Lead Overload? Here’s How to Prioritize Like a Top Agent

What if your biggest conversion problem wasn't that your leads are low quality—but that you’re not working the right ones?

In his recent coaching session, Greg Harrelson—real estate veteran and owner of one of the very first Real Geeks websites—dives into an often-overlooked truth of lead generation: more isn’t always better.

In fact, too many leads without a system can kill your conversions.

The solution? Prioritization.

Here’s exactly how to think through your lead stack, identify your highest-value opportunities, and make converting much, much easier.

More Leads, More Problems?

We’re in a weird moment in real estate history. Most agents either feel like they don’t have enough leads—or they’re drowning in a database so bloated they don’t know where to start.

As Greg puts it: “Good leads get lost in the middle of an abundance of leads.”

That inevitably means that good opportunities are slipping through the cracks. The agents who win aren’t the ones generating more—they’re the ones working smarter.

Why Prioritization Matters More Than Ever

Greg lays it out clearly: the average agent should realistically only be working around 10–15 new online buyer leads per month.

Why? Because high conversion doesn’t come from volume, it comes from focus.

And most of your conversions still happen from one thing: phone calls.

“We know that the majority of conversion comes from calls—not from emails.”

You can automate emails all day (and you should), but if you’re not making meaningful contact with your best leads, your ROI will flatline.

The 4 Buckets of Lead Prioritization

Greg recommends thinking of your leads in four specific categories, and prioritizing your energy accordingly. Let’s break them down:

 1. Your Highest-Converting Source 

Which lead source has brought you the most deals per lead received? This might be:

— Google PPC campaigns (perhaps run by our Real Geeks team!)

— Facebook PPC campaigns (again, we can do this all for you!)

— Organic traffic to your Real Geeks site

— HomeLight or other referral platforms

— Even Zillow Flex leads, if you're using those

Whatever the source—track the conversion rate, not just lead count.

Greg emphasizes that sources don’t convert—you do. But still, knowing which source has produced the highest conversion is the best starting point.

Questions to ask:

— What system am I using to follow up with these leads?

— How quickly am I calling them?

— How can I respond faster?

— How can I get more of this kind of lead?

 2. Your Second-Highest Converting Source 

Once you’ve identified your best-performing lead category, find your next best.

This might not be obvious at first—especially if the volume is lower—but that’s why it’s worth analyzing.

Even if this second-best category has fewer leads, it could still be worth nurturing more if your conversion rate is solid.

Ask the same set of questions:

— What’s working?

— How are you working them?

— What’s the follow-up plan?

— Can you get more?

 3. Your Highest-Closing Source 

Here’s the thing: your best-converting source might not be your highest-closing source. 

Why? Because you might not be getting enough volume from that source.
This is a question of percentage vs net volume.

So ask yourself: Where do I actually close the most deals, period?

Maybe your PPC leads close at a higher rate, but your referrals close more often just because there are more of them.

Or maybe a source you thought was “lower quality” actually closes more because it’s less competitive.

This is where quantity matters—look at what’s delivering most of your bottom-line results.

 4. Your Most Engaged Leads 

Lastly, Greg recommends segmenting your database by engagement—not just source.

Use your Real Geeks CRM to track:

— Who’s been opening your emails

— Who’s revisiting the same listings

— Who’s logging in frequently

These people are in your orbit already. You might not be actively showing them homes, but they’re on the edge of taking action.

Greg calls this your money time pond: “These are people that are engaging... and you need to prioritize them over the masses in your database.”

Segment these out, and follow up with intention.

Avoid the "Set it and Forget It" Trap 

A big trap agents fall into is assuming that once a workflow is in place, the work is done. Greg’s take? “Set-it-and-forget-it systems are enhancements—but they are not the entire system.”

Automation can keep things warm. But only calls convert.

If you’re not dialing consistently, your leads will fade into the background noise of every other email in their inbox.

How Many Leads Should You Really Have?

Greg suggests that 200 active leads per agent is a manageable database.

More than that? You’d better have the call time and/or a team to manage them.

Otherwise, you’ll start defaulting to email-only nurturing… and your conversion rate will tank.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself (Right Now)

If you want to start prioritizing your leads like a top producer, run through these questions this week:

1. What’s my highest converting lead source?

2. What’s my second-highest converting source?

3. What’s my highest closing source?

4. Which leads are most engaged in my CRM?

5. How quickly am I responding to each of these?

6. What’s my calling schedule for these categories?

7. Am I using automation—and calls for follow-up?

8. What’s my workflow for high-engagement leads?

9. How can I get more of my best-performing leads?

10. Where am I wasting time on low-priority leads?

Pro Tips for Using Real Geeks to Prioritize

Here’s how to put this into action using Real Geeks:

1. Use lead sources to segment by origin

PPC, organic, referrals—label them clearly in your CRM.

2. Tag your most engaged users

Look at activity like page views, email opens, and log-ins.

3. Create a “Money Time Pond”

Make a Pond with only your highest engagement leads, so you can jump in daily and focus on the warmest prospects.

4. Set up Smart Drip campaigns—but call manually too

Don’t just automate. Prioritize real-time follow-ups based on engagement and source.

Final Thought: Work Your Best Leads Better

Before you chase new sources, work to optimize the ones you already have.

Greg puts it best: “We can all get better at our best source of leads.”

The gold isn’t in more leads. It’s in the ones you already have—if you’re willing to prioritize them properly.

So review your database, segment your top performers, and double down on the opportunities that are already working.

You don’t need a bigger pipeline—you need a smarter system.