# Drip campaign

> A planned series of emails, texts or call reminders that goes out on a schedule after someone is enrolled, such as a new lead or a past client, until they reply or you stop it.

Also called: drip marketing, nurture campaign, action plan, follow-up plan. Topic: For agents.

A drip campaign keeps follow-up going after the first conversation, which is when most of it gets forgotten. The best ones read like notes from you, not a newsletter, and stop the moment someone answers.

## How does a drip campaign work?

You build a sequence of steps: an email today, a text in two days, a reminder to call next week, and so on. Each person you enroll moves through the steps on their own timeline. Most systems let you enroll people by hand, or automatically when something happens, like a new lead arriving from a [source](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#lead-source) you choose.

The most important setting is what stops the drip. It should pause when the person replies, books a [showing](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#showing) or goes under contract, so nobody gets a “just checking in” email the day after they called you.

## What kinds of drip campaigns do agents use?

New-lead follow-up is the most common: several touches in the first two weeks, then a slower pace. Long-term nurture keeps buyers and sellers who are months away hearing from you about their market. Past-client and [sphere](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#sphere-of-influence) drips mark home anniversaries and check in a few times a year.

A [lead magnet](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#lead-magnet), such as a home value request or a buyer guide, often starts a drip of its own, with follow-up that builds on what the person asked for.

## What rules apply to real estate drip emails and texts?

Marketing email falls under the [CAN-SPAM Act](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#can-spam-act): honest sender details and subject lines, a clear notice that it’s an ad, your physical postal address and a working way to opt out, honored within 10 business days.

Texts are stricter. Automated marketing texts need prior express written consent under the TCPA, opt-outs like replying STOP must be honored, and business texts from an ordinary 10-digit number need [A2P 10DLC](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/a2p-10dlc) registration. [TCPA consent](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/tcpa-consent) covers the details.

## How do you write a drip that people answer?

Keep each message short and tied to why the person is in the drip. Ask one question that’s easy to answer. Use plain text for most emails, since a note from a person reads differently from a designed newsletter.

Mix the channels, and make some steps reminders for you to call rather than messages that send on their own. A [Real estate CRM](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/real-estate-crm) that drafts a message and waits for your OK gives you the speed of automation without losing the personal touch.

## A sample new-lead drip

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Day 0 | Call right away, then send a short personal text or email |
| Day 2 | Text: one question about what they’re looking for |
| Day 5 | Email: three homes that match their search |
| Day 7 | Reminder for you to call |
| Day 16 | Email: a short update on their area’s market |
| After that | A monthly note until they reply or opt out |

The drip pauses the moment they reply, and the next step is a conversation.

## Common mistakes

- Letting a drip keep sending after someone replies.
- Texting people who never agreed to receive texts.
- Leaving the postal address or the opt-out link out of marketing emails.
- Enrolling your whole database in one generic campaign.

## Questions

### How often should a real estate drip campaign send?

More often at the start, when a lead is fresh, then less. Several touches in the first two weeks and about one a month after that is a common shape. Watch your replies and opt-outs and adjust.

### Are drip campaigns spam?

Not when people asked to hear from you, the messages are relevant and opting out is easy. Follow CAN-SPAM for email and get written consent before automated marketing texts.

### What’s the difference between a drip campaign and a newsletter?

A newsletter goes to everyone at once. A drip sends each person a sequence based on when they joined and what they asked for, and stops when they respond.

## Related terms

- [Real estate CRM](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/real-estate-crm): Customer relationship management software built for agents: one place for contacts, leads, conversations, follow-up and deals, so everyone in your database has a history and every lead gets a next step.
- [CAN-SPAM Act](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#can-spam-act): The federal law for commercial email: honest headers and subject lines, a clear notice that it’s an ad, your physical postal address and a working opt-out, honored within 10 business days.
- [TCPA consent](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/tcpa-consent): The permission the Telephone Consumer Protection Act requires before marketing calls or texts sent with an autodialer or prerecorded voice: a signed written agreement, electronic signatures included, naming the number to contact.
- [Speed to lead](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/speed-to-lead): The time between a new lead’s inquiry and your first real reply by call, text or email. The shorter it is, the more likely you reach the person before another agent does.
- [Sphere of influence](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#sphere-of-influence): The people you already know: friends, family, neighbors, past clients and business contacts. For many agents it’s the steadiest source of repeat business and referrals.
- [Lead magnet](https://brokerandagent.com/glossary#lead-magnet): Something useful offered in exchange for contact details, such as a home value request, a buyer guide, a market report or new-listing alerts, that turns an anonymous visitor into a lead.

## Sources

- [FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business)
- [47 CFR 64.1200, delivery restrictions (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/64.1200)
- [The Campaign Registry](https://www.campaignregistry.com/)

Checked 2026-10-02 by the Broker & Agent team. General information, not legal, tax or lending advice.

Source: https://brokerandagent.com/glossary/drip-campaign