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Lead Pipeline Stages

This reference describes all available lead stages in HomeStar. Stages track where each lead is in the sales process, from initial inquiry through closing.

Stage Definitions

Section titled “Stage Definitions”

New

Section titled “New”

Description: Fresh inquiry requiring initial response. Lead has just entered the system through contact form, property inquiry, phone call, or referral.

Typical duration: < 1 hour (best practice: respond within 5 minutes)

Automatic entry conditions:

  • Contact form submission from website
  • Property inquiry button click with email/phone
  • Manual lead creation by agent or broker
  • Import from external lead source

Manual actions available:

  • Send initial response
  • Place call
  • Mark as spam/duplicate

Exit conditions:

  • Move to Contacted when first response sent or call logged
  • Move to Disqualified if spam, duplicate, or invalid contact info
  • Move to Lost if no action taken within 48 hours (automatic)

Dashboard indicator: Red badge, appears at top of lead list

Contacted

Section titled “Contacted”

Description: Initial outreach completed, awaiting response from lead. Agent has made first contact but conversation not yet established.

Typical duration: 1-3 days

Entry conditions:

  • First email response sent
  • First phone call logged
  • Initial text message sent

Expected activities:

  • Wait for lead response
  • Send follow-up if no reply within 24 hours
  • Attempt alternate contact method (email → phone, phone → email)

Exit conditions:

  • → Engaged if lead responds positively
  • → Unresponsive if no reply after 3 contact attempts over 7 days
  • → Disqualified if lead declines services or not interested
  • → Nurture if lead interested but timeline beyond 6 months

Dashboard indicator: Yellow badge, requires follow-up tracking

Engaged

Section titled “Engaged”

Description: Active two-way communication established. Lead is responsive and conversation progressing toward qualification.

Typical duration: 1-4 weeks

Entry conditions:

  • Lead has responded to outreach
  • Multiple message exchanges occurring
  • Lead asking questions or requesting information

Expected activities:

  • Answer property questions
  • Share listings matching criteria
  • Discuss budget, timeline, and needs
  • Begin qualification process
  • Schedule initial consultation or property tour

Exit conditions:

  • → Qualified if lead ready to view properties or list home (pre-approval obtained for buyers, listing agreement signed for sellers)
  • → Nurture if interested but timeline 2-6 months out
  • → Unresponsive if communication suddenly stops
  • → Disqualified if lead unqualified (unrealistic expectations, outside service area, not serious)

Dashboard indicator: Green badge, active conversation in progress

Qualified

Section titled “Qualified”

Description: Lead meets criteria and ready for active property search or listing process. For buyers: pre-approved and actively touring homes. For sellers: listing agreement signed.

Typical duration: 2-12 weeks (market-dependent)

Entry conditions:

  • Buyers: Pre-approval letter obtained, ready to view properties
  • Sellers: Listing agreement signed, property prep underway

Expected activities:

  • Schedule and conduct property tours (buyers)
  • Market and show property (sellers)
  • Submit offers (buyers)
  • Review and negotiate offers (sellers)
  • Coordinate inspections, appraisals, and due diligence

Exit conditions:

  • → Under Contract when offer accepted by all parties
  • → Nurture if lead decides to pause search/listing
  • → Lost if lead chooses another agent or decides not to proceed

Dashboard indicator: Blue badge, high priority for follow-up

Under Contract

Section titled “Under Contract”

Description: Offer accepted, transaction in escrow. Property sale proceeding through due diligence, inspections, and closing preparation.

Typical duration: 30-45 days (average escrow period)

Entry conditions:

  • Signed purchase agreement by all parties
  • Earnest money deposited
  • Escrow opened with title company

Expected activities:

  • Coordinate inspections (buyer side)
  • Complete inspection repairs or negotiate concessions
  • Track appraisal process
  • Monitor loan approval progress
  • Communicate with escrow, lender, title company
  • Prepare for final walkthrough
  • Schedule closing appointment

Exit conditions:

  • → Closed Won when transaction successfully closes
  • → Closed Lost if deal falls through (financing, inspection issues, cold feet)
  • → Qualified if contract cancelled but lead still searching (rare)

Dashboard indicator: Purple badge, critical monitoring required

Closed Won

Section titled “Closed Won”

Description: Transaction successfully closed. Property ownership transferred, commission earned.

