1. Objective

This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) conducts initial intake with a new buyer lead — gathering the information the agent needs to assess the lead's readiness, prioritize follow-up, and enter an informed first conversation.

A new buyer lead is not a client. They have expressed interest, but the agent doesn't yet know where they are in the buying process, whether they are pre-approved, or whether they are actively looking or just curious. The VA's job is to ask the right questions, record the answers accurately, and hand the agent a clear picture — so the agent's first call is productive rather than spent gathering basics.

The boundary: The VA gathers information. The agent assesses, advises, and qualifies. These two functions must not be confused. The VA never evaluates whether a lead is "ready to buy" — that determination belongs to the agent.

Where this SOP starts: A new buyer lead enters the CRM — via website form, phone call, email, or any other source.
Where this SOP ends: The intake information is entered in the CRM and the agent is notified with the intake summary.

Success looks like: The agent gets a notification with the buyer's key information — pre-approval status, price range, timeline, and contact preference — and can call back ready to move the conversation forward.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Entering all buyer lead contact information into the CRM immediately upon arrival
• Conducting a brief intake call when appropriate (see Section 4)
• Entering all intake responses into the CRM with clear notes
• Applying the lead's priority score (Hot / Warm / Cold) based on the scoring criteria in Section 6
• Notifying the agent with the intake summary within the timeframe specified in Section 6

2b. What requires agent approval before acting

• Any deviation from the standard intake script — if the lead asks a question outside the script's scope, defer to the agent rather than improvising an answer
• Any follow-up communication beyond the initial intake acknowledgment — the agent handles lead nurture and first substantive contact
• Scoring a lead as "Cold" when the information suggests otherwise — if unclear, score higher and note the uncertainty for the agent

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 tell a lead whether they are "ready to buy," "qualified," or whether their budget is realistic for the market — these are agent-level assessments.
• You never ask about creditworthiness, debt, income, or financial details beyond the simple pre-approval question in the intake script.
• You never recommend a lender, strategy, or course of action — if a lead asks for this, tell them the agent will be happy to discuss it when they connect.
• You never make a commitment about what the agent will or won't do for the lead.

If a lead starts asking advice-level questions during intake: "That's a great question — that's exactly the kind of thing [Agent Name] will be able to help you with when you connect. I just want to make sure they have your information so they can give you a helpful first call."

3. Schedule & Trigger

Trigger: A new buyer lead enters the CRM from any source — website form, IDX registration, Zillow/Realtor.com lead import, open house sign-in, referral, social media inquiry, or direct call.

Response time: The intake call or follow-up attempt should happen within the same business day the lead arrives. Leads that arrive after 5 PM are addressed the next morning.

Intake call: Only conducted if the lead has provided a phone number and has not already provided full intake information via a web form. See Section 4.

4. Intake Methods

Method 1: Website / IDX Form (Preferred)

If the agent's website has an integrated lead capture form connected to the CRM, intake information may arrive pre-populated. When this happens:

1. Review the CRM entry — confirm all required fields are present
2. If the form captured all required intake fields: enter the CRM and skip to Section 6 (scoring and agent notification)
3. If the form is incomplete: attempt a phone intake call or send an intake email to fill the gaps

Required intake fields (minimum):
- Full name
- Email
- Phone (mobile preferred)
- Pre-approval status (Yes / No / Not Yet)
- Timeline (immediate / 1–3 months / 3–6 months / 6+ months / just exploring)
- Price range
- Target area or neighborhood
- Property type interest

If any of these are missing from the web form submission, the VA fills them via call or email before notifying the agent.

Method 2: Intake Phone Call

When a lead provides a phone number but no web form data, or when the form is incomplete, the VA conducts a brief intake call. See the script in Section 5.

If no answer: leave a brief voicemail and send an email with the intake questions (Section 5b). Make one follow-up call attempt the next business day. If no response after two attempts, enter what is available and notify the agent — the agent handles further outreach.

Method 3: Email Intake

If the lead came in via email inquiry (no form, no phone), send the intake email (Section 5b) to gather missing information. Enter whatever the inquiry email contains into the CRM immediately — don't wait for the response.

5. Intake Scripts

5a. Intake Phone Call Script

Keep the call brief — this is an intake, not a consultation. Target 3–5 minutes.

Introduction:
"Hi, is this [Lead First Name]? Great — this is [VA Name] calling on behalf of [Agent Name]. 
You recently [registered on our website / reached out about / inquired about] buying a home, 
and I just wanted to make sure I get your information over to [Agent Name] so they can 
follow up with you directly. Do you have just a couple of minutes?"

[If yes — proceed. If busy — "Of course — what's a better time to reach you?"]

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Question 1 — Pre-approval:
"Just to make sure [Agent Name] is prepared when they call — have you had a chance to 
speak with a lender yet, or is that something still on the to-do list?"

[Note the answer. Do NOT follow up with lender recommendations or comments about 
the importance of pre-approval. Just note it.]

