When a referral reaches you, it arrives with a name, a property and some context about the move. What it doesn't show is the conversation that produced it.

Our team speaks with more than 9,000 potential sellers each month. For the homeowners we introduce to an agent, we spend about 12 minutes speaking with them on average before that introduction.

Here's what the team is listening for in that time, and what it means for the homeowner who ends up on your phone.

What reveals intent

The clearest signal is a homeowner's willingness to meet an agent. It commits them to very little, but it still means inviting a stranger into their home.

"There's no obligation that comes with that. It is a choice, but it is also a commitment to invite someone into your home to start going through that process," says Grant Patrick, OpenAgent's Head of Sales.

What surrounds that willingness shows how far someone's thinking has actually progressed. A homeowner who can describe where they want to end up has usually worked through the problem well before the call.

"When someone can clearly articulate their future plans, it means that they've been thinking seriously about it," Grant says.

The way money comes up matters too. Questions about value, commission or preparation costs suggest someone is working out what a sale would leave them for their next purchase.

"If they're in idea land and money doesn't matter, they're probably not very close yet," Grant adds.

Timing often needs unpacking. Grant describes homeowners who say it's too soon to speak with an agent, then mention their plans are only three months away.

Once preparation, agent meetings, photography and a campaign of four to eight weeks are laid out, those months look a lot shorter. As Grant puts it, "in property terms, weeks just evaporate".

None of this relies on a homeowner declaring themselves a seller.

"It's not always about waiting for the yes or no. We're looking for intent."

Why a first response can mislead

Most people assume the engaged homeowner is the promising one. Grant's thinking on that shifted after the team went back through calls from homeowners who had gone on to list.

"You would normally think that highly engaged, motivated, participating customers, they're your winners. And that can be true," he explains. "But the ones that are quiet, withdrawn, not so eagerly answering your questions — they are also sellers."

His explanation has less to do with personality than with trust. "They're waiting to hear reasons to trust us."

That puts real weight on the opening of the call, because the team is reaching people at a random time on a number they don't recognise. Grant describes the people making those calls as homeowners talking to homeowners.

"We can train a script, we can teach you to read it. But what goes the longest way for strong qualification is relatability and a genuine care factor," he says.

So a guarded homeowner gets the same time and attention as one who engages straight away.

“We have to approach every customer in the same way. And that is to assume everyone is a seller.”

When a guarded homeowner does open up, what they share is rarely what they'd have volunteered first. 

Some are moving for a growing family or to be closer to relatives. Others are working through a separation, a deceased estate or financial pressure.

"When you create a space for someone to talk, and to talk safely, the ones and zeros turn into a very genuine story, and they turn into a very genuine problem to solve," Grant says. "It just needs the right ear to hear it."

When someone needs more time

Not everyone is ready to meet an agent straight away. Grant says he is hearing hesitation from homeowners with the flexibility to wait, particularly those trying to line up a sale with their next purchase.

"Most people just need enough time to buy and sell in the same conditions," he points out.

Others are moving regardless. Where a life event is driving the sale, Grant says there's usually a real problem to solve and less room for hesitation.

For those who need more time, the team stays in touch where appropriate through follow-up conversations, emails and advertising. What that looks like depends on the homeowner, and the decision about timing stays with them.

"It's not our job to make them sell their property. And we don't want to make them sell their property," Grant says.

What you know when we introduce them

When a homeowner is ready, the referral carries what the conversation uncovered. That means property details, the motivation behind the move, what matters most to the homeowner and what they want from an agent.

Nothing is passed on without consent. By the time you call, the homeowner has heard how local agents compare, agreed to have their details shared and is expecting to hear from you.

"If you have a lead and you know that vendor is waiting for your call, and you know that vendor is qualified with an intent to sell, well, you can both be the best version of yourselves," Grant explains.

Around 19 per cent of the leads we receive are ultimately introduced to an agent. Of those homeowners, one in four list within three months and more than one in three within six.

The listing still needs to be earned. But you'll pick up the phone with context about the property and the move, speaking to someone who has already said yes to the conversation.