Real Estate Inside Sales Agent: Everything You Need To Know

Many real estate agencies are hiring ISAs because they make a measurable impact.

Icenhower Coaching and Training discovered that real estate inside sales agents can produce 5 times the cost of hiring them over their tenure.

According to this 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 89% of home purchases happen through a real estate agent or broker.

In short, your real estate ISA will manage outbound and inbound calls, but that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of their roles and responsibilities.

This valuable team member enhances business efficiency, increases productivity, creates sales opportunities, and drives growth.
So whether you are starting a new real estate agency, are a real estate broker, or are a seasoned real estate agent, buckle up.

We put together the ultimate guide to help you understand the roles, responsibilities, and benefits of a real estate isa, along with tips to help you get the best out of the role.

Understanding the Role of a Real Estate Inside Sales Agent

More real estate agencies and agents are looking to hire at least one ISA. With social media, PPC, cold email, direct mail marketing, and many other avenues, lead generation is easier than ever. Contacting, nurturing, and converting those leads is another thing. That’s where your real estate ISA comes in.

A real estate inside sales agent’s primary objective is to turn as many leads as possible into deals and signed clients.

The ISA is a licensed professional responsible for generating, contacting, nurturing, and converting potential clients via phone, email, and other communication mediums.

The ISA works ‘inside’ the office and is not required to meet potential clients in person. This means a real estate inside sales agent can work remotely or be outsourced (a virtual ISA).

Inside sales agents were once called telemarketers, but the role has evolved beyond phone calls.

Your ISA requires the skills, knowledge, creativity, and drive of a real estate agent because, in essence, they are one. Using real estate jargon, conventional real estate agents are ‘outside’ sales agents.

Unlike ISAs, they do real estate door knocking, attend appointments in person, show listings, do home staging, host events, and so on.

An ISA’s typical daily activities include making and receiving calls, cleaning lead lists, scheduling appointments for outside sales agents (OSA), and following up on leads. Both work hand-in-hand to close deals and grow the business.

A Day in the Life of an ISA Real Estate

While the inside sales agent real estate job description varies by agency or agent needs, the core tasks remain the same. Some of the daily responsibilities include:

Lead Generation and Qualification

Simply put, leads are potential clients or buyers. A real estate inside sales agent is required to generate new leads through cold outreach, including calls, emails, and online messages. They will use mailing lists, scraping tools, online research, aggregator sites, and referrals to generate contact information based on the intended area. They would then use cold-calling scripts or email templates to contact these leads to determine if they’re ready to buy or sell. This does not include real estate social media marketing or content creation.

Inbound Lead Management and Prospecting

Potential customers will call, email, or Direct Message (DM) an agency or broker if they’re interested in buying or selling real estate. The ISA will receive these calls, provide details and excellent customer service, and then qualify the lead. Inside sales agents also do prospecting by identifying potential leads, such as for-sale-by-owner properties or expired real estate listings. They then contact these leads.

Lead qualification and nurturing

All leads are not created equal. Of the hundreds or thousands of leads generated monthly, only a few convert. Whether inbound or outbound, the ISA’s role is to qualify these leads as legitimate. After separating the high-quality leads, they will maintain contact with these leads.

The ISA will answer questions, provide updates, and move the buying process along.

Real estate lead nurturing is an important step in the process. Statistics show that 80% of sales require at least 5 sale follow-up calls after the initial contact.

ISAs are crucial in maintaining consistent communication to effectively nurture these leads.

Scheduling appointments for buyer and listing agents

When the prospective buyer is ready to view the property or a seller is ready to show their property, the ISA schedules appointments between qualified leads and outside real estate agents. They ensure everyone has the proper information and everyone is well prepared for the meeting.

Managing CRM systems and databases

How do you keep track of all these prospects and follow-ups? The real estate team will use a customer relationship management (CRM) process or application to stay on top of all leads. The ISA will also manage databases, ensuring no opportunity is overlooked.

Reporting Performance

Sometimes, a real estate ISA is required to track and report on performance. This may include submitting daily or weekly reports on leads generated or contacts made. The team may expect sales reporting, though these reports may come from another individual in the organization.

Should you have outbound vs inbound ISAs?

Real estate ISAs are often tasked with balancing both inbound and outbound roles.

While it’s possible and quite common to do both, you’ll soon realize it requires different skill sets.

So it’s not out of the ordinary for agencies to specialize further and hire ISA real estate outbound and/or inbound.

• The Inbound Real Estate ISA focuses on leads that come from ads, social media, aggregator sites (think Zillow), and calls to the real estate business.
• The Outbound Real Estate ISA focuses on outbound cold calling, cold emailing, expired listing outreach, and other outreach methods

Based on factors like budget, business strategy, or resources, you may need to hire an ISA that can do both. Eventually, you can hire inbound and outbound agents.

