1. Objective

This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) intakes every new lead into the CRM — from any source — and gets them set up with complete data, correct tagging, duplicate-check, pipeline stage, and sequence enrollment within 24 hours of arrival. This SOP is the operational discipline behind every other CRM process: sourcing, follow-up, nurture, reporting, and conversion all depend on the initial intake being complete and accurate.

A lead entered with wrong source, missing phone, or no pipeline stage is a lead that won't be followed up correctly. Done well, intake is invisible. Done poorly, it compounds across every downstream SOP.

Where this SOP starts: A new lead arrives from any monitored source — website form, Zillow, Realtor.com, Facebook Lead Ad, direct email, open house sign-in, social media DM, or manual entry from the agent.
Where this SOP ends: The lead has a complete CRM record, correct source tag, duplicate check complete, pipeline stage assigned, enrolled in the appropriate sequence, and the agent has been notified.

Success looks like: Every lead in the CRM has complete contact info, a source tag, a pipeline stage, and a date stamp. No leads are duplicated. Every lead is in the right sequence. The agent knows about every new lead the same day it arrives.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Monitoring all inbound lead channels during VA working hours
• Entering every new lead into the CRM with all required fields (Section 5)
• Running the duplicate check before creating any new record
• Merging duplicates where the match is clear; flagging ambiguous matches to the agent
• Applying the correct source tag per Lead Source Tracking & Tagging
• Assigning the initial pipeline stage (Cold / Warm / Hot / Active Client)
• Enrolling the lead in the appropriate automated follow-up sequence
• Sending the same-day agent notification with the new-leads summary
• Escalating hot leads to the agent immediately per Section 9

2b. What requires agent approval before acting

• Any override of the standard pipeline stage (agent may want to upgrade or downgrade based on context VA doesn't have)
• Any manual enrollment in a sequence that isn't the standard for that lead type
• Any commitment to a specific showing time, price, or substantive information during intake communication
• Merging duplicates where the match is not obvious (similar names, similar emails but different phones, etc.)
• Any decision to skip or delay the standard follow-up sequence

2c. What you never do

• You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
• You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
• You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
• You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
• You never enter a lead without a source tag — if unclear, flag to the agent and use Other — [note] as a placeholder
• You never delete a duplicate record unilaterally — merging preserves history; deleting loses it
• You never skip the duplicate check — it's where bad data compounds
• You never share a lead's contact information outside the agent's approved ecosystem

When in doubt: Complete the intake with what you know, flag the uncertain fields to the agent, and move forward. A partially-entered lead with a flag is better than a complete but wrong record.

3. Schedule & Trigger

Trigger: New lead arrives from any source:
- Website form submission (fires immediately to CRM via integration)
- Zillow Premier Agent inquiry
- Realtor.com Connect lead
- Facebook / Instagram Lead Ad
- Direct email inquiry to the agent's business email
- Social media DM (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) — per agent-configured monitoring
- Open house sign-in sheet (handled via Open House Lead Follow-Up Sequence)
- Agent-forwarded referral or phone inquiry (manual entry)

Expected turnaround:

• Ideal: Lead intake complete (full CRM entry, pipeline assigned, sequence enrolled) within 30 minutes of arrival during VA working hours. This overlaps with Online Inquiry Response — the response goes out first, then the detailed intake completes.
• Maximum: Within 4 business hours of arrival, always — no lead sits untagged or unassigned for a full day
• After-hours: Intake is handled first thing the next morning, typically within 15 minutes of VA day start
• Agent notification: Same-day for all leads; immediate for hot leads

Sequence context: This SOP is the foundational intake SOP for all CRM operations. It depends on CRM Setup being complete. Its outputs feed source tagging and reporting, response protocol, open house follow-up, long-term nurture, and every buyer or seller transaction SOP that begins with a new lead.

If you are unable to complete this task: Notify the agent at the start of your absence or as soon as possible. Flag any open or time-sensitive items. The agent will determine whether to delegate or defer. Never let a recurring deadline pass without flagging it to the agent in advance.

4. Lead Sources the VA Monitors

The VA actively monitors these sources during working hours. Confirm during onboarding which the agent uses.

4a. Automated sources (direct to CRM)

These should flow into the CRM automatically via integrations configured in CRM Setup & Configuration (New Agent):

• Website form submissions — into the CRM as new leads with form-field data and UTM parameters
• Zillow Premier Agent inquiries — via Zillow Tech Connect integration
• Realtor.com Connect — direct integration
• Facebook / Instagram Lead Ads — via Meta integration (native CRM or via Zapier)

4b. Semi-automated sources (may require VA action)

• Direct email inquiries — arrive in the agent's business inbox; VA creates CRM record from the email
• Social media DMs — VA checks the agent's DMs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn at least twice daily (morning, afternoon) and creates CRM records for any lead inquiries

4c. Manual sources (VA enters when agent forwards)

• Phone inquiries to the agent — agent forwards details to the VA; VA creates CRM record
• Referrals mentioned verbally — agent shares; VA creates CRM record
• Open house attendees — see Open House Lead Follow-Up Sequence for the dedicated workflow
• Networking event contacts — agent forwards; VA creates record

For each source, VA verifies the CRM integration is working at least weekly via the tag-integrity spot-check in Lead Source Tracking & Tagging.

5. CRM Entry Standards

Every new lead must have the following fields populated at intake. Missing fields get a [To be confirmed] placeholder; agent is flagged to fill in.

5a. Required fields

5b. Couples and co-buyers/sellers

Some agents prefer a single record per household (with both names in fields or a shared family record); others prefer two separate records linked to the same transaction. Confirm the agent's preference during onboarding.

