What to Send an Out-of-State Buyer First: A Checklist for Idaho Agents
From the team behind the Life in Idaho Area Guide, the personalized relocation guide for Treasure Valley real estate agents.
A buyer from out of state just reached out. They are thinking about Idaho, they have a lot of questions, and they have probably contacted two or three other agents the same week. What you send in the first few days decides whether you are the agent they remember.
The good news is you do not have to write a dozen custom emails explaining the Valley from scratch. With the right resource in hand, most of the heavy lifting is already done, and your messages can be short, personal, and specific. This checklist walks through what to send, in what order, and what to hold back until they are ready for it.
Before You Send Anything, Ask Three Questions
The first reply should go out fast, but it should also ask something. These three questions tell you almost everything you need to know about how to help:
You do not need all three answered before you send the first resource. You just need to have asked, so your next message can be specific.
The First Message: One Link and One Question
Keep the first reply short. Thank them for reaching out, share one resource, and ask one of the questions above. The best single resource for someone who does not know the area yet is an overview of the whole Treasure Valley, which is what a personalized relocation guide is for. It answers the questions they have not asked yet, and it has your name on every page.
If you have a landing page for the guide, send that link. If they came in through your landing page already, they have the guide, so point them to the section that fits what they told you.
Resist sending listings in the first message. A buyer who cannot yet tell Meridian from Eagle will not know what to do with them.
Week One: Help Them Understand the Valley
Most out-of-state buyers start by searching “Boise” and only later learn that Boise is one of several cities in the Treasure Valley, each with its own feel and price range. Your job in week one is to make the map make sense.
Walk them through the cities in the order that fits their answers. If they want newer homes and a shorter commute to Meridian employers, start with Meridian, Kuna, and Star. If they want established neighborhoods near downtown, start with Boise and Garden City. If budget is the main driver, Nampa and Caldwell belong near the top. The Life in Idaho Area Guide covers each city and what makes it different, and the 2027 edition adds side-by-side city comparisons. The Areas Covered page lists every city included.
What Not to Send Yet
Week Two and Beyond: Narrow It Down
Once they have reacted to the city overviews, help them narrow to two or three areas. This is the right time to talk through specific neighborhoods and to send a first set of listings, kept small and clearly tied to what they said they wanted.
If they have a record in your CRM, note the cities they are leaning toward and their timeline. Every later message should reference those, so it reads like a conversation instead of a drip campaign.
Before Their First Visit
When a visit is on the calendar, send a plan. A simple itinerary of areas to drive, in an order that makes sense on a map, plus a few places to eat from the guide’s food and coffee picks, gives the trip structure. If you have printed copies, mail one before they arrive or hand one over at the first meeting. A printed guide travels home with them and gets shown to the family members who did not make the trip.
A printed guide is something they take home and share.
This is also when a matching Buyer Guide is useful. It explains how the buying process works here, which is not always what they are used to in their home state.
After They Are Under Contract
An out-of-state buyer under contract is planning a move from a distance, and small things become big questions: who to call for utilities, how to get settled, where to change a driver’s license, how to get around. The 2027 guide’s newcomer’s guide and transportation sections cover the first things to handle after a move, so send the guide again with a note pointing to those pages. It saves you a dozen one-off emails and keeps you top of mind through closing.
The Checklist
Common Questions
What if the buyer only wants listings?
Send a few, but include the guide’s section on each city they are looking in. Buyers who insist on listings early usually change their minds about the area once they understand it, and the agent who explained it is the one they stay with.
How often should I follow up with a buyer who is a year out?
Once a month is enough if each message is useful. The guide’s events, dining, and local favorites give you a year of material. Send the new edition when it comes out.
Do I need printed copies?
Not for the first contact, but they help once a visit is planned and at closing. Discounted copies are available anytime through the print portal.
Have the Guide Ready Before the Next Buyer Calls
The checklist works best when the resource is already sitting in your outbox. Flip through the sample to see the sections mentioned here, see what is new in the 2027 edition, or read the best ways to use your relocation guide for more ideas.
2027 early bird pricing: use code EARLYBIRD27 at checkout for 25% off any package through November 30.
