Zillow Lead Follow-Up Scripts for Every Response Branch

A useful Zillow lead follow up script should identify the agent and brokerage, name the property or request that prompted the inquiry, ask one easy question, and offer a concrete next step. The script must change with the lead type and outcome. A live Zillow connection needs an immediate conversation plan; a direct contact may need a fast callback; a nurture lead needs useful, permission-based follow-up rather than manufactured urgency.

Use the scripts below as editable operating templates. Replace every bracketed field with verified information, follow the person's channel preference, and have the brokerage approve the cadence, consent, disclosure, recording, and opt-out language for each jurisdiction. Callion is independent from Zillow and is not endorsed or sponsored by Zillow.

Identify the Zillow lead type before choosing a script

Do not send the same opening to every record labeled Zillow. Zillow's current lead-type guidance distinguishes direct contacts, live telephone connections, and nurture leads. A direct contact selected an agent, a connection indicated readiness for a live conversation, and a nurture lead was not ready to speak with an agent at that moment. The appropriate response therefore depends on what the person actually did.

Zillow's Premier Agent app overview says its inbox shows the source message, property information, readiness details, and follow-up recommendations. Read that context before responding. If another system receives the record, preserve the original event, property URL or identifier, timestamp, stated time frame, channel, and previous messages.

Use the SCOPE check before every outreach

A script works only when the data and next action are trustworthy. Use this original five-part pre-send check:

1. Source: What action produced the lead, and what did the person ask for?
2. Context: Which property, price, location, message, and timing details are verified?
3. Owner: Who is responsible for answering, scheduling, and correcting the record?
4. Permission: Which call, text, email, recording, and AI-voice rules apply to this workflow?
5. Exit: How will the person change channels, ask for a human, postpone, or stop contact?

If any of the first four elements is unknown, shorten the message and route the uncertainty to a person. Never fill a missing property, time, financing stage, or representation status with a confident guess.

Immediate-response scripts for a new Zillow inquiry

The opening should make the contact recognizable. Zillow's 10-day conversion plan recommends introducing yourself, explaining how you received the contact information, keeping the tone useful, and asking for the preferred contact method. These original templates apply that guidance without promising availability or a sale outcome.

Immediate call opening

Hi [first name], this is [agent] with [brokerage]. You asked about [property or request] on Zillow. I can help with that. Are you mainly looking for property details, a tour, or similar options?

If the person names a priority, respond to it before expanding the discovery flow. A productive call can then ask:

• What caught your attention about this property?
• Which areas or home features are essential?
• What time frame are you considering?
• Would a tour, a short search call, or a written answer be most useful next?

Zillow's first-call guidance uses a listen, ask, answer, and plan sequence. Its ALM framework focuses the connection on an appointment, preferred location, and motivation. Use those as conversation prompts, not as permission to pressure a person into an appointment they do not want.

Immediate text when a call is not appropriate

Hi [first name], this is [agent] with [brokerage]. I received your Zillow question about [property]. I am checking [the specific requested detail]. Would you prefer the answer here, or a quick call at a time you choose? Reply STOP if you do not want texts from [brokerage].

Only say you are checking a detail when someone owns that task. Do not write that a property is available, a showing is confirmed, or a price is negotiable until the responsible person verifies it.

Immediate email

Subject: Your question about [property]

Hi [first name],

I am [agent] with [brokerage]. I received your Zillow inquiry about [property] at [time]. You asked about [request]. I am confirming that information now. If you are also comparing nearby homes, tell me the location, price range, and one or two must-have features, and I can prepare a focused set.

Would you prefer an email answer, a short call, or a tour request?

[signature and required brokerage information]

The three versions share the same facts but fit different channels. Do not send all three automatically just because contact details exist. Choose the channel the person requested or the brokerage-approved path for that source event.

No-answer and retry scripts

A missed call is not evidence that the person rejected the inquiry or wants repeated contact. Record the attempt, leave a short useful message when permitted, schedule the next reviewed action, and stop when the contact declines.

Voicemail after a direct contact

Hi [first name], this is [agent] with [brokerage] following up on your Zillow question about [property]. I am checking [specific detail]. You can call or text me at [number], or reply to the original message. Again, this is [agent] at [number].

Text after an unanswered call

Hi [first name], [agent] from [brokerage] here. I just called about your Zillow inquiry for [property]. No need to call back immediately. Would the property details, a tour option, or similar listings be most helpful? Reply STOP to stop texts.

Later value-based follow-up

Hi [first name], I confirmed [one factual update] about [property or search]. Would you like me to send that here? If your plans changed, tell me and I will update the follow-up.

