If you’re struggling to convert buyer leads, there are only six letters separating you from your dreams: LPMAMA. I know it sounds like a cliché, but the LPMAMA framework is at the very heart of what you do as a real estate professional. LPMAMA builds trust and rapport, educates buyers, and shows off your expertise—quickly and efficiently.
The problem? Most buyer’s agents know what LPMAMA is, but they don’t know how, when, or why to use it with their buyer leads. That’s why I wanted to demystify LPMAMA and walk you through the exact strategies and scripts top agents use to take advantage of LPMAMA with their buyer leads.
Short on time? Grab the LPMAMA script below now, then come back and read how to use it later.
What Is LPMAMA?
LPMAMA (which stands for location, price, motivation, agent, mortgage, appointment) is a buyer’s agent sales framework that uses questions-based selling to efficiently move leads from first contact to first showing. Each part of the acronym relates to a pillar in the conversation. Think of it as a foundation for a discussion that builds a trusting relationship—one brick at a time.
Why LPMAMA Is a Secret Weapon for Buyer’s Agents
Even if you don’t have a specific LPMAMA strategy, you’re probably already using some version of it in your first interactions with potential buyer clients. That’s a testament to why it works: LPMAMA is one of the best ways to uncover a buyer’s true motivations and build rapport quickly. It seems every time I read another agent’s script for converting buyers, I can easily identify the building blocks of LPMAMA in it, even if the agent who wrote it has never heard of the framework.
If you need a good buyer questionnaire, you can grab ours below, or keep reading to learn more about how to use LPMAMA to convert more leads into clients.
The Buyer Questionnaire Top Agents Use to Build Rapport & Trust (+ PDF)
The 6 Steps of LPMAMA (+ Scripts)
Now that you’ve learned a bit about the philosophy behind LPMAMA, let’s take a look at how you can integrate it into your conversion process.
Location
The L in LPMAMA stands for location. If the location doesn’t work, nothing else matters. This is why talking through where your buyers want to live is always the first step in the LPMAMA framework.
Mindset for the location stage
The location stage of the LPMAMA conversation is NOT an opportunity for you to show off your local market knowledge. Instead, approach this step like a detective or therapist. Why? Simple. This is about THEM, not YOU. Everyone wants a chance to tell their story and open up about their fears and concerns. So build rapport by mirroring their interests whenever possible, but remember to keep the conversation focused on them!
Goals for the location stage
- Discovering where your buyers want to live, and more importantly, why they want to live there
- Discovering how educated your buyers are about different neighborhoods
- Discovering where your buyers don’t want to live, and why
Script for the location stage
Agent: Do you have a specific neighborhood in mind yet?
Buyer: Yes! We have been looking on Zillow in Ridgewood, but we’ve also heard great things about Oakland. So I think our first choice is Ridgewood and our second choice would be Oakland.
Agent: I love both of those neighborhoods. I went to school in Ridgewood and my wife worked in Oakland for years. Great coffee shops there! What are you looking for in a neighborhood? I know commute time is important for a lot of the buyers I work with. School districts are too. Can you describe your perfect neighborhood?
Buyer: Well, we want to be close to my wife’s new office in South Bay, but we also want a neighborhood that is walkable and has great restaurants and coffee shops. That’s why we fell in love with Ridgewood.
Agent: Sounds great! Have you thought about opening up your search to East Bay? This might give us a few more options, and it is very walkable.
Buyer: No, but we are willing to look. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Price
After location comes price. This is where many agents screw up. They either unintentionally insult the lead or make them uncomfortable by jumping right into sensitive questions about their personal finances. But if you do it right, the price discussion can actually help you build trust and rapport with your lead.
Mindset for the price stage
Since the price conversation can get awkward, you should always approach it with a mindset of curiosity and compassion. For example, just asking point-blank how much they want to spend might make them defensive. Instead, use softer words like budget, or ask what monthly payment range would be ideal for them.
Goals for the price stage
- Discover how much they are willing to spend on a home
- Help them come up with a price range that offers more options of homes to see
Script for the price stage
Agent: OK, so now that I have a better idea of where you want to live, let’s talk about budget. Did you have a range in mind for your new home? A lot of the buyers I work with find it easier to think in terms of monthly payments instead of total price, but I know that can be tricky at first. Have you arrived at a budget that you would be comfortable with?
