mind without being pushy.

• Weekly emails: Mix of educational content, market updates, and success stories
• Bi-weekly texts: Short, casual check-ins or interesting market stats
• Monthly voicemail drop: Quick, personal update about rates or market conditions

The key to Phase 2 is providing value in every touchpoint. Don't just say "Are you ready yet?" Give them something useful: a rate update, a neighborhood spotlight, a tip about improving credit scores. Be the helpful expert, not the annoying salesperson.

Phase 3: The Long Game (90+ days)

Some leads take 6 to 18 months to convert. That's fine. Phase 3 is a lower-frequency but consistent touchpoint strategy that keeps you in their world.

• Monthly email newsletter: Market updates, tips, community content
• Quarterly personal text: "Hey [Name], rates just hit [X]. Worth a look if you're still thinking about buying."
• Annual check-in: Personal call or handwritten card (yes, still powerful)

Building This in HighLevel

The entire three-phase system runs on HighLevel workflows. Here's how to set it up:

Workflow 1: Hot Pursuit

1. Trigger: Contact Created or Form Submitted
2. Action: Send SMS (conversational opener)
3. Wait 1 min: Send Email (confirmation)
4. Wait 3 min: Internal Notification (call this lead NOW)
5. If/Else: Did contact reply? Yes = stop automation, assign to you. No = continue.
6. Continue with Day 2, 3, 5, 7 touchpoints using Wait steps and response checks
7. End: Add tag "Phase 1 Complete," remove from this workflow, add to Warm Nurture workflow

Workflow 2: Warm Nurture

1. Trigger: Tag Added = "Phase 1 Complete"
2. Loop: Weekly email + bi-weekly text for 90 days
3. Response check: If they reply at any point, notify you and pause automation
4. End: Add tag "Phase 2 Complete," move to Long Game

Workflow 3: Long Game

1. Trigger: Tag Added = "Phase 2 Complete"
2. Loop: Monthly email, quarterly text
3. Runs indefinitely until they convert or unsubscribe

The Messages That Work

The difference between follow-up that converts and follow-up that annoys comes down to tone and value. Here are principles that work:

Text Messages

• Write like a human, not a company. "Hey Sarah" not "Dear Valued Customer."
• Ask questions, don't make statements. Questions create engagement.
• Keep it under 160 characters when possible. Short texts get read.
• Use their first name. Always.

Emails

• Subject lines should create curiosity: "Quick question about your home search" beats "Mortgage Update from ABC Lending"
• Include your photo in at least one email. People connect with faces.
• Every email should have ONE clear call to action
• Mix formats: plain text emails convert better than heavily designed ones for follow-up

Voicemails

• Keep them under 30 seconds
• Sound natural, not scripted
• End with: "Feel free to call or text me back at [number]. Talk soon."

When to Stop Following Up

There are only three reasons to stop:

1. They asked you to stop. Respect it immediately. Remove them from all sequences.
2. They closed with another lender. Tag them as "Lost" and move them to a past-lead reactivation list for future refinance opportunities.
3. Hard bounce or disconnected number. Clean your data monthly.

Otherwise? Keep going. The loan you close in month 8 from a lead that came in month 1 is just as valuable as any other deal. Probably more, because you've already invested in the relationship.

Tracking What Matters

In HighLevel, track these metrics for your follow-up system:

• Response rate by touchpoint: Which message in the sequence gets the most replies?
• Time to first conversation: How many days from lead to first real conversation?
• Conversion by phase: What percentage convert in Phase 1 vs. Phase 2 vs. Phase 3?
• Opt-out rate: If it's above 5%, your messaging needs adjustment

"Before HighLevel, I was following up with leads maybe twice. Now my system runs 12+ touchpoints automatically. Last month I closed a deal from a lead that came in 4 months ago. She said, 'You were the only lender who kept in touch without being annoying.' That's the system working." — HL4MP Community Member