NAR Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A buyer's agent has 15 active leads but only 3 have signed buyer representation agreements. What should the agent prioritize to strengthen the pipeline?
- Convert unsigned leads to signed agreements before investing more time (Correct answer)
- Immediately show homes to all 15 leads to build momentum
- Drop the 12 unsigned leads and focus only on the 3 committed buyers
- Refer all 12 unsigned leads to a team member
Correct answer: Convert unsigned leads to signed agreements before investing more time
Securing signed buyer representation agreements converts informal leads into committed clients, protecting the agent's time and commission.
Question 2: Which CRM metric best predicts whether a listing agent's pipeline will generate closings in the next 90 days?
- Total number of contacts in the database
- Number of listing appointments scheduled and completed (Correct answer)
- Volume of social media followers
- Number of open house visitors logged
Correct answer: Number of listing appointments scheduled and completed
Listing appointments are the most direct leading indicator of near-term closings because they represent sellers ready to transact.
Question 3: An agent notices that leads from referrals close at 40% while leads from online portals close at 8%. What is the most strategic pipeline management response?
- Allocate more nurture time and marketing budget toward referral generation (Correct answer)
- Abandon online portals entirely to save money
- Increase online portal spending to generate more volume
- Treat all lead sources equally to avoid bias
Correct answer: Allocate more nurture time and marketing budget toward referral generation
Doubling down on the highest-converting lead source (referrals) maximizes ROI per hour and dollar invested.
Question 4: What does the term 'pipeline velocity' mean in real estate sales management?
- The speed at which leads move through the sales funnel from contact to close (Correct answer)
- The number of listings an agent can handle at one time
- The rate at which MLS listings expire
- The frequency of price reductions on active listings
Correct answer: The speed at which leads move through the sales funnel from contact to close
Pipeline velocity measures how quickly prospects convert through each stage, helping agents identify and remove bottlenecks.
Question 5: A listing agent's seller asks why their home has been on the market for 45 days without offers. Which sales strategy response is most appropriate?
- Conduct a comparative market analysis review and discuss a price adjustment or marketing enhancement (Correct answer)
- Tell the seller the market is slow and to be patient
- Suggest removing the listing and relisting at the same price to reset DOM
- Offer to reduce the commission to attract buyer agents
Correct answer: Conduct a comparative market analysis review and discuss a price adjustment or marketing enhancement
A fresh CMA review identifies whether pricing, marketing, or property condition is the obstacle, enabling a data-driven corrective strategy.
Question 6: In pipeline management, what is a 'drip campaign' designed to accomplish?
- Maintain consistent, automated contact with leads over time until they are ready to transact (Correct answer)
- Send bulk promotional emails to all contacts simultaneously
- Follow up only with leads who have visited an open house
- Notify past clients about new listings only
Correct answer: Maintain consistent, automated contact with leads over time until they are ready to transact
Drip campaigns nurture long-term leads with scheduled, relevant touchpoints so the agent stays top-of-mind when the prospect is ready to act.
Question 7: An agent receives an unrepresented buyer (FSBO seller's buyer) at an open house. Under NAR ethics and best pipeline practice, what is the agent's first step?
- Disclose agency status and determine whether the buyer is already represented (Correct answer)
- Sign the buyer immediately to a representation agreement on the spot
- Refer the buyer to another agent to avoid conflict
- Show the buyer only the open house property to avoid soliciting
Correct answer: Disclose agency status and determine whether the buyer is already represented
NAR's Code of Ethics requires agents to disclose their agency relationship and confirm the prospect's representation status before proceeding.
NAR Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management 2
A buyer's agent has 15 active leads but only 3 have signed buyer representation agreements.
What should the agent prioritize to strengthen the pipeline?