For agents looking to deepen relationships and accelerate transactions, leveraging property alerts and saved searches can be a decisive edge, if used deliberately.
That’s the core of Ben Belack’s strategy, outlined in this last installment of his A-List conversation with Chris Linsell of Luxury Presence. In the other two sessions, Belack explores how intentional language builds trust across every client interaction and how on-camera content can drive visibility. Here, his focus is on automation, showing how digital tools can maintain momentum, reinforce positioning, and create space for agents to act with precision.
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Why this strategy matters now
Saved searches are saved sets of property criteria, such as location, price range, home type, and features, that trigger automatic email alerts when new listings meet a client’s specific preferences. Typically created within a CRM or IDX-connected platform like Luxury Presence, these searches help buyers stay informed about market activity without manually combing through listings.
In Belack’s world, saved searches aren’t just passive background tools; they’re strategic signals, intentionally designed to inform clients, reengage interest, and reinforce his professional credibility. “It is an automated technique, but the most successful agents utilizing saved search and property alerts are using it as an opportunity to kickstart conversations,” said Linsell. Belack agreed: “It really helps me to stay in touch at a very high level, where the clients don’t fade into the ether.”
Retention through relevance
Most agents use saved searches for one purpose: Keeping buyer leads engaged after a home tour or open house. Belack turns that convention on its head. “Frankly we use saved search more with sellers,” he said. When circling a neighborhood around a new listing, Belack contacts homeowners with an offer of tailored insight. “Would it be valuable to you if we were to send you just the pendings and solds once a week, just in your little nook?” he asks. The specificity of the hyper-local neighborhood, or nook, signals expertise, not automation.
When the answer is yes, he configures a custom alert. “Then it gives me a reason to stay in touch.” Rather than relying on sporadic check-ins, this digital tether keeps the line open and the relationship warm.
Acting like the agent before becoming the agent
Belack emphasizes the importance of showing up before you’re officially hired. “I’m being their agent in advance,” he said. By arranging for these alerts, he is “already acting as their agent.” This reframing transforms saved searches from passive email drip into active demonstration. For one high-value listing, Belack used this strategy to stay top of mind after initial momentum began to fade. “Every time something comes [on the market], it’s an excuse to say, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you. Here’s what I got from the agent.’”
The result is trust-building through consistency. Even when a client delays commitment or revisits past representation, Belack ensures his presence is felt, not through pressure, but through value.
Know your statuses, elevate your follow-up
Technology only works when paired with structure. Belack’s CRM categorization is where his methodology becomes most tactical. “If someone’s active, and I know they’re going to buy in the next year or so, I’m going to put them on ‘save search’ because it’s another reason for them to read my name and associate it with real estate,” he explained.
But he doesn’t stop there. “If someone’s prime, I’m taking them off save search, and I’m sending them stuff.” The change in delivery signals a shift in intent. “We’re no longer getting educated on the market at large.” Instead, the communication becomes bespoke and the cadence tightens.
The clarity around definitions allows Belack to keep his pipeline fluid and responsive. “If you don’t know what your status definitions are, then people go to a status or a bucket… and that’s where the leads go to die.”
Coach the activity, not just the brand
When onboarding new agents, Belack prioritizes action. “I shift their focus from servicing their business and their brand into income-generating behavior and how to remain consistent doing those things,” he said. The challenge, especially in a saturated market like Los Angeles, is that agents often avoid the hard stuff in favor of low-impact tasks.
Belack’s goal is to drive early momentum. “I want to get them in escrow in 30 days. That’s really my goal.” Staying visible, adding context, and initiating conversations, often via well-placed alerts, is how you keep yourself in the room.
Mastering the next level
From CRM statuses to communication formats, every tool has a function. And for agents looking to build stronger, more resilient pipelines, the takeaway is clear: automation is only as good as the human who configures it.
If you are ready to use technology to power your next level of success, including property alerts and saved searches, visit luxurypresence.com to learn how we can help you turn conversations into conversions.
Elevate your presence
If you’re ready to join Ben Belack and the thousands of other top-producing agents who work with Luxury Presence, schedule a strategy session with our expert team today.
