Ask anyone who sells or rents property what's wrong with their leads and you'll hear the same thing: numbers that don't connect, people who “never enquired”, and serious buyers buried under browsers. The enquiry form is where you can fix most of it.
This guide covers the questions a real estate enquiry form should ask, how to filter out fake numbers with a WhatsApp code, and how to know which portal, ad or signboard each lead came from.
Why property enquiries go cold
- Wrong or fake numbers. Typos, made-up numbers and someone else's number all look valid.
- No context. “Interested” with a phone number means a cold call that starts from zero.
- Slow follow-up. Leads land in a portal inbox or an email nobody checks at night.
- No source. You can't tell which portal, ad or board is worth paying for.
The questions to ask
| Question | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Are you looking to buy or rent? | Multiple choice | Drives the rest of the form with logic |
| Property type | Multiple choice | Apartment, house, plot, commercial |
| Preferred location | Dropdown or short text | List your areas if you only cover some |
| Budget | Multiple choice (ranges) | Separate ranges for buyers and renters |
| When do you plan to move? | Multiple choice | This month / 1–3 months / Later / Just looking |
| How will you pay? (buyers) | Multiple choice | Savings, home loan, loan already approved |
| Name | Short text | |
| Mobile number | Phone, verified by WhatsApp or SMS | The one field you can't afford to get wrong |
| Best way to reach you | Multiple choice | Call / WhatsApp / Email |
| Book a site visit | Scheduling (optional) | Only for buyers ready to move soon |
Use logic so it stays short
Buyers and renters need different questions. Show the payment question only to buyers, show budget ranges that fit the choice they made, and offer the site-visit booking only to people moving this month or next. Each person answers six or seven questions, not twelve.
One long form for everyone, with an open text box for “Requirements”.
Buy-or-rent first, then only the questions that apply, as quick choices.
Filter out fake numbers
Switch on a one-time code for the mobile number. The person gets a 6-digit code on WhatsApp (or by SMS), types it in, and only then can the enquiry be sent. A typo, a made-up number or a friend's number can't get through, so every lead your team calls is the person who asked.
WhatsApp is the natural choice where most buyers use it daily: codes arrive where people already read messages, with no SMS registration to arrange. The WhatsApp-verified form guide walks through the setup. Keep the spam filter on as well, so pitches from marketing agencies and throwaway emails never reach your agents.
Know where each lead came from
Add a hidden field called source and put a different value in every link you share:?source=portal-a, ?source=instagram, ?source=board-sector-21. The value is saved with each enquiry and sent to your sheet or CRM. After a month you'll know which portal sends verified buyers and which one sends noise.
Where to put the form
- Signboards and brochures: a dynamic QR code on each board, so you can change the property behind it later without reprinting, and count scans by city, device and hour.
- Listings and ads: the form link with a source tag, as the “Enquire” or “Book a visit” button.
- Instagram: your link-in-bio page, with the form, current listings and a WhatsApp button.
- Your website: embed the form on each listing page.
Follow up fast
- Send every verified enquiry to a Google Sheet or your CRM by webhook, with the source and answers.
- Sort by timeline and budget, or by a lead score from the qualification questions, so “this month” buyers get the first calls.
- Use each response's trust score to spot anything doubtful before an agent spends time on it.
- Reply the way they asked to be reached: a WhatsApp message to someone who picked WhatsApp lands better than a cold call.
See how this fits together in Tapzy for real estate, or start from the contact form or book a call template.