If you’ve been in real estate for any length of time, you’ve likely built a buyer list.

But here’s the thing: A big buyer list is not the same as a useful one.

Just because someone asked to be added or clicked on one of your deals once doesn’t mean they’re a real buyer. Worse, sending every deal to every contact creates noise, not results. It hurts your open rates, weakens urgency, and wastes time following up with people who were never going to close.

The solution?
Segment your buyer list based on behavior, not just promises.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to clean, filter, and organize your buyer list so you know exactly who’s worth your time, and who isn’t.

Why Filtering Matters: The Real Cost of an Unfiltered Buyer List

Before we dive into the how, let’s cover the why:

An unfiltered buyer list leads to:

• Ghosting: You send a deal and get no response, again.

• Delays: You wait days for someone to “run numbers” only to hear crickets.

• Confusion: You don’t know who to call when you actually need to sell fast.

• Lost deals: While you’re chasing tire kickers, the real buyers buy elsewhere.

Smart segmentation, on the other hand, leads to:

• Faster closes

• Better relationships

• Cleaner CRM data

• More trust and exclusivity

• Less wasted time

Step 1: Define What “Purchase Behavior” Means to You

Not all behaviors are created equal. To filter your list, you need to know what counts as “high-value activity.”

Here are common behaviors to track and score:

You can tweak these numbers based on your own criteria, but the principle is simple:

👉 Reward action. Penalize inaction. Track engagement over time.

Step 2: Set Up Buyer Segments Inside Your CRM

Now that you’ve defined your behaviors, it’s time to create buckets. These segments will help you route deals and prioritize communication.

Here’s a sample segmentation model:

Tier 1: Active Closers

• Closed 1+ deals with you in the last 6 months

• Respond quickly and offer feedback

• Have cash or consistent funding

• Make decisions fast

• Ideal for off-market exclusives

Tier 2: Engaged Buyers

• Walked properties, made offers, or showed strong intent

• Haven’t closed yet, but close to doing so

• Worth building rapport and sending early access deals

Tier 3: Infrequent or Inactive Buyers

• Open emails and click, but rarely reply

• May have closed long ago, but have gone quiet

• Worth keeping on a drip sequence (not priority)

Tier 4: Ghosts, Time Wasters, or Assignors

• Always ask to JV, but never deliver

• Ask for info and disappear

• Rarely respond or follow through

• Keep in a “cold” list or remove entirely

You can label these segments directly in a tool like Goliath, or use tags like:

• closer

• warm buyer

• ghosted

• JV only

• not serious

Step 3: Add a Buyer Score to Every Contact

If you want to get more precise, use a buyer score system to rank your list numerically.

Create a column in your CRM:

• Add or subtract points based on each tracked behavior.

• Update the score automatically or weekly based on interactions.

Example:

Rule of thumb:

• 30+ = High-priority

• 15–29 = Nurture

• Under 10 = Cold list

Step 4: Use Deal-Type Matching Based on Buyer Behavior

Once you know who's who, you can tailor deals to their real behavior, not just their claimed criteria.

Example Matching:

You’ll get better response rates, more trust, and faster closes by giving the right deal to the right buyer.

Step 5: Requalify Buyers with a Fast Quiz or Survey

Sometimes your list is old or bloated. The fastest way to clean it?

Ask.

Use a 3–5 question Typeform or Google Form. Example:

What types of properties are you currently buying?
◻ Fix-and-flip
◻ BRRRR
◻ Buy-and-hold
◻ Mobile homes
◻ Creative finance

How soon are you looking to buy?
◻ Within 30 days
◻ In 1–3 months
◻ Just browsing

What’s your typical funding source?
◻ All cash
◻ Hard money
◻ Private lenders
◻ Still working on it

Are you actively closing deals now?
◻ Yes
◻ No

If someone doesn’t complete it? That’s a signal in itself.

Bonus: When they fill it out, update their tags and buyer score accordingly.

Step 6: Automate Follow-Up Based on Behavior

Filtering means nothing if you’re still sending the same message to everyone.

Use automation like:

• Daily deal texts for Tier 1 buyers

• Weekly emails for Tier 2/3 buyers

• Monthly check-ins for cold buyers

• “Still Buying?” sequences for unresponsive leads

With Goliath or any decent CRM, you can build workflows that:

• Trigger when a deal is clicked

• Delay if no reply is received

• Bump a buyer up/down based on activity

This keeps your hottest buyers engaged, without you manually doing it every time.

Step 7: Pay Attention to the “Silent” Signals

Behavior isn’t always about what they do. Sometimes, what they don’t do tells you even more.

Track these patterns and adjust your segmentation accordingly.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with a great filtering system, mistakes happen. Avoid these:

Mistake #1: Over-relying on what buyers say

Everyone says, “I’m a cash buyer.” Few prove it. Trust behavior, not words.

Mistake #2: Sending too many emails to low-value buyers

It hurts your deliverability, dilutes urgency, and trains them to ignore you.

Mistake #3: Ignoring old buyers who’ve gone cold

Some buyers disappear for months, then suddenly resurface. Keep soft drips running in the background.

Mistake #4: Not updating your CRM

A stale database is a dead database. Build a weekly or monthly review habit to clean and tag your list.

Closing Framework: The “ACT” Method for Buyer Filtering

To wrap it up, here’s a simple mental model for filtering your buyer list:

A = Action
Track who’s engaging, who’s clicking, who’s showing up.

C = Commitment
Who’s signing, funding, and closing deals?

T = Trust
Who has earned your confidence through performance?

If a buyer isn’t showing at least two out of the three, they’re probably not worth your next exclusive deal.

Your Time Is Your Inventory

It’s not just your deals that are valuable. It’s your time.

Filtering your buyer list isn’t just about making more sales. It’s about removing friction, focusing your energy, and creating a smoother system that lets you scale.

Remember: The goal isn’t to talk to everyone. It’s to talk to the right ones, at the right time, with the right offer.

Now go clean that list.