A good lead response time is measured in minutes, and the best-performing businesses respond in under one. Research on lead follow-up has repeatedly suggested that the odds of reaching and qualifying a lead drop sharply after the first several minutes, so the practical target is simple: reply almost instantly.
The benchmarks that matter
Exact figures differ between studies, but the pattern is consistent across most published research on lead follow-up:
- Under 1 minute: the gold standard. The lead is still on their phone, still thinking about their problem.
- Under 5 minutes: still strong. Contact rates tend to stay high in this window.
- Within an hour: noticeably worse. Many leads have already reached a competitor.
- Next day or later: you're mostly following up with people who have moved on.
For home-services leads coming from Facebook ads, the window is arguably even tighter — these are impulse-adjacent inquiries from people mid-scroll, not researched purchases.
Why "we call back same day" isn't good enough
Same-day feels responsive from inside the business. From the homeowner's side, they filled out three forms, and one company texted back in thirty seconds. That company set the anchor. Everyone who calls that evening is now the follow-up, not the first impression — and in a trust-driven trade, first impression tends to win the appointment.
How to hit sub-minute response every time
No human team responds in under a minute around the clock. Automation does. An instant, conversational text triggered by every new lead — one that asks a real question and can carry the conversation through to booking — makes sub-minute response the default rather than a heroic effort. Pair it with a human takeover option for complex conversations, and you get speed without losing the personal touch.
Go deeper: See the full breakdown in our guide to speed to lead for home services, or explore the pillar on AI lead conversion.