Prospecting using contact data from FSBOs or expired listings can be time-consuming.
Different software solutions on the market support and assist real estate professionals by providing seller data and speeding up the calling process.
Vulcan 7 is such a tool. You may have come across it earlier or will later because of its popularity.
Since it’s well-known and often talked about, I decided to write an article about it, analyzing the following:
- What Vulcan 7 is
- How it works
- Whether Vulcan 7 is a CRM
- How to use the Vulcan 7 dialer
- The features it has to offer
- How Vulcan 7 compares to Redx, Mojo, Espresso Agent, and Landvoice
- What do other users have to say about it
- Competitors and alternatives
- Whether Vulcan 7 is worth it
What Is Vulcan 7?
Vulcan 7 is mainly a real estate prospecting tool for expired listings, FSBOs, for rent by owner, and preforeclosure leads.
It can also be used to prospect particular neighborhoods.
The different prospecting approaches are supported with different additional tools, such as a CRM, a dialer, and video email.
So, all in all, it is a prospecting software suite for real estate professionals.
How Does Vulcan 7 Work?
Vulcan 7 uses three different components to work in terms of software components.
Its lead data access via partnerships and application programming interfaces, contacting or prospecting features, and a CRM.
The data access component is needed to scrape the current contact information from expired listings, FSBOs, for rent by owner, preforeclosure leads, and targeted neighborhoods.
The second component is the contacting functionality you need as a real estate professional when you do active prospecting. In the case of Vulcan 7, this is the dialer and video email.
Finally, the third component is the contact management functionality via their customer relationship management tool.
All three components work together in unison and build Vulcan 7.
Is Vulcan7 a CRM?
Vulcan 7’s core functionality is its data scraping and dialing software, combined with a complimentary software – its CRM. So, strictly speaking, you can’t say Vulcan 7 is a CRM.
You could say that it’s also a CRM besides being a real estate lead scraping and prospecting tool.
Vulcan 7 Dialer – How to Use It
Let’s say you have an Excel list with different contact information from the potential for sale by owner-sellers.
You have included their names, addresses, and phone numbers and want to do active prospecting and call them one by one.
You will likely enter the phone number of the first contact and call them.
Since only a minority will be available spontaneously at your calling, you must skip to the next contact when you get no reply.
When the first one doesn’t reply, you will have to enter a note in the same row of the contact you called on a specific date, and no one responded.
Additionally, you will have to use another column in the same row to note what to do next with the contact.
You will enter things like “call again on [date].” You move on to call the contact in the next row after that.
Suppose in this same Excel list are two hundred contacts, and for each contact, you manually have to dial the number, take a note about the status, and enter a task afterward.
This might take up to 30 seconds of your time per row.
When you have 200 contacts, this would be 6000 seconds, and 6000 seconds are 100 minutes (one hour and 40 minutes). So it’s almost two hours.
The Vulcan 7 dialer avoids this manual contact note-taking and reduces overhead significantly.
It is built into the CRM and can automatically do the note-taking mentioned above for particular contacts.
For example, you can have the dialer call a predefined list and determine how long it lets the phone ring until it skips to the next contact.
Each morning Vulcan 7 will automatically update your contact list with new FSBOs, expired listings, for rent by owner, and preforeclosure leads.
These will automatically go into the system and can be organized via different folders.
The challenge at this point is that as time passes, more leads accumulate unless you do something with them.
One key thing here is to organize the leads in different folders, such as a “not contacted” folder.
When you start calling a list in a calling session, and the contact doesn’t answer the phone, you move this contact into the “not contacted” folder.
You can do this using a drop-down menu and selecting the relevant folder name.
After clicking on “next contact” (the next contact to call), the contact is added to the folder automatically.
You can do this on the fly and don’t have to stop your dialing session.
Later, you can select this folder in your next dial session and try again to reach them.
You can organize the Vulcan 7 dialer as you see fit for your business.
For instance, you could create other folders: hot lead, warm lead (open to meet in 30-60 days), and seller nurture folders.
Ultimately, the folders with the new leads you get each morning shouldn’t be empty at the end.
This also means that each time you hang up on a call that isn’t responding, it should be either put manually or automatically into a folder.
This can also be done automatically when setting up the call session by using rules.
If a contact can’t be reached, the contact is moved automatically to a particular folder and sent an email.
You can also set up what happens after a call in the configuration, such as should the next contact be called or should the user be asked what to do next etc.
When you are in the call session and see the contact details of a particular lead, you can set the follow-up date with a calendar.
Later, you can group the contacts together according to a particular date when they should be followed up.
This is done in the advanced search. Another automatic rule you can create is based on call attempts.