Each attempt should add context or make the next choice easier. Avoid messages that merely say you are following up again. Zillow's published plan describes a multi-channel sequence across ten days and recommends limiting daily methods, but it also tells agents to use brokerage methods and judgment. Treat any sample cadence as a starting point, not a universal permission or a required schedule.

Build the retry policy around explicit states:

For a broader retry design, use the AI lead follow-up framework. It separates call, retry, pause, escalation, and stop decisions instead of treating persistence as a single sequence.

Script for an unavailable or changed property

A property may be pending, off market, unavailable for the requested time, or simply unverified. Do not use the change as bait. State what is known, name the source or verification time when useful, and ask whether the person wants alternatives.

When unavailability is verified

I checked [property] at [time], and it is currently shown as [verified status]. I know that is not the answer you wanted. Would you like me to check whether its status changes, or find similar homes using the same [location, price, or feature] criteria?

When the status is not yet verified

I do not want to guess about [property]. I am confirming its current status with [responsible source or person]. I can update you by [channel] by [realistic time]. In the meantime, is there one feature you would want in any alternative?

When the requested tour time is unavailable

That exact time is not currently available. I can request [option one] or [option two], or ask the listing contact for another opening. Which would you prefer? The appointment is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation.

Zillow's ALM guidance recommends asking about similar homes when the original property is unavailable. The important boundary is accuracy: do not imply that an alternative is equivalent, available, or suitable until those facts are checked. Avoid urgency claims such as multiple offers or a deadline unless a reliable source has verified them and the brokerage permits the wording.

Nurture scripts that provide a reason to reply

Nurture is useful when it follows the person's stated timing and preferences. It is not a license for indefinite contact. Capture why the person is not ready, what information they asked for, when a follow-up might help, and which channel they prefer.

Early-stage buyer

Thanks, [first name]. You are exploring [area or goal] rather than scheduling immediately. I can send a small set of relevant homes [frequency] and check in around [agreed date]. Would that be useful, and is [channel] best?

Financing preparation

It sounds like your next useful step is understanding financing options. I can ask [approved person or process] to contact you, or I can keep the property search paused until [agreed date]. Which do you prefer?

Do not estimate approval, interest rates, affordability, or loan eligibility unless a qualified professional owns that answer.

Search criteria changed

I have your search centered on [old criteria]. Has your preferred location, price range, time frame, or property type changed? Reply with only what you want updated, and I will adjust the next set.

Permission reset

I have been sending [type of update] about [search]. Is that still useful? Reply CONTINUE to keep this schedule, CHANGE with your preference, or STOP to end these messages.

The objective is a clean state, not a forced meeting. A nurture record should resolve to active conversation, scheduled next contact, human review, paused, or stopped.

Appointment confirmation and handoff scripts

A requested appointment, confirmed appointment, and completed appointment are different events. Zillow's post-call guidance recommends sending a prompt confirmation with time, date, meeting details, and a calendar invitation, plus another reminder when appropriate.

Appointment request

I can request [tour or consultation] for [property or purpose]. Would [option one with time zone] or [option two with time zone] work better? I will confirm after [responsible person] accepts it.

Confirmed appointment

Confirmed: [appointment type] on [date] at [time and time zone]. Meet [agent] at [verified location or video link]. Contact [number] if anything changes. [Access, parking, identification, or preparation details if verified.]

Day-of reminder

Reminder for today at [time and time zone]: [appointment] with [agent] at [location or link]. Reply here if you need directions or need to reschedule.

Agent handoff

[First name], I am connecting you with [agent], who will handle [specific request]. [Agent] has the property, timing, and questions you shared, so you should not need to repeat them. The next step is [action] by [time].

The internal handoff should contain the original inquiry, property, verified status, questions, stated time frame, preferred channel, representation context when volunteered, appointment state, promises made, uncertainties, and named owner. A transcript alone is not an operational handoff.

Compliance and consumer-control notes

A Zillow inquiry does not answer every consent question for every later call or text. The customer's business purpose, the form and disclosure shown, the seller on whose behalf contact occurs, the channel, the technology, the content, the number, the jurisdiction, and an opt-out all matter. Brokerage counsel should approve the real workflow.

The Federal Trade Commission's current Telemarketing Sales Rule guidance explains entity-specific do-not-call duties and calling-time restrictions for covered outbound telemarketing. It also describes an inquiry-based established-business-relationship concept for certain live calls while emphasizing that a person's company-specific stop request must still be honored. State rules and FCC requirements may differ or add obligations.

The FCC's declaratory ruling on AI-generated voices concludes that calls initiated using AI-generated voices are artificial or prerecorded voice calls under the TCPA. It identifies consent, caller-identification or disclosure, and opt-out requirements that apply depending on the call. Do not assume that a form lead, vendor label, or human-call exception authorizes an AI-voice workflow.

