7 automations every investor should have
These are the first things I'd set up for any investor working lists. You can build all of them with tools you may already pay for. Each one covers what it does, why it matters and how to set it up.
1. Answer every new lead in under a minute
- What it does
- When a seller fills out your form or calls your number, they get a text back right away and the lead lands in your pipeline, tagged with where it came from.
- Why it matters
- The first investor who responds usually gets the conversation. A lead that waits until tonight has already talked to someone else.
- How to set it up
- Your web form or call-tracking number triggers an automation (Zapier, Make or your CRM) that creates the lead, sends one short text and pings your phone.
2. Stack your lists before you call anyone
- What it does
- Every list you pull (pre-foreclosure, probate, tax delinquent, driving for dollars) goes through one import that merges duplicates and flags owners who show up on more than one list.
- Why it matters
- An owner on three lists is usually more motivated than an owner on one. Calling the stacked ones first is the cheapest win there is.
- How to set it up
- Import every CSV into the same table keyed on the property address, and count how many lists each address appears on.
3. Look up the owner automatically
- What it does
- Addresses go in, the owner of record comes back from public county parcel data, and the skip-traced phone numbers get attached to the same lead.
- Why it matters
- Copying names between a county site, a skip-trace tool and your CRM is hours a week of work that adds nothing.
- How to set it up
- Use your county's public parcel data where it is published, then send the owner names to your skip-trace provider in one batch and write the results back to each lead.
4. No lead without a next step
- What it does
- Every lead always has a next action and a date. Each morning you get one list: who to call today.
- Why it matters
- Most follow-up dies because nothing reminds you. A seller who said "call me in 3 months" is a deal in 3 months only if something remembers.
- How to set it up
- Make "next follow-up date" a required field when you log a call, and send yourself a daily digest of everything due.
5. Text back missed calls
- What it does
- When you miss a call from a number that called you, it gets a short text: "Sorry I missed you, is this about the property on Oak St?"
- Why it matters
- Sellers call the next number on their list if nobody picks up.
- How to set it up
- Most phone systems and CRMs can send this on a missed-call event.
Texting rules apply (the TCPA, and 10DLC registration for business texting). Keep automated texts to people who contacted you first, and get advice for your state before you text cold lists.
6. Your offer math on every property
- What it does
- Your maximum allowable offer, worked out with your own formula (for example ARV × 70% − repairs − your fee) and saved on the lead with the comps you used.
- Why it matters
- You make offers faster and stay consistent, and anyone on your team can see why an offer was what it was.
- How to set it up
- A calculator inside your pipeline that reads ARV and repairs from the lead and stores the result.
7. Monday numbers by source
- What it does
- One email every Monday: leads in, calls made, appointments, offers and contracts, broken down by list or ad source.
- Why it matters
- It tells you which list or ad is paying for itself, so you stop spending on the ones that don't.
- How to set it up
- Tag every lead with its source when it is created, then run a weekly summary from your CRM.
Want these built for you?
A DealStack starter build puts all of this in one system in 14 days, from $3,500, fixed.