How Goliath Ranks Seller Motivation and How to Use It

Not all seller leads are created equal.

Some are ready to sign today. Some are six months out. Others just want to “see what it’s worth.”

As an investor or wholesaler, your time is your most valuable asset.

And wasting it on unmotivated sellers costs more than a bad list. It slows your whole operation.

That’s where lead scoring comes in.

In this post, we’ll break down:

• What lead scoring actually is

• Why it matters (especially for motivated sellers)

• How Goliath’s scoring system works

• What inputs power it

• How to use scores to close more deals

• What NOT to do when using automated rankings

By the end, you’ll know how to instantly spot your best leads and how to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks.

What Is Lead Scoring?

Lead scoring is a system that assigns a number (or tier) to each seller lead based on how likely they are to convert.

The goal is simple:
Spend more time on high-scoring leads, and automate the rest.

Scores are usually based on a mix of:

• Data signals (like equity, ownership status, or distress indicators)

• Behavioral signals (like reply rate, urgency, or interest level)

• Historical trends (based on what similar sellers have done in the past)

In Goliath, we’ve built a real estate–specific model that scores each seller based on actual motivation, not just generic engagement.

Why Motivation-Based Scoring Matters More Than Clicks

Most CRMs and tools score leads based on engagement:

• Did they click your email?

• Did they open the text?

• Did they call back?

But seller motivation runs deeper than that.

Someone might reply to your text, but still want the full retail price. Or worse, they’re just “testing the waters.”

That’s why Goliath scores sellers using real-world indicators of urgency, distress, and willingness to sell at a discount.

It’s not about vanity metrics, it’s about closing deals.

How Goliath Scores Seller Motivation

Goliath uses a three-tier scoring model:

Hot Sellers

Highly motivated, urgent timeline, serious about selling below market

Warm Sellers

Some signs of motivation may need follow-up, possible price flexibility

Cold Sellers

Low motivation, unrealistic pricing, or no clear urgency

This isn’t based on gut feel, it’s driven by data.

Each lead is scored based on multiple factors, including:

• Equity position

• Ownership status (absentee vs. owner-occupied)

• Length of ownership

• Property condition indicators

• Life event flags (divorce, probate, preforeclosure, etc.)

• Tax delinquency or utility shutoff notices

• Engagement behavior (but only in combination with motivation data)

• Neighborhood distress patterns

• Timing triggers (recent death, court filing, eviction, etc.)

The score updates automatically as new data comes in, and you can use tags or filters to see only the leads that matter most today.

A Closer Look: What Goes Into Goliath’s Lead Score

Here’s a breakdown of the categories we use:

1. Property & Ownership Data

• Years owned

• Type of owner (individual, LLC, trust)

• Homestead exemption status

• Out-of-state or absentee

• Number of liens or judgments

• Property type and condition estimates

2. Distress & Motivation Flags

• Active preforeclosure or auction status

• Code violations

• Death or probate filings

• Divorce or bankruptcy

• Eviction records

• Multiple notices (e.g., preforeclosure and tax delinquent)

3. Engagement Triggers

• Replied to cold outreach

• Asked about offer timelines

• Shared personal reason for selling

• Opened multiple emails or texts

• Scheduled or confirmed a call

4. Behavioral Indicators

• Speed of reply

• Willingness to discuss price

• Mention of urgency (“want it sold this month”)

• Personal situation references (e.g., “moving to care for mom”)

Each point is scored and weighted based on conversion trends from thousands of past seller interactions.

Why This System Works Better Than “Just Call Everyone”

Most acquisition teams rely on gut feel and call logs. But that leads to inconsistent prioritization and missed opportunities.

With a system like Goliath’s:

• You always know who to call first

• Your team avoids low-quality distractions

• Your campaigns can segment leads by motivation

• You reduce “dead lead fatigue”, where reps burn out chasing ghosts

This isn’t just about speed, it’s about clarity.

How to Use Lead Scoring to Work Smarter (Not Harder)

Once your leads are scored, here’s how to make the most of it:

1. Focus on the “Hot” leads daily

Make it a rule: every rep checks their hot lead list first thing each day.

These are your most likely closes, don’t let them sit.

2. Nurture the “Warm” leads with automation

Use Goliath’s prebuilt follow-up flows to stay in touch.

Texts, emails, voicemail drops, all done automatically until they’re ready.

3. Archive or pause the “Cold” leads

Don’t delete them, just segment them.

You can always circle back later, but don’t let them eat up manual time now.

4. Use scores in campaigns

You can filter your next direct mail or cold call blitz to only hit high-score segments.

That means higher ROI and better use of your budget.

Goliath’s Scoring in Action (Real Examples)

Here are a few examples of how this plays out in the field:

Seller 1: Probate + Out-of-State + Equity

• The owner inherited the property last month

• Lives two states away

• Has 80% equity

• Responded to your first text with “I just want to get rid of it”

Score: HOT

Action: Call today, make the offer, follow up fast

Seller 2: Tired Landlord + Tax Delinquent

• Rental property with a tenant who hasn’t paid in 3 months

• Two tax liens on the property

• No response to the first voicemail

Score: WARM

Action: Enroll in the nurture sequence, try again in 3 days

Seller 3: Owner-Occupied + Wants Retail

• Wants Zillow price or higher

• No distress signs

• “Not in a rush, just curious”

Score: COLD

Action: Tag as low-priority, follow up quarterly

How to Train Your Team to Use Motivation Scores

The best lead scoring system is only as good as your team’s ability to use it.

Inside Goliath, you can:

• Filter your CRM views by score

• Build Smart Lists of just “hot” leads

• Assign tasks to reps based on lead tiers

• Trigger automations only for “warm” and “cold” leads

• Customize tags that correspond to score type

Make it part of your daily workflow, not just a dashboard feature.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here’s what NOT to do with lead scoring:

Rely on one signal alone

Just because someone replied to your text doesn’t mean they’re ready to sell.

Score based only on behavior

Motivation matters more than engagement. Some of your hottest sellers are quiet, but serious.

Ignore cold leads completely

Today’s “cold” lead might become hot after a divorce, job loss, or move.

Let the score replace real conversations

Use it as a guide, not a replacement for listening and qualifying.

Integrating Scores with Your Follow-Up Sequences

Lead scoring works best when it powers your systems, not just your filters.

In Goliath, here’s how scoring plugs into your follow-up:

• Hot leads trigger high-touch sequences with personal outreach

• Warm leads go into automated email + voicemail sequences

• Cold leads are tagged for long-term nurturing with low-frequency touches

This lets you focus your time where it counts, without letting anyone fall through the cracks.

Lead Scoring Is Leverage

Imagine walking into your CRM each morning and seeing:

• Who’s likely to sign this week

• Who’s not worth calling again

• Who needs a touchpoint in 2 days

• Who’s warmed up but not quite ready

That’s what real lead scoring does.

Not guesswork. Not “just in case” calls.

A data-backed way to spend your time where it gets results.

If you’re using Goliath, you already have this system under the hood. 

Make sure your team knows how to use it, and that your follow-up flows align with it.

If you're not using Goliath yet, this post should give you the blueprint to build a system that thinks before you even pick up the phone.