Agents spend a lot on marketing to get the phone to ring. Then the call comes in during a showing, and nobody picks up.

Here is why that matters more than it seems.

Most people talk to one agent

NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, as summarized by BAM, reports that 80% of sellers contacted only one agent before deciding who to hire. For buyers, the same report found that 67% of first-time buyers and 76% of repeat buyers interviewed only one agent.

In plain words: for most people, there is no shortlist. They talk to one agent and go with them.

Many callers already trust you

The same research shows that most clients come through people they know. Virginia Realtors' summary of the report notes that 66% of sellers found their agent through a referral or used an agent they had worked with before.

That makes a missed call worse than it looks. A referral is often someone who already likes you, calling at the exact moment they are ready to act. If they reach voicemail, they may simply try the next name on their list.

Speed decides a lot

A well-known Harvard Business Review study, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads, looked at about 1.25 million leads. Companies that tried to reach a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to have a real conversation with the decision maker as those that waited even one more hour, and more than 60 times as likely as those that waited a day or more (quoted here).

A separate study from 2007, covered in this speed-to-lead overview, found the odds of qualifying a lead were 21 times higher at five minutes than at 30 minutes.

These studies are not about real estate specifically, and they are old, so treat the exact multiples with care. The direction is clear, though: the sooner you respond, the better your chances.

Real estate has its own evidence. A 2013 study by WAV Group checked how 384 brokers handled online buyer inquiries. 48% of inquiries never got a response. It was a long time ago and covered online inquiries, but it shows how easy it is for a lead to fall through.

A simple routine for showing days

• Decide who answers. A teammate, an assistant, or an automated phone assistant. Do not leave it to chance.
• Set a clear voicemail greeting. Tell callers when you will call back and ask for their name and what they need.
• Block five minutes between appointments just to return calls.
• Return missed calls in order, newest first. The newest caller is the one most likely to still be looking.
• Cover evenings and weekends, because that is when many buyers browse listings.

Not sure how many calls you are missing right now? Our guide, How many calls is your real estate team missing? Find out in ten minutes, shows you how.

What if you could not miss them at all?

That is the idea behind Zerobounds. It answers the calls you cannot, asks a few simple questions, and gives you a clear list to call back. Start a free pilot and see it on your own line. Or read first about what an AI phone assistant can and can't do.