New prospects often start by shopping for an agent. They may have been referred to one or two agents and they may have found some through advertising or the Internet. These prospects have not yet developed loyalty to a single agent. The quality of your contact with them will help develop their loyalty toward you.

Placing these prospects on your calendar for a follow-up every few days can keep you in the forefront of their minds. Ask them what their needs are. If they are planning to sell, offer them a market analysis, even if they are not going to be ready for a period of time. If they are planning to purchase, find out what their criteria are and keep a look out for suitable properties. You should notify them anytime something comes on the market that fits their needs. You should also be in touch even if there isn't anything available for them yet. Let them know about “almost” properties such as a home in their budget that may be a bit smaller than they had hoped to find.

If your MLS system allows for it, you can set it up so that your prospects receive regular updates as new properties become available. If this service is not available through your MLS, you can still perform the function manually by inputting their criteria on a regular basis and e-mailing the results. Follow up with a phone call, because not everyone checks e-mail diligently. Your e-mail may also look like spam to some spam filters and could end up as junk mail instead of being sent to your client's in-box. You can use the call to be sure the client received the e-mail. If you do use the automatic e-mail system, be sure that it also sends you the same updates. This way if they call you about a certain property you will have the information at hand.