1. Cold DM to a solo agent on Instagram
Subject: none (Instagram DM). Body: "Hi [first name], saw your listing at [street name]. Nice photos. I'm building [product name], a tool that [one concrete outcome, e.g. drafts listing descriptions from your photos in 2 minutes]. I'm looking for 5 agents in [city] to use it free for a month and tell me what's broken. Want me to set you up?" Use this for active agents who post listings weekly, found by searching Instagram for "#[city]realtor" or "#justlisted[city]".
2. LinkedIn message to a managing broker
Subject: "Quick question about your agents' [task]". Body: "Hi [first name], I noticed [brokerage name] added [number] agents this year. I'm building [product name] to help brokers [outcome, e.g. see which leads agents haven't followed up on within 24 hours]. I'm not selling anything yet. Could I get 15 minutes to hear how you handle [task] today? If it's useful I'll give your office free access while we build it." Use this when a broker or team lead has posted about growth or hiring, found via LinkedIn search "managing broker [city]".
3. Email to a small property manager
Subject: "[Company name] and maintenance requests". Body: "Hi [first name], I found [company name] on [Google Maps / NARPM directory]. You manage around [number] doors in [city], I think. I'm building [product name] for property managers who [pain, e.g. still take maintenance requests by text and lose track of them]. Would you try it free for 30 days with [number] of your units? I'll set everything up myself. If it doesn't save you time, I'll stop bugging you." Use this for property managers with 50 to 500 doors, who are too small for enterprise software and too busy for spreadsheets.
4. Post in a Facebook group or subreddit
Title: "Agents/PMs: how do you handle [specific task]? Building something, want honest input". Body: "I'm a founder building [product name], a tool for [audience] that [outcome]. Before I build more, I want to hear how you do [task] today and what annoys you about it. If anyone wants to test it free, comment or DM me. I'm not linking anything here." Use this in groups like Lab Coat Agents, r/realtors, r/PropertyManagement or BiggerPockets forums, after reading the group rules and joining the conversation for a few days first.
5. Reply to someone complaining publicly
Body: "Hi [first name], saw your post in [group/subreddit] about [their exact complaint, e.g. losing showing feedback across 3 apps]. That's exactly the problem I'm working on with [product name]. Would you be up for a 10 minute call so I can see how you do it now? Happy to give you free access in exchange." Use this within 24 hours of a fresh complaint thread, because that's when the pain is still on their mind.
6. Follow-up after no reply
Body: "Hi [first name], following up once on my note about [product name]. Short version: [one sentence outcome]. If now's a bad time, no worries, just reply 'later' and I'll check back in [month]." Use this 4 to 5 days after the first message, once only, and avoid the 1st and end of month when agents are closing deals and PMs are collecting rent.
7. Ask a happy tester for an intro
Body: "Hi [first name], thanks for testing [product name] the last [number] weeks. Your note about [specific feedback] made it into this week's update. Do you know one or two other [agents/PMs] who deal with [pain]? If you're okay with it, I'll write a short intro you can forward." Use this as soon as a tester says something positive, because real estate runs on referrals and one intro beats 20 cold DMs. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can find these prospects and draft these messages for you daily.
Mistakes to skip
- Pitching features like "AI-powered CRM" instead of a task the agent does every week.
- Messaging during closing week or rent collection, when nobody has time to reply.
- Pasting links in Facebook groups and getting removed by admins.
- Sending the same message to agents, brokers and property managers, whose problems are different.
Want this done for your real estate software, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
Who should I message first: agents, brokers or property managers?
Pick the one whose pain your product solves today. Agents reply fastest, brokers can bring a whole office, and property managers stay longest once they switch.
How many DMs should I send per day?
Start with 10 to 20 personal messages a day. Each one should reference something specific about the person, like a listing or a post.
Should I offer the software for free?
Offer a free month to your first 5 to 10 users in exchange for feedback. Then ask them to pay, because a free user who won't pay tells you something too.
Where do I find real estate professionals with no budget?
Use Instagram listing hashtags, LinkedIn search, Zillow agent profiles, Google Maps for property managers, and groups like r/realtors and BiggerPockets.