How to Run a Useful Pipeline Review.
A pipeline review should show what is moving, what needs attention and which opportunities are no longer current.
A pipeline review should help you decide what needs attention.
It is not simply a list of every appraisal in the CRM.
Start with active opportunities.
Review:
Upcoming appraisals
Completed appraisals
Active follow-up
Likely listings
Future sellers
Check that each opportunity is still in the correct stage.
Look for missing next actions.
Every genuine opportunity should have a clear next step.
Check for records with:
No follow-up date
Overdue tasks
No recent notes
No agent assigned
No clear expected timing
These are often the opportunities most likely to be forgotten.
Find stalled opportunities.
Look for appraisals that have been sitting in the same stage for too long.
Ask:
Has the seller’s timing changed?
Has anyone spoken to them recently?
Is the opportunity still genuine?
Should it move to long-term nurture?
Should it be closed?
Do not keep opportunities active simply because nobody has updated them.
Check expected listing dates.
Review any expected listing dates that are approaching or have already passed.
Update them if the seller’s plans have changed.
An old expected date makes the pipeline less useful.
Use simple priority levels.
Priority helps show where attention should go first.
High priority
There is a genuine near-term opportunity.
For example:
Appraisal booked
Seller preparing to list
Decision expected soon
Follow-up overdue on an active opportunity
Seller has asked for further information
These should be reviewed first.
Medium priority
There is a genuine opportunity, but the timing is less immediate.
For example:
Seller planning to move within a few months
Appraisal completed but no immediate decision
Future seller with clear timing
Opportunity waiting on another event
These still need a clear next action.
Long-term priority
The relationship is worth keeping, but there is no current listing opportunity.
For example:
Selling next year
Waiting for renovations
Long-term downsizing plans
Timing still unclear
These should normally sit in nurture rather than cluttering the active pipeline.
Closed or inactive
There is no current opportunity.
That may include:
No longer selling
Property sold
Opportunity lost
Asked not to be contacted
No longer relevant
Keep the history, but remove it from the active pipeline.
Review lost and withdrawn opportunities.
Some may now be worth revisiting.
Check:
Listings that failed to sell
Withdrawn properties
Vendors who chose another agent
Sellers who delayed their plans
If there is a genuine reason to reconnect, set the next action.
Keep the pipeline realistic.
A pipeline should reflect what is genuinely happening.
Do not leave unlikely opportunities sitting in high-priority stages just to make the pipeline look stronger.
Move them to the right stage and priority.
Simple pipeline review checklist.
During each review, check:
Is every opportunity in the correct stage?
Is the priority still accurate?
Does every active opportunity have a next action?
Are any tasks overdue?
Are the latest notes current?
Has the seller’s timing changed?
Are expected listing dates realistic?
Are any opportunities stalled?
Should anything move to long-term nurture?
Should anything be closed?
Are any lost opportunities worth revisiting?
Which opportunities need attention this week?
A useful pipeline review should finish with a clear list of actions, not just a longer list of opportunities.