Infonestira

Positioning is the specific promise you make to clients and the specific pain point you solve, Josh Ries writes. Effective positioning is essential for great follow-up, connection and marketing.

Inman Connect

Invest in yourself, grow your business—real estate’s biggest moment is in San Diego!

I used to think awkward follow-up was a script problem. Like if I could just find the right words, the right timing, the right “check in,” it would stop feeling uncomfortable.

What I eventually realized is awkward follow-up is rarely a follow-up problem.

It’s a first-impression problem.

When your lead generation campaign is vague, generic or looks like every other agent in town, you attract people with unclear intent. They click, they raise their hand, and then they disappear because nothing about your message gave them a clear reason to keep talking.

Then you are stuck trying to revive the conversation with the classics. Just checking in. Circling back. Any updates. It feels weird because it is weird. You are trying to restart a conversation that never had a sharp purpose in the first place.

What positioning actually means in real estate lead generation

In real estate lead generation, positioning is the specific promise you make to a specific person, tied to a specific problem you solve. It’s not branding. It’s not a slogan. It is how you frame your value so the right people self-select in, and the wrong people self-select out.

Good positioning creates a reason to reach back out. It sets up the follow-up before the lead ever comes in, because your follow-up becomes the delivery of what you promised, not a random nudge for attention.

Why generic campaigns create awkward follow-up

Most lead-gen ads are built to get clicks, not conversations. A weak campaign usually sounds like this: “I help buyers and sellers. Free home valuation. DM me.” It’s not offensive, but it’s not compelling either.

It does not create a sharp reason to respond, and it does not create a clean follow-up angle. So when you follow up, you have nothing to hook into besides the fact that they clicked. That is why you end up chasing.

Strong positioning is different. It makes a specific promise to a specific pain point. It does not try to be for everyone. It tries to be unforgettable to the right person. When you do that, follow-up stops feeling salesy because it becomes relevant.

Buyer side example: Follow-up that feels like leadership

Weak buyer positioning leans on generic motivation:

Find your dream home.
Let’s get you in a house.
Low rates, great time to buy.

That message attracts a wide range of people, including people who are curious, unprepared or not actually ready to make decisions. Then your follow-up turns into pushing, not guiding, because you never anchored the conversation to a real problem you solve.

Strong positioning talks to what buyers are actually afraid of.

I help buyers stop losing offers by fixing the three deal killers before they show up: financing gaps, inspection surprises and timeline risk.

Now the buyer knows why you exist, and you know exactly what to follow up with.

Instead of “still looking,” your follow-up becomes the next step of the original promise.

I put together a quick breakdown of the three deal killers. Do you want it sent here or by email?

That does not feel awkward because it is not a cold restart. It is the continuation of the conversation they opted into.

Seller side example: Follow-up powered by proof

Weak seller positioning is usually a variation of the same pitch every homeowner has already heard.

Free home valuation.
Find out what your home is worth.
No obligation consultation.

It attracts homeowners with unclear intent, which means your follow-up is guesswork.

Are they selling soon?
Are they just curious?
Are they shopping agents?
Are they anchored to a price they saw online?

Strong positioning makes a promise tied to a specific outcome and a specific mechanism.

I help sellers avoid price reductions by choosing a pricing strategy based on real buyer behavior, not wishful thinking.

That positioning immediately gives you a reason to follow up. That’s not pressure; it’s proof.

I can pull the last 90 days of buyer activity for your neighborhood and show you what is actually moving. Do you want that?

Again, you are not “checking in.” You are delivering the value you led with, and that is why it works.

The business math behind better positioning

Better positioning doesn’t just make follow-up easier. It makes your business more efficient. When your positioning is clear, you waste less time on low-intent leads because the wrong people self-select out. Your conversion rate improves because the right people self-select in.

If your costs stay the same and your conversion rate goes up, your cost per closing drops. That is how you scale without burning out, without adding more hours and without turning follow-up into a second job.

Positioning is the follow-up strategy

Awkward follow-up is usually a signal that your lead-gen message did not earn the next conversation. The lead raised their hand, but you never gave them a clear reason to keep it raised.

Strong positioning earns that next step. It attracts higher intent people, and it creates a built-in reason to reach out that feels natural because it is relevant. When the promise is clear, the follow-up is simple.

You are not chasing.

You are delivering.

Josh Ries is a real estate broker and a lead generation consultant. You can connect with him on TikTok and Instagram.

Topics: lead generation Show Comments Hide Comments Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments Sign me up By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman. Success! Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines. Read Next real estate lead-gen lesson