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Question 2 — Timeline:
"And what's your timeline looking like? Are you hoping to be in something soon, 
or are you still early in the process?"

[Note the answer. Accept any answer without evaluation.]

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Question 3 — Price range:
"What price range are you thinking about?"

[Note the answer. Do NOT comment on whether the range is realistic for the market.]

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Question 4 — Where:
"Any particular areas or neighborhoods you're focused on?"

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Question 5 — Type:
"And what type of home are you looking for — single family, condo, townhouse?"

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Close:
"Perfect — that's everything I need. I'll get this over to [Agent Name] right now, 
and they'll be in touch with you shortly. Is [email/phone] the best way for them to reach you?

Thanks so much, [Lead First Name]. Talk soon."

What to do if the lead asks a question outside the script:

"That's a great question — [Agent Name] will be able to give you a much better answer than I can. I'll make sure they know you have that question when they follow up."

Do not improvise answers to questions about the market, financing, property values, or strategy.

5b. Intake Email Template

Subject: Quick questions before [Agent Name] calls you

Hi [Lead First Name] —

I'm [VA Name], and I work with [Agent Name]. You recently reached out about buying a home, 
and I want to make sure [Agent Name] has your details before they follow up.

Could you take 60 seconds to answer a few quick questions?

1. Have you spoken with a lender yet (pre-approval status)?
2. What's your timeline for buying?
3. What price range are you working with?
4. Any specific areas or neighborhoods you're targeting?
5. What type of home are you looking for?

[Agent Name] will follow up directly once I get this over to them.

Thanks —
[VA Name]
On behalf of [Agent Name]
[Agent Phone]

6. CRM Entry & Lead Scoring

CRM Entry

Enter all intake information into the lead's CRM record immediately — do not wait until the call follow-up is complete.

Required CRM fields at intake:

Lead Priority Scoring

After intake is complete, apply a priority score to the lead record:

Scoring note: When in doubt, score one tier higher and note the uncertainty. It is better for the agent to find a "Hot" lead that turns out to be "Warm" than to deprioritize a lead who was ready. If the information is too incomplete to score with any confidence, flag it explicitly: "Insufficient information to score — agent follow-up needed."

Agent Notification

After CRM entry and scoring, notify the agent immediately via the agent's preferred channel (confirm during onboarding):

New Buyer Lead — [Lead First Name Last Name]

Priority: [Hot / Warm / Cold]
Source: [Lead source]
Phone: [Phone]
Email: [Email]
Pre-approved: [Yes / No / Not Yet / Unknown]
Timeline: [Timeline]
Price range: [Range]
Target area: [Area]
Property type: [Type]

Notes: [Any additional context from the intake call or form]

CRM record: [Link if available]

Best contact method: [Phone / Email — per lead's preference if stated]

Send this notification within 1 hour of completing the CRM entry. For Hot leads, notify immediately upon CRM entry — do not wait.

7. Checklist

Per Lead Received
- ☐ CRM entry created immediately upon lead arrival
- ☐ All required fields entered (name, email, phone, source, stage, date added)
- ☐ Intake call conducted or intake email sent (if web form incomplete)
- ☐ Intake responses entered in CRM notes
- ☐ Lead scored: Hot / Warm / Cold
- ☐ Agent notified with intake summary within 1 hour (immediately for Hot leads)

Intake Call — Per Attempt
- ☐ Call attempted within same business day
- ☐ Voicemail left if no answer — intake email sent
- ☐ Second attempt made next business day if no response
- ☐ If no response after two attempts: CRM updated with "Attempting Contact" — agent notified

8. Escalation Protocol

Escalate to the agent immediately in any of these situations:
- A new lead contacts the VA directly via the intake channel with urgent buying or selling intent — route to agent within 5 minutes; do not handle independently
- A portal lead (Zillow, Realtor.com) is received and the agent has not been notified within 5 minutes of VA awareness — speed to lead is critical; do not delay
- A lead's intake information suggests they may already be working with another agent (mentions a different agent by name, asks if there are any fees for switching) — flag to agent before proceeding with CRM setup
- An intake script or intake form produces duplicate records for a contact who already exists in the CRM — merge instructions should come from the agent
- A lead contacts the VA expressing urgency to submit an offer on a specific property the same day — route to agent immediately

Hi [Agent Name] — new lead issue requires your immediate attention.

Issue: [Direct urgent contact / portal lead requiring same-day response / potential dual agency / duplicate record / same-day offer urgency]
Lead name: [Name if available]
Contact info: [Phone and email]
Source: [Zillow / Realtor.com / direct / referral / other]
Inquiry: [Brief summary of what they said]

[VA Name]

If the agent is unreachable: Create the CRM record and log all available contact information immediately. For portal leads, attempt the agent's secondary urgent contact channel — the 5-minute response window is critical. Do not respond to the lead's inquiry on behalf of the agent. Attempt secondary contact within 2 minutes if the primary goes to voicemail.

9. Tools & Access