7 Amazing Benefits of Hiring A Real Estate Inside Sales Agent

Adding a real estate inside sales agent to your team is not just about hiring help. It’s a way to significantly grow the business. The right ISA can be transformative. Some of the benefits of the role include:

1. Time Management and Efficiency

Contacting multiple leads is time-consuming and takes away from sales appointments and closing sales. An ISA frees up time by contacting, nurturing, and following up with leads. The team becomes more efficient while allowing others to work on their strengths.

2. Boosting Productivity

An ISA can focus on generating multiple leads and making multiple calls per day. Some use auto-dialers or other call management software to save time and interact with more leads. The result is a more productive team that can contact more potential clients each month, raising closing rates.

3. An Improved Client Experience

With a dedicated individual to speak with inbound and outbound leads, there is a greater emphasis on customer service and creating memorable interactions. There is a more streamlined contact and follow-up process, increasing trust and customer satisfaction. Clients are more likely to work with the agent or agency again or refer business, increasing lifetime value (LTV).

4. The Need for Speed to Lead

The best time to call a potential lead is before they think about providing you with their contact information. Since we’re not clairvoyant or mind readers, the next best time is ‘as soon as possible. If you want to increase the speed to lead, your ISA can contact inbound leads quickly, increasing the likelihood of finding and converting qualified leads.

5. Higher Lead Conversion Rates

Sometimes, lead generation can become a numbers game. The more leads you contact, the more chances you have of finding qualified buyers and sellers, scheduling appointments, and closing deals. Yet, a complaint from the outside real estate agent is the lack of time to contact and nurture leads. The ISA helps to manage the real estate sales process, increasing conversions. If they’re a skilled closer, your conversion rates will increase.

6. Scalability and Growth

Your ISA should fill the sales pipeline with quality prospects, which means more revenue for you or the business. Once there is a clear ROI, the team can take on more agents, potentially boosting the bottom line further. The right ISAs enable real estate businesses to scale and achieve faster growth.

7. Cost-effectiveness

As inside agents aren’t needed in the field, you can be flexible with hiring, making it a cost-effective option. For instance, you can hire fully remote or part-time virtual ISAs, saving on office or equipment costs. Some people even consider outsourcing, which provides access to a worldwide pool. Outsourcing allows real estate agencies to hire higher-quality or more qualified talent at a cheaper cost.

What Qualifications Do You Need To Be An Inside Sales Agent?

Inbound sales agent real estate candidates need a combination of qualifications and experience to be effective in their roles. Some preferred qualifications include:

• A High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
• A College Degree (often a preference but not a requirement)
• Inside Sales Agent (ISA) Certification: The National Association of Realtors offers a certification on lead cultivation and customer service strategies. It requires completing a 3-credit hour course and passing an exam with a 70% score.
• At least one (1) year of lead generation experience
• At least one (1) year of outbound/inbound sales experience.
• Experience using call management software or CRM applications a plus
• Must have or be willing to obtain a state real estate license

Some are mandatory, but most of these are nice-to-have skills. What sets the ideal candidate apart are the many soft skills that make them excellent at their job.

Useful soft skills

An inside sales agent real estate job description will often have intangible requirements. The right person has the soft skills to perform this demanding but rewarding role. The ideal candidate should show:

• Urgency and proactivity
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Persistence and grit
• Resilience
• Time management
• Negotiation skills
• Accountability

Even possessing a few of these can be the makings of an excellent ISA. While you can’t gauge these immediately, asking probing questions, providing testing during the interview process, role-playing calls, and offering trials can help you find truly exceptional candidates.

Real Estate Inside Sales Agent Salary

According to ZipRecruiter, a real estate inside sales agent salary is approximately $69,398 as of January 2025. Salary.com has a median salary closer to $57,686. Salaries can vary based on factors like location, work experience, specific job requirements, or niches like luxury real estate.

Career Growth for a Real Estate ISA

So what does the future look like for an inside sales agent? For starters, some ISAs earn over $100,000 which indicates room for growth, incentives, and commissions. Factors like experience, performance, and location can increase your earning potential. Some ISAs can move on to luxury or commercial real estate, meaning higher pay and more opportunities.

Depending on the size of the agency, there are career advancement opportunities. ISAs can be promoted to Team Leaders, Sales Managers, or specialized roles within the organization.

Inside sales agents can also transition into becoming full-time real estate agents. The experience with lead generation and nurturing, coupled with the right licenses, means they can apply for future outside sales agents (OSAs) roles.

If you’re hiring inside sales agents, you should consider mapping out a career path for the role so agents can work towards increasing their earnings or building a long-term career in the industry.

When Should You Hire a Real Estate Inside Sales Agent?

Knowing when to hire can be challenging, whether you’re an army of one or a leader in a large real estate agency.

But there are some signs you need help.

