Write value-first reactivation messages for each segment

Why it matters

People ignore "Just checking in!" and "Are you still in the market?" A message that offers something specific about their own home gets a reply because it is about them. Asking a yes/no question also gives you a clean count of replies for the pilot.

Carriers filter texts that look like bulk marketing. A personal, specific message with your name and STOP language is both more effective and more compliant.

Step by step

1. 01

   Choose one value offer you can deliver within 48 hours

   Pick an offer you can fulfill for every person who says yes: a one-page street sales summary, a home value range with comparable sales, or a list of local contractors you trust. Do not offer a valuation you cannot back with comparable sales.

   Check: You could deliver the offer to 20 people next week without help.

2. 02

   Write the text versions

   Rules for every first text: under 300 characters, your name and brokerage in the first line, one question, no link in the first message (links and shortened URLs are a common carrier filter trigger; Follow Up Boss's compliance article says not to use shortened URLs), and Reply STOP to opt out. HighLevel's SMS guidance also recommends opt-out language in the first message.

   Use the templates below. Replace placeholders with merge fields: HighLevel uses {{contact.first_name}} style custom values; Follow Up Boss uses its own merge field picker in the message editor.

   Check: Each text names you, asks one question and ends with STOP language.

3. 03

   Write the email version

   CAN-SPAM requires an accurate From line, a subject that matches the content, identification as an ad (any clear format), your valid physical postal address, and a working unsubscribe honored within 10 business days. Both CRMs add an unsubscribe link to bulk email; keep your address in the signature too.

   Check: Your email includes a postal address and an unsubscribe link in the preview.

4. 04

   Check the copy for spam and Fair Housing problems

   • No ALL CAPS, no "FREE!!!", no "act now", no dollar amounts in the first text.
   • No claims you cannot prove ("homes are selling in 3 days") unless you have the MLS numbers and cite the period.
   • No mention of who lives or "fits" in a neighborhood (schools are fine as facts; never describe residents by race, religion, national origin, family status, sex or disability).
   • Read it on your phone. If it looks like an ad, rewrite it like a note.

   Check: A colleague reads the message and cannot spot a mass send.

5. 05

   Save the messages in your CRM

   Save each message as a template named REACT | Past client | Text 1 and so on, so the pilot uses the exact wording you approved. If your account's template menu sits elsewhere, search the help center for "templates"; the location varies by plan and version.

   Check: Templates exist and render your test contact's first name correctly in a preview.

Copyable templates

PAST CLIENT, text (SMS Consent = Yes)
Hi {first_name}, it's Dana Reyes from Coastal Key Realty. It's been a while since we closed on your home on {street}. I put together a short update on what homes near you have sold for this year. Want me to send it over? Reply STOP to opt out.

SPHERE, text (SMS Consent = Yes)
Hi {first_name}, Dana Reyes here (Coastal Key Realty). I've been pulling recent sales for {neighborhood} and thought of you. Happy to send you the 1-page summary if it's useful. Reply STOP to opt out.

DORMANT LEAD, text (SMS Consent = Yes)
Hi {first_name}, this is Dana Reyes with Coastal Key Realty. You looked at homes in {area} with us back in {year}. Are you still thinking about a move, or did plans change? Either answer helps. Reply STOP to opt out.

FOLLOW-UP if no reply after 5 days (one only)
Hi {first_name}, no pressure at all. If a market update for {neighborhood} would ever be helpful, just reply "update" and I'll send it. Reply STOP to opt out.

Subject: What homes near {street} sold for this year
From: Dana Reyes, Coastal Key Realty <dana@coastalkey.example>

Hi {first_name},

It's been {years} years since you moved into {street}. I keep an eye on sales near past clients' homes, and a few have closed nearby this year.

If you'd like, I'll send you a one-page summary for your street: recent sales, how long they took, and what that could mean for your home's value. No obligation, and I won't add you to anything new.

Just reply "yes" and I'll put it together this week.

Dana Reyes
Coastal Key Realty | License #000000 (example)
123 Example Ave, Suite 4, Seaside, CA 00000

This is a marketing message from Coastal Key Realty. Unsubscribe: {unsubscribe_link}

Try it

How to test it

1. Send each template to your own phone and email from the CRM. Check names render and STOP/unsubscribe work.
2. Reply STOP to your test text. Confirm the opt-out is recorded (chapter 3).
3. Count characters of each text: under 300 keeps cost and length down (each 160-character segment can be billed separately).

Troubleshooting

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.