Use these operating controls:

• Identify the actual agent, brokerage, and purpose accurately.
• Preserve the source event and disclosure version tied to the record.
• Apply local-time calling windows and channel-specific rules.
• Honor STOP, do-not-call, wrong-number, and revocation signals across connected systems.
• Do not disguise automation as a human or invent prior conversation.
• Route recording, fair-housing, representation, financing, legal, and complaint questions to trained people.
• Keep a human path available and record who owns the next step.

This section is operational education, not legal advice. The brokerage remains responsible for its recipients, consent basis, campaign, scripts, supervision, and applicable federal, state, and local rules.

How Callion fits into a Zillow follow-up workflow

Callion's current implementation recognizes Zillow as a lead-source category and supports configurable scripts, buyer and seller qualification questions, calling windows, retry limits, opt-out or suppression handling, call outcomes, recordings and transcripts, lead scoring and routing records, appointment records, and human handoffs. The system can also store connection records for Follow Up Boss, kvCORE, and Sierra Interactive. Exact availability depends on the customer's plan, credentials, lead-import path, account configuration, calling eligibility, and approved workflow.

That does not establish a formal Zillow partnership or guarantee that every Zillow product sends data through the same route. Callion is an independent platform. Before launch, test a controlled Zillow-sourced inquiry from source event to import, routing, contact, correction, appointment, CRM update, opt-out, and human handoff.

A strong configuration maps the script branches above to explicit outcomes rather than letting the model improvise:

• New inquiry and agent available: immediate human or approved AI response.
• New inquiry and agent unavailable: transparent acknowledgement plus owned callback.
• No answer: approved retry state with a maximum attempt count.
• Property status uncertain: verification task, not a claim.
• Appointment requested: pending until confirmed.
• Sensitive, ambiguous, or unsupported question: human review.
• Opt-out or wrong number: stop and suppress.

Compare that workflow with the Zillow and Realtor.com response-time guide and the Facebook lead follow-up playbook. The lead sources and integrations hub organizes the surrounding resources. Current Callion plan boundaries belong on the pricing page.

Quality-assurance checklist

Before using any script, run controlled tests and review both successful and failed paths.

• The opening names the correct source, property, agent, and brokerage.
• Live connections, direct contacts, tour requests, and nurture leads use different branches.
• A property status is verified before it is stated as fact.
• The workflow never marks a requested appointment as confirmed.
• Time zone and preferred channel survive every handoff.
• Missing information creates a question or review state, not an invention.
• A stop request suppresses later calls and texts across connected systems.
• Wrong numbers end the workflow immediately.
• AI identity, caller identification, recording, and required disclosures match the approved policy.
• The receiving agent sees the original message, verified facts, unresolved questions, and promised next action.
• Reports distinguish attempt, contact, meaningful conversation, appointment request, confirmed appointment, held appointment, and closed transaction.
• The team reviews samples for accuracy, respectful language, pressure, and inconsistent service.

Track results by lead event and script branch. Measure contactability, response, appointments requested, appointments confirmed, appointments held, opt-outs, corrections, handoff acceptance, and downstream outcomes. Do not credit a script for a closing without considering lead source, market, inventory, agent performance, and selection effects.

Frequently asked questions

What should I say when I first call a Zillow lead?

Identify yourself and your brokerage, mention the exact property or request, answer the stated question when possible, and ask whether property details, a tour, or similar options would be most useful. Do not begin with a long qualification checklist.

Should I call, text, and email a Zillow lead immediately?

Use the channel the person selected or the brokerage-approved path tied to the source event. Sending every channel at once can create duplicate outreach and consumer frustration. Preserve channel preferences and coordinate ownership across systems.

What should I send when a Zillow lead does not answer?

Leave a short message that identifies the agent, brokerage, source request, property, and callback method. A later touch should add a verified update or a useful choice, not merely announce another attempt.

What if the Zillow property is unavailable?

State the verified status without blame or false urgency, then ask whether the person wants a status update or similar properties based on specific criteria. If the status is uncertain, say you are checking and name a realistic follow-up time.

How long should I follow up with a Zillow lead?

There is no universal duration. Use the person's stated timing, source event, consent and contact rules, engagement, value of each message, and brokerage-approved limits. Pause or stop when requested, when the number is wrong, when permission is uncertain, or when policy limits are reached.

Can AI call Zillow leads?

AI can support an approved workflow, but a Zillow label alone does not establish consent for an AI-generated voice call. The business must verify the source event, disclosure and consent basis, calling rules, identification, opt-out controls, and jurisdiction before enabling the call.

Is Callion affiliated with Zillow?

No. Callion is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Zillow. Product names belong to their respective owners.