Buyer: Well, we would love to stay below $475,000, but I don’t know if that’s possible in Ridgewood.
Agent: It’s definitely possible! While it’s true that you will generally get more house for the same price in South Bay, $475,000 is definitely doable in Ridgewood. A lot of my buyers find it helpful to create a price range for their search, rather than a specific number. For example, if I found your dream home but it was listed at $495,000, would you want to go see it? It might look like a lot on paper, but your monthly payment would only go up a little bit and we might be able to negotiate.
Buyer: Yes, we’d definitely want to at least see it!
Agent: And if I found something for much less, you’d want to see that too, right?
Buyer: Haha, of course!
Agent: OK, perfect. So it sounds like we can say your price range is between $400,000 and maybe $495,000 for your dream home? Don’t worry, you can always adjust either of these numbers up or down, but this will help me search for the perfect home for you.
Buyer: Yes, I think that sounds about right.
Motivation
The third stage of LPMAMA is motivation. Finding out the true motivations behind what your buyers claim they want is more difficult than it sounds. This is the sentiment behind why many agents like to say, “Buyers are liars.” While some buyers might try to hide information from you, remember that sometimes people don’t even know what is actually behind their desires and the choices they make. Human beings are complicated!
Mindset for the motivation stage
Your mindset here should be the same as in the location stage. Let them tell their story! Try to dig a little deeper to find their core impulses by using phrases like, “Tell me more about that.” Also try to avoid blunt personal questions like, “Why are you moving,” which can make people defensive. Not everyone is moving for a positive reason; they might be trading down after a job loss, for example. Finally, a little dose of empathy in this stage can go a long way to building rapport with the buyer.
Goals for the motivation stage
- Find out the real reasons why the buyer wants to move
- Find out why the buyer wants to live in a specific area
- Find out why the buyer is interested in a specific type of property
Script for the motivation stage
Agent: Now that I know where you want to be, can you describe a little bit about what finding the right home would do for you and your family?
Buyer: Well, my wife just accepted a new job in South Bend, so she would have a much shorter commute for starters. I work from home, so I would finally be able to build a home office. We’re also looking forward to being able to walk to a dog run with our dog, Sam.
Agent: Got it. Long commutes can be a pain, especially now that so many people are working from home these days. Can you tell me more about the home office? Why didn’t you build one in your current home?
Buyer: Well, we’re renting now, and we don’t really even have the space to dedicate to an office even if we could construct something.
Agent: I see. Well, I will make a note to look for homes with enough space for an office. Have you seen any homes in person yet that might work for your home office?
Buyer: Not really.
Agent: Understood. By the way, do you have a time frame for when you want to be in your new home?
Buyer: Christina’s job starts in July, so we’d love to get started in the next few weeks if possible.
Agent: That sounds like a plan! It will give you enough time to learn what’s out there and really kick the tires to narrow it down and find something that will make you happy. Have you seen any homes yet that you liked?
Buyer: Yes, we saw a home on Spring Street that was on a great block.
Agent
This stage is where you will discover if they are already working with another agent, and whether or not they have signed a contract with them. Unless they just started looking, chances are they have already talked to other agents. If they have already worked with other agents, they will be expecting that same hard sell from you at this stage. This will put them on the defensive.
Mindset for the agent stage
Your mindset for the agent stage should be curiosity, problem-solving, and empathy. Like a therapist, you are collecting information that is useful to you, but will also help your buyer solve a problem. This is a small but important mindset shift.
Goals for the agent stage
- Find out the buyer’s history with other agents
Script for the agent stage
Agent: Tell me more about the home you liked on Spring Street. Did you see it with a buyer’s agent or just by yourselves?
Buyer: We saw it with an agent we found on Facebook.
Agent: Got it. Did you already make plans to see more homes with this agent? Also, what is their name? This is a small community, so chances are I know them. I just want to make sure if I should send new listings to you directly or to them.
Buyer: The agent we worked with was Sally Jones. She was great, but we didn’t make any appointments to see more homes yet.
Agent: Understood. Did you sign an exclusive buyer-agent agreement with her, or are you still looking for the best deal from an agent?
Buyer: No, we didn’t. She was great, but we’re still looking.
