Why Discovery Calls Are Non-Negotiable for Real Estate Clients

In the dynamic world of real estate, a generic social media package often falls flat. Each agent, broker, or brokerage has unique goals, target demographics, and market challenges. A thorough discovery call ensures you’re not just selling social media services, but a tailored solution.

Key benefits of a robust discovery process include:

• Accurate Scope Definition: Prevents misunderstandings and costly scope creep down the line.
• Value-Based Pricing: Helps you understand the potential ROI for the client, justifying premium pricing beyond just hours or deliverables.
• Building Trust: Demonstrates your expertise and genuine interest in their business success.
• Client Qualification: Allows you to assess if the client is a good fit for your services and vice-versa.
• Competitive Advantage: Shows you’re not just another vendor, but a strategic partner invested in their unique situation.

Essential Discovery Call Questions About Their Real Estate Business

Start broad to understand their fundamental business landscape before diving into social media specifics.

• Tell me about your real estate business. What type of properties do you focus on (residential, commercial, luxury, specific neighborhoods)?
• Who is your ideal client or target demographic? (First-time buyers, investors, sellers in a specific price range?)
• What are your primary business goals for the next 6-12 months? (e.g., increase lead generation, build brand awareness, establish authority in a niche, sell X number of properties).
• What sets you apart from other real estate agents or brokerages in your market? (Unique selling propositions, specializations)
• How do you currently generate leads and find new clients? (Referrals, Zillow/Realtor.com ads, direct mail, open houses, networking, etc.)

Questions About Their Current Social Media Efforts

Dig into their history and current state of social media presence.

• Which social media platforms are you currently active on, and which are your priority? (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)
• What has been your experience with social media marketing so far? What’s worked well, and what hasn’t?
• Do you have existing social media accounts? Can you share links? (Review them before or during the call if possible)
• What type of content do you typically share? (Listings, market updates, community info, personal branding, etc.)
• Who is currently responsible for managing your social media? (Themselves, an assistant, a past agency?)
• What are the biggest frustrations or challenges you face with social media marketing right now?

Defining Social Media Goals and Metrics

Connect their business goals directly to social media outcomes.

• What specific results or outcomes do you hope to achieve through social media management? (e.g., X number of leads per month, Y% increase in followers, higher engagement on posts, more website traffic).
• How do you currently measure the success of your marketing efforts?
• Are there any specific metrics you want to track for social media? (Likes, shares, comments, website clicks, leads generated directly from social, etc.)

Scope, Logistics, and Content Questions

Understand the practicalities of managing their accounts and content needs.

• Which social media platforms do you want us to focus on?
• What type of content are you looking for? (Photos, videos, written posts, stories, reels, market reports, listing graphics)
• How involved do you want to be in content creation or approval? (Hands-on, provide raw materials, completely hands-off)
• Will you provide photos/videos of properties and yourself, or do we need to arrange that?
• Do you have a brand style guide or specific aesthetic preferences?
• How often would you expect posts/stories to be published on each platform?
• What is your process for handling leads or inquiries that come through social media?
• What reporting frequency and format would you prefer? (Weekly, monthly, specific metrics)
• Will you need assistance with paid social media advertising campaigns, or just organic posting?

Navigating the Budget Discussion and Presenting Pricing

This is often the most delicate part, but vital. Frame the budget discussion around the value you can provide.

• Based on the goals and scope we’ve discussed, do you have an allocated budget or investment level in mind for social media management? (Listen carefully here. Their first answer might be low. Use their goals to frame value.)
• Have you worked with a social media manager or agency before? What did that cost? (Helps understand their past investment expectations).
• Beyond just the monthly fee, have you considered the cost of paid advertising spend, content creation (photos/videos), or software tools? (Ensures they have a realistic picture of the total investment).

Instead of just giving an hourly rate or a single flat fee, based on your discovery, you should be thinking about packaging your services into tiers (e.g., Starter, Growth, Premium) or offering core services with optional add-ons (e.g., includes organic posting, add paid ads, add professional photography coordination). This allows clients to choose the level that best fits their needs and budget while clearly seeing the value at each level.

Presenting these options clearly can be a challenge with static PDFs or spreadsheets. This is where tools designed for interactive pricing shine. While comprehensive proposal tools like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com) or Proposify (https://www.proposify.com) handle contracts and e-signatures, if your primary need is to create a dynamic, selectable pricing menu for clients, a specialized tool like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) is built precisely for that. It allows clients to select packages and add-ons themselves via a shareable link, seeing the total price update live, which can streamline quoting and enhance the client experience.

Setting Expectations and Next Steps

End the call by clarifying what happens next.

• Based on this conversation, I’ll put together a proposed strategy and investment based on [summarize their key goals].
• What does your decision-making process typically look like, and who else is involved?
• What is your desired timeline for getting started?
• Do you have any questions for me about my process, experience, or approach?

Ensure they understand when they can expect your proposal and how you will deliver it.