Typical duration: Final stage (no duration)

Entry conditions:

  • Closing completed
  • Deed recorded
  • Funds disbursed
  • Keys transferred

Expected activities:

  • Send congratulations and thank you
  • Request testimonial or review
  • Add to past clients list for referrals
  • Send closing gift (optional)
  • Schedule 30-day check-in
  • Add to quarterly newsletter (if applicable)

Exit conditions: None (terminal stage)

Dashboard indicator: Gold badge, archived after 90 days unless reopened

Post-closing tracking:

  • Past client database
  • Referral source tracking
  • Anniversary touchpoints

Closed Lost

Section titled “Closed Lost”

Description: Transaction failed to close or lead chose not to proceed. No commission earned from this engagement.

Typical duration: Final stage (no duration)

Entry conditions:

  • Contract fell through during escrow
  • Lead chose different agent
  • Lead decided not to buy/sell
  • Financing fell through
  • Inspection issues couldn’t be resolved

Expected activities:

  • Document reason for loss (learn for future)
  • Send courteous follow-up (leave door open)
  • Move to Nurture if lead might return in future

Exit conditions:

  • → Nurture if maintaining relationship for future opportunity
  • Archive permanently if no future potential

Dashboard indicator: Gray badge, archived after 30 days

Loss reason tracking (for reporting):

  • Lost to competitor
  • Financing failure
  • Inspection issues
  • Personal circumstances changed
  • Price disagreement
  • Timeline didn’t align

Special Workflow Stages

Section titled “Special Workflow Stages”

Nurture

Section titled “Nurture”

Description: Long-term relationship maintenance for leads not ready to transact within 6 months but potentially viable in future.

Typical duration: Ongoing (months to years)

Entry conditions:

  • Lead interested but timeline > 6 months
  • Past client who might buy/sell again
  • Referral source to stay in touch with
  • Seasonal buyer (waiting for school year to end, etc.)

Expected activities:

  • Add to monthly newsletter
  • Send market updates quarterly
  • Check in every 3 months via email
  • Share relevant blog posts or market news
  • Invite to client appreciation events

Exit conditions:

  • → New if lead becomes active again (re-enters pipeline)
  • → Archive if lead explicitly asks to stop contact or 2+ years pass with no engagement

Dashboard indicator: Light blue badge, low-priority automated follow-up

Unresponsive

Section titled “Unresponsive”

Description: Lead stopped responding despite multiple contact attempts. Not explicitly disqualified but communication ceased.

Typical duration: 7-30 days before archive decision

Entry conditions:

  • No response after 3 contact attempts over 7-14 days
  • Read receipts show emails opened but no reply
  • Calls go to voicemail, texts unread

Expected activities:

  • One final “Are you still interested?” outreach
  • Move to Nurture if keeping door open
  • Archive if no response to final attempt

Exit conditions:

  • → Engaged if lead re-engages
  • → Nurture if moving to long-term follow-up
  • → Archive if giving up

Dashboard indicator: Gray badge, low priority

Disqualified

Section titled “Disqualified”

Description: Lead determined to be poor fit, spam, or invalid. Not worth continued pursuit.

Typical duration: Final stage (no duration)

Entry conditions:

  • Lead outside service area with no referral potential
  • Budget/expectations unrealistic and unwilling to adjust
  • Spam or fake inquiry
  • Duplicate lead
  • Lead behaving inappropriately or unprofessionally

Expected activities:

  • Document disqualification reason (for reporting)
  • Archive immediately

Exit conditions: None (terminal stage)

Dashboard indicator: Red badge with strikethrough, archived immediately

Disqualification reason tracking:

  • Spam/fake
  • Outside service area
  • Budget unrealistic
  • Timeline incompatible
  • Unprofessional behavior
  • Duplicate entry

Stage Transition Flow

Section titled “Stage Transition Flow”
graph TD
    A[New] --> B[Contacted]
    B --> C[Engaged]
    B --> D[Unresponsive]
    B --> E[Disqualified]
    C --> F[Qualified]
    C --> G[Nurture]
    C --> D
    C --> E
    F --> H[Under Contract]
    F --> G
    F --> I[Lost]
    H --> J[Closed Won]
    H --> K[Closed Lost]
    G --> A
    D --> G
    D -.->|Archive| L[Archived]
    E -.->|Archive| L
    K --> G
    I --> G

Legend:

  • Solid arrows: Common transitions
  • Dashed arrows: Archive actions
  • Bidirectional: Can move both directions

Stage Statistics (Platform Averages)

Section titled “Stage Statistics (Platform Averages)”
StageAvg. Time in StageConversion to NextCommon Drop-off
New2 hours85% → Contacted15% → Disqualified
Contacted3 days60% → Engaged30% → Unresponsive
Engaged10 days40% → Qualified35% → Nurture
Qualified45 days75% → Under Contract20% → Lost
Under Contract35 days90% → Closed Won10% → Closed Lost

Statistics based on HomeStar platform data from Q4 2025

Section titled “Related Documentation”

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