Agent: I hear you. It’s always better to explore your options this early in the process. So if I find great homes for you with space for a home office, can I send them directly to you?
Buyer: Yes, that would be ideal, thanks.
Mortgage
The mortgage stage is where you can find out more about how financially prepared the buyer is to purchase a home. Out of all the stages, this one offers the best opportunity to show off your knowledge and help the buyer solve a problem. However, discussing personal finances will often put people on the defensive, so try to avoid asking blunt questions about money whenever possible.
Mindset for the mortgage stage
Instead of looking at the mortgage stage as an opportunity for a hard sell, think of it as a way to educate the buyer to help them solve a problem. Your knowledge of financing a home purchase will be valuable to them, particularly if they are new buyers.
Goals for the mortgage stage
- Find out the buyer’s financial preparedness to purchase a home
- Demonstrate your expertise in financing a home purchase
Script for the mortgage stage
Agent: Have you talked to anyone yet to discover the best way to finance the home you’re looking for?
Buyer: Well, we looked at a few options online and talked to my wife’s cousin, who is a mortgage broker, but nothing set in stone yet. We have an inheritance from my uncle that I think we’re going to use as a down payment.
Agent: That’s really smart, and you are way ahead of most new buyers in this stage of the process. Do you have any questions about the mortgage process that I can help you with?
Buyer: Well, we’re very focused on keeping our monthly payments under $2,500, if possible. Also, we’re still trying to figure out the best way to do that considering how volatile interest rates have been lately. What do you think?
Agent: Well, there are a lot of variables at play here, but since you mentioned your inheritance from your uncle, I would note that putting down a larger deposit would be a smart strategy in your situation. You should also remember that, whether you’re paying the bank a higher interest rate or paying more for the home itself, your monthly payments will be the same. Of course, there are a lot of variables to go over here, so if you’d like, I can connect you with Brad Smith, a mortgage specialist at Stone Street that we’ve been working with for years. He can answer your questions in more detail.
Buyer: Thanks, that would be great.
Appointment
The last stage of LPMAMA is to quickly summarize what the buyer has told you and how you can help them, and then ask for a follow-up appointment. If you’re using LPMAMA over the phone, you might want to ask for an in-person appointment to execute an in-depth buyer consultation. If your conversation went particularly well or if the buyer seems anxious to accelerate their search, you can try to set up a no-pressure showing of a few homes.
Mindset for the appointment stage
Your mindset for the appointment stage needs to shift from curiosity and empathy to a problem-solving mindset. Yes, you want to get an appointment on the books, but if you shift your mindset to focus on how that next appointment can help the buyer, you will have a higher chance of success.
Goals for the appointment stage
- Demonstrate that you were listening carefully to their story and empathized with their problems
- Book your next appointment
Script for the appointment stage
Agent: OK, Brad is a great guy and my buyers rave about how helpful and hardworking he is, so I know you’ll love him. But first I want to just quickly go over your situation to see how I can best help you. You are looking for a home, in Ridgewood ideally, that has enough room for a home office, is a quick commute to South Bend, and is in a walkable neighborhood near a dog run. You have an inheritance you can use for a down payment, but still want to explore options for financing. Did I get that right? Is there anything else you think I should know or would like to ask me?
Buyer: No, that about covers it.
Agent: Perfect. So I think our next step here might be to set up a follow-up appointment to go look at a few listings I know of that I think will fit your needs, and a few that will give you a sense of how much further your money can go in Oakland. Like I said before, the more homes you see, the better informed you will be. This means you will be in a better place to make an educated decision when the right home pops up.
By the way, seeing homes you don’t like can be just as important as seeing homes you do like. We can do this online, but until you see something in person, it can be very hard to differentiate between your wants and needs versus what you definitely don’t want.
How about this: Why don’t we set up an appointment for next week to come into my office or Starbucks to talk in more detail about your home search, and then if we have time, we can take a quick drive to see a few nearby homes based on that meeting. Do Tuesdays or Saturdays work better for you?
Buyer: That sounds great, thanks. It can be tough to get us both away from work during the week, so Saturday would work better.
Agent: I hear you. Why don’t we set something up for this Saturday at 12:30 in my office at 27 Vine Street? I can text you a calendar invite with all the information.
Buyer: That works for me. Looking forward to it!
More Buyer’s Agent Resources
Over to You
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