5c. If the lead is unknown or ambiguous

If the inquiry doesn't clearly identify the lead's type (buyer vs. seller vs. investor), default to Unknown and flag to the agent for clarification. Do not guess. A lead tagged Buyer that is actually a seller will be routed through a wrong sequence and receive wrong messaging.

6. Duplicate Check

Before creating a new record, always search the CRM for an existing contact.

6a. Search methodology

Search on:
1. Email address (primary match key)
2. Phone number — search both formatted and unformatted versions
3. Full name (last name + first name; last match key)

6b. Match handling

Clear match (same email or same phone + same name):
- Do not create a new record
- Update the existing record with any new data from the new inquiry
- Add a note: "Additional inquiry received on [date] via [source] about [topic]"
- Re-check pipeline stage — a returning lead may warrant a stage upgrade

Ambiguous match (similar name, similar email, but not an exact match):
- Flag to the agent before taking action: "Potential duplicate — [Existing contact] vs. [New inquiry]. Same person or different?"
- Agent confirms; VA proceeds per agent direction

No match:
- Create a new record

6c. Merging duplicates discovered later

Duplicates sometimes surface during the weekly tag-integrity check (Lead Source Tracking & Tagging) or annual audit (Long-Term Lead Nurture (33-Touch Plan)). When merging:

• Keep the record with the most complete data and the longest history
• Move any unique data from the duplicate into the kept record (notes, additional touches, source variants)
• Delete the duplicate record only after confirming all data is preserved

7. Pipeline Stage Assignment

At intake, assign an initial pipeline stage based on the inquiry content. The agent may adjust.

7a. Stage definitions

7b. How to assign

• Default most new leads to Warm. It's rare that a first-touch lead is Cold (they just took an action) or Hot (hot requires context an intake usually doesn't have).
• Upgrade to Hot if the inquiry has any of the hot-lead signals from Online Inquiry Response Protocol §6: specific property + urgent timeline, pre-approval mentioned, specific move-in date, "ready to act" language, investor with specific criteria, high-value property inquiry.
• Downgrade to Cold only if the lead explicitly opts out of any substantive follow-up (rare on first touch).
• Don't assign Active Client at intake — that happens when the lead signs an agreement and begins transaction-stage work.

7c. Agent override

The agent may adjust the stage during their first engagement with the lead. Do not re-adjust without the agent's direction.

8. Sequence Enrollment

Enroll every new lead in the appropriate automated follow-up sequence.

8a. Standard sequence map

8b. Confirm enrollment worked

After enrolling:
- Check the CRM's sequence-enrollment confirmation (most platforms show the first scheduled message)
- Verify the first message is scheduled to send within the expected window (usually immediately for speed-to-lead; within 1 business day for other sequences)
- If enrollment fails silently (platform bug), flag to agent and re-enroll manually

8c. Overriding standard sequences

If the agent wants a specific lead to get a different sequence (e.g., an SOI referral should go straight to a personal call queue, not an automated sequence), apply the override and document it in the lead's notes.

9. Agent Notification

9a. Same-day summary

Once per day (at end of VA working day or per agent preference), send a summary of new leads:

Subject: New Leads — [Date]

Hi [Agent Name] — new leads today:

Hot:
- [Name] ([Source]) — [One-line context]

Warm:
- [Name] ([Source]) — [One-line context]
- [Name] ([Source]) — [One-line context]

Cold:
- [Name] ([Source])

Total: [X] new leads ([Y] hot, [Z] warm, [W] cold)
YTD: [Cumulative count]

All entered into CRM with tags, pipeline stages, and sequence enrollment complete. Flagged: [Any leads requiring agent decision — or "none"].

[VA Name]

9b. Immediate hot-lead escalation

Hot leads are not waited on until end-of-day — they go to the agent immediately per Online Inquiry Response Protocol §6 escalation template.

9c. Weekly patterns

On Friday afternoon (or per agent preference), include a brief weekly pattern note:
- Total leads week-over-week
- Any unusual source spikes or drops
- Any data quality issues observed

10. Escalation — When to Escalate Immediately

Escalate to the agent when:

• A hot lead arrives — per Section 9b
• A lead's contact info is incomplete in a way that blocks follow-up — no phone AND no email; or only a social handle
• A lead is explicitly asking for an urgent showing or offer — handle per Online Inquiry Response Protocol
• A potential duplicate requires judgment — same email, different phone, unclear if same person
• An automated intake source has failed — integration down, leads visible elsewhere but not reaching the CRM
• A lead has expressed an opt-out during intake — no follow-up at all; confirm with agent how to mark and handle

Use this escalation template:

Hi [Agent Name] — intake flag:

Issue: [One sentence]
Details: [2–3 lines — who, what, why it's flagged]
Recommended next step: [Specific]

[VA Name]

If agent is unreachable within the expected window on an intake issue:
1. Continue processing other intake normally
2. Hold the flagged lead at [To be confirmed] in the CRM with a clear note
3. Do not advance the lead through stages or sequences until the agent responds

11. Completion Checklist

Per lead
- ☐ All required fields populated (Section 5)
- ☐ Source tag applied per Lead Source Tracking & Tagging standards
- ☐ Duplicate check run; existing contacts merged or flagged
- ☐ Pipeline stage assigned
- ☐ Sequence enrolled; first message confirmed scheduled
- ☐ First contact and first response timestamps logged
- ☐ Agent notes populated with any relevant context
- ☐ Hot-lead escalation sent if applicable

Daily
- ☐ All inquiries from the day entered into CRM
- ☐ End-of-day new-leads summary sent to agent
- ☐ Any integration issues flagged

Weekly
- ☐ Friday pattern note included in that day's summary
- ☐ Tag integrity spot-check complete per Lead Source Tracking & Tagging

12. Tools & Access