First, look at your lead list. If you consistently have a large number of leads (around 500-1,000) that require regular follow-up and nurturing, you’d spend more time on the list and less time in the field closing deals. The same goes if you’re generating hundreds of new leads per month. It’s time to hire.

Time management constraints can lead to missed appointments, reduced productivity, and poor customer service. If you or the team are missing out on important deals, make your next hire an ISA.

Is the goal rapid business growth? An ISA should fall into your expansion plans. They can help to convert leads into clients, thereby increasing sales. If cost is an issue, hiring a virtual ISA reduces your overhead.

What is the cost of hiring an ISA, and how do you budget for it?

There are a few areas to consider when hiring your first or next ISA:

• Salary: Set a base salary for entry-level positions using market rates, experience, and job requirements.
• Benefits: Estimate the cost of health insurance, 401K, and other benefits that add to the overall cost.
• Equipment: For in-office, full-time ISAs, including the equipment cost (desk, chair, computer, phone, and other communication platforms). You can offset this cost with a remote or virtual ISA.
• Software: Add the cost of CRM, lead generation, and communication apps requiring a monthly subscription.
  Commission and Bonuses: Include a commission of 5% to 15% on the gross commission income (GCI) from closed transactions.
• Training and Development: Add the cost for onboarding and real estate inside sales agent training sessions for specific market needs.

Calculate the total costs. Compare the costs to the potential revenue from closed transactions. This analysis should help you make a more informed decision.

Explore Our Products

How do you measure the ROI of hiring an ISA?

There is a typical formula that recruiters use to calculate the return on investment of a hire. According to Workable, one of the HR formulas you can use is (Revenue Generated – Total Costs) / Total Costs * 100.

This figure will depend on the capabilities and performance of each ISA.

Maximizing ISA Performance for Business Growth

Hiring a retail inside sales agent does not guarantee more sales and automatic growth.
Not only do you need the right hire, but you must set them up for success while maximizing performance. First, you must set the right structure within the team.

The ISA should work seamlessly with an outside real estate agent. They can hand off qualified leads and schedule appointments for in-person viewings. Encourage open communication and set up the appropriate check-in meetings to set expectations and handle bottlenecks.

Setting Clear Goals and Expectations

You must set clear roles and responsibilities. Create a real estate inside sales agent job description that covers the basics of the job. Do not add additional tasks that can cause scope creep. For the best ROI, make sure your ISA maximizes their time sourcing, contacting, and nurturing leads. Share the job description and responsibilities within the first few days of hiring and onboarding.

Establishing performance metrics

Establishing real estate inside sales agent responsibilities is not enough. You need tangible metrics, called key performance indicators (KPIs), to track performance. Common examples of KPIs include:

1. Number of leads generated and converted into appointments or sales.
2. Number of calls or contacts made per day/week.
3. Number of appointments set by the ISA and the conversion rate.
4. Client Satisfaction Rate calculated by surveys or feedback.
5. Sales volume or revenue attributed to ISA.

Review these numbers every 6-12 months based on performance, objectives, or market changes.

Some performance goals include some personal competencies like organizational skills, teamwork, communication, or innovation, but these are subjective.

Providing the Right Tools and Resources

With real estate inside sales agent responsibilities, goals, and metrics established, it’s time to set up your ISA for success. Make sure phones and equipment are ready to go. Give remote or virtual workers access to phone systems or email to begin generating leads.

Provide access and basic training to CRM and lead generation tools. Share sales scripts and other training materials for a professional feel. Provide an environment for the ISA to begin working and leveraging their skills as soon as possible.

Monitoring Performance and Providing Feedback

For a real estate inside sales agent, performance matters. Schedule regular check-ins and coaching sessions during the initial months of employment. As your ISA gets more comfortable and competent, you can reduce the frequency of coaching sessions.

During this time, look at KPIs, review calls, and suggest ways to improve. Provide resources and support to remove barriers or bottlenecks out of the way (within reason).

Use the performance data to adjust your strategy for success. This may include hiring another ISA or changing the role to an inbound or outbound sales agent only.

Final Thoughts on the Real Estate Inside Sales Agent

As your real estate business grows, the need for efficiency, scalability, and focused lead management becomes undeniable. You can’t do it all yourself.

Even if you can, your time should be spent on doing what you do best—closing deals and building relationships.

Your trusted real estate inside sales agent can generate leads, perform inbound and outbound lead management, nurture leads, and pass on high-quality prospects for you to close.

It’s a left-right combo that, when done well, streamlines the sales process, increases productivity, and increases revenue.

Whether you’re a solo agent, a broker, or part of a large agency, hiring an ISA can transform your business by ensuring no lead is left behind and every opportunity is maximized.

Take the first step. Evaluate your lead management process, assess your team’s needs, and explore how a real estate ISA can help you achieve your goals.