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Stop trying to close leads on the first click to your real estate agent website, Josh Ries writes. Start trying to earn the next step instead.

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Last week, I was on the phone with an agent who was proud of a brand new website. He spent a lot of money on it, and the pitch from the developer was simple: It “mirrors” Zillow. He thought that was a win, until he told me the part that mattered: His conversion rate was in an absolute tank.

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I looked at the site for about 30 seconds and had a theory right away. It was not the design, it was not the photos and it was not the IDX feed. It was the calls-to-action. He built a portal-style website without having portal-style traffic and then wondered why it didn’t perform.

Direct vs. indirect calls to action

A direct call to action is a high-commitment ask meant for someone who is ready now. Think:

Book a showing
Schedule a tour
Talk to an agent today
Request a call.

These work when you have massive traffic because even a tiny percentage of ready-now visitors is still a lot of people.

An indirect call to action is a low-friction ask, meant for someone who is curious but not ready. Think:

Get more info
See the full details
Download the buyer guide
Request the neighborhood report.

These work for solo agents because they give more people an easy next step, and they give you a natural reason to follow up by delivering what they asked for.

The real problem is not the website. It’s the mismatch

Large third-party portals can use direct calls to action because they live in a different universe. They have massive traffic, lots of intent from searchers online and a constant stream of people who are ready right now. A solo agent does not have that volume, so copying the portal playbook usually creates a conversion problem, not a branding win.

If you are a solo agent with limited traffic, a direct call to action like “book a showing” only speaks to a tiny slice of the people who visit your site. Most visitors are not ready to schedule anything. They are browsing, researching, comparing and procrastinating.

When your primary call to action is too direct, your site is basically telling most of your visitors, “This is not for you.”

Why direct calls to action crush small traffic websites

At any given moment, only a small percentage of your audience is ready to take a high-commitment action. Booking a showing, scheduling a call or requesting a tour is high commitment, and it signals real intent. That works when you have huge traffic volume because even a small percentage of a huge number is still a lot of people.

When you have small traffic volume, that small percentage becomes almost nobody. Your conversion rate drops, not because the website is broken, but because the call to action is only relevant to a sliver of your visitors. If you want better conversion as a solo agent, your call to action has to match the stage most people are in, which is usually not ready to act; it is ready to learn.

The fix is indirect calls to action that earn the next step

An indirect call to action is not weak; it’s smart. It meets the visitor where they are, and it creates a reason to engage without feeling like they are signing up for pressure. Instead of asking them to commit to a showing, you ask them to take a small step that keeps them moving.

You are not trying to close them on the first click. You are trying to earn the next step.

Buyer side example: What to use instead of ‘book a showing’

If your site has a big button that says book a showing, you are only talking to the tiny percentage of buyers who are ready to tour that exact home right now. Most visitors are not there yet, so they leave without raising their hand.

A better approach is to use simple, low-friction calls to action that match how buyers actually behave online. A buyer can click “get more info” even if they are still comparing neighborhoods. They can request the full details and disclosures without feeling like they just signed up for a sales call. They can ask for a private video walkthrough, a neighborhood report or a list of similar homes, because those feel helpful, not pushy.

This also makes follow-up easy. Your next message is not “checking in.” It is delivery. Here is the info you requested. Here is the neighborhood report. Here are three similar homes that match what you were looking at. That is how you keep the conversation moving without chasing.

Seller side example: What to use instead of ‘free home valuation’

On the seller side, “free home valuation” gets clicks, but it also attracts a lot of low-intent curiosity. Many homeowners are not raising their hand to list; they are testing the water, arguing with an online estimate or shopping with agents to see who will tell them the highest number. When your offer is generic, your follow-up becomes guesswork, and that is where awkward happens.

Instead, use indirect calls to action that help them make a decision and build trust. Offer a pricing range based on recent sales, a neighborhood activity report or a simple net sheet estimate. Give them a home prep checklist or a quick breakdown of what buyers are paying attention to right now. Those are still easy “yes” actions, but they also create a real reason to re-engage, because you have something useful to send and explain.

Build for your traffic, not theirs

If your conversion rate is struggling, do not start by redesigning everything. Start by looking at what you are asking people to do. When your ask is too direct for your traffic, your site will always feel like it is underperforming, even if it looks great.

If you are a solo agent, your job is not to look like a third-party portal. Your job is to convert like a solo agent with limited traffic. That means your calls to action must match the intent levels you actually have, not the intent levels a portal has.

Josh Ries is a real estate broker and a lead generation consultant. You can connect with him on TikTok and Instagram.

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