Texting for Real Estate Agents, Teams and Brokerages

Buyers and sellers text their agent, and they expect a fast answer. A listing inquiry, a showing request or an open-house visitor is a lead that goes to whoever replies first. Agents, teams and brokerages text to answer those leads, confirm showings, send listing alerts and keep past clients close, and the rules that matter are the same ones every business follows, plus one that's specific to housing.

Where agent consent comes from

• Listing inquiries and website forms. An unchecked box that names your brokerage or team, says the person agrees to receive marketing texts at the number they gave, and says agreeing isn't a condition of buying or selling anything. See how to word SMS consent.
• Open-house sign-in. A sign-in sheet or tablet with the same disclosures, and a confirmation text before anything promotional.
• Past clients and your sphere. People who agreed to hear from you and haven't opted out since.

What isn't consent. A number from a for-sale-by-owner ad, an expired listing, a purchased list or a skip-trace tells you how to reach someone, not that they agreed to texts from you. Whether or not you use automation, marketing texts to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry are prohibited unless the person gave you signed, written permission or another narrow exception applies. Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits messages to purchased or non-consented lists.

Keep your own record of each consent; Signilio doesn't keep that proof for you. STOP-keyword opt-outs are honored automatically; treat any reply asking you to stop as an opt-out too.

Fair Housing applies to texts

The Fair Housing Act bars any advertisement or statement about a dwelling that indicates a preference or limitation based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. A listing alert or a promotional text is advertising. Describe the property, never the people you think it suits, and apply the same standard to every text template your team uses. State and local laws often add protected classes, such as source of income.

What agents and brokerages text

• New lead replies within minutes of an inquiry. See speed to lead.
• Showing confirmations and reminders.
• Listing alerts to buyers who asked for them.
• Transaction updates for clients under contract: inspection scheduled, appraisal in, closing time confirmed.

Teams and brokerages

On a team, every agent texting from a personal phone means no shared history. A shared inbox on the brokerage's registered numbers lets agents work their own conversations, lets the team lead assign new leads, and keeps the conversation history with the brokerage when an agent leaves; keep your consent records in your own files.

10DLC registration for brokerages

Texting from local numbers means registering a brand under the business's legal name and EIN, exactly as on its tax records, and a campaign describing what you send and how people opt in. Show your consent language on your website, where reviewers look. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. See 10DLC registration.

What texting costs a team

On Signilio, Growth is $79.99 a month for 3,000 texts and 5 seats, and Pro is $189.99 a month for 12,000 texts, 15 seats and 10 numbers, then 3¢ a text, with carrier fees included and replies free. See pricing.

Investing rather than representing buyers and sellers? See texting for real estate investors. Managing rentals? See property management.

None of this is legal advice; have counsel review your program before you send.