It basically commands the software to do X when you had one call attempt, do Y when you had two call attempts, or do Z when you had three call attempts.
One of the automatic tasks could be to move the contact or lead to the folder “impossible to reach” after call attempt number ten.
You can also create subfolders and move folders around as you need.
As you can see, this folder and automatic rules system are pretty flexible, and you can tailor it to your internal organization.
There are also ways you can’t use the Vulcan 7 dialer just yet.
Some have workarounds, and some don’t.
One of those usages is that expired listings get moved automatically to a specific folder at a certain price point.
The workaround for this is to create a saved search where you can filter those contacts according to the price points.
This needs to be configured in the advanced search options and then saved under a specific name you can use later.
You can also create a saved search based on how many times you attempted to call someone and filter those contacts with just one click.
Performance statistics such as contact rates (percentage of calls you made to the total amount of leads) don’t exist yet, and there is no workaround to my knowledge yet.
If you would like to know more about how to use the Vulcan 7 dialer, I recommend you also watch the video below.
Vulcan 7 Features
One of the features is the dialer I already mentioned above, but more in the context of specific use cases.
This section will provide you with all the features Vulcan 7 offers.
1) Vulcan 7 Expired, FSBO, For Rent by Owner, and Pre-Foreclosure Leads
This feature is part of the scraping component of the software.
Vulcan 7 scrapes data from different undisclosed databases and other sources daily and provides you with relevant contact information.
Since this is not disclosed, I suppose different application programming interfaces are used to pull data from proprietary databases.
To use these databases and interfaces, there should be a partnership with these data providers.
The contact data goes right into the connected CRM, and you can take it from there for prospecting.
In the context of expired leads, it is also possible not to call the typically overly aged-ones but pretty old ones.
It can be expired leads that are two years and older.
The same feature and system are applied to for-rent-by-owner and preforeclosure leads.
2) Vulcan 7 Neighborhood Search
This feature is still within the scraping component of the software.
I didn’t include it in the paragraph above because it has a slightly different approach.
Yes, it’s still scraping, but how you select the criteria for scraping the right contact data is different.
With expired FSBOs, etc., the criteria were either a long time on the market or not being under contract with a realtor.
But with the neighborhood search, you can target any neighborhood by entering an address, doing a radius search, or drawing on the map.
Based on this selection, Vulcan 7 will scrape the relevant contact information of potential leads.
This feature also includes advanced filters such as non-owner occupied, owner-occupied, etc.
3) Vulcan 7 – CRM
I already discussed how the Vulcan 7 CRM works in the use case with the dialer above.
It will help you organize and manage all the incoming leads, manually and automatically organize them in folders, and create saved searches via the advanced search function.
Additionally, you can import and export contact data.
You have access to all the features of the CRM, such as the dialer, video email, and email drip campaigns.
4) Vulcan 7 – Dialer
The dialer is the heart of Vulcan 7 and enables you to increase the speed of doing prospecting calls.
According to claims from Vulcan 7 agents, it can reach four times as many leads during prospecting as you would if you were calling manually. (source)
As mentioned above, you can manage and create dispositions on the fly within the calling session of the dialer, create automation, and put leads in different folders, creating automated follow-up emails.
If one of the leads calls you, the caller ID, contact information, and further details in Vulcan 7 are displayed.
5) Vulcan 7 Video Email
I already covered this video email software in my article on BombBomb.
The Vulcan 7 Video email feature is similar, allowing you to send video emails to the leads you purchase.
But to be honest, it’s not a native feature of Vulcan 7 but a third-party integration by the company called Storytellr.
The advantage of video email is that it usually increases email campaigns’ open and engagement rates.
Vulcan 7 Third-Party Software Integrations
Vulcan7 doesn’t have as many third-party software integrations as some competitors (you will see later).
The only direct integrations available are with Boomtown, Cole, Mojo, REW, and All the Leads.
If you don’t work with these providers, you can only export your data as CSV files and upload them in that format.
The partnership between Vulcan7 and Mojo is particularly intriguing, considering that they are rivals in the market.
Vulcan 7 Pricing – What Is The Monthly Cost?
It is difficult to come across any official pricing information about Vulcan 7.
As you will see later in this article, most competitors disclose pricing plans on their websites.
Since this is not the case with Vulcan 7, I emailed them and asked about the current pricing information.
So far, I haven’t heard back from them yet. Should I receive a reply someday, this section will be updated.
Then I tried to find some secondary sources for pricing information and found different review websites with some basic information.
Since I wasn’t sure when this information was published and whether Vulcan 7 might have changed its pricing, you may want to take the following information cautiously.
According to this source, Vulcan 7 starts at $297 per month (annual plan), $313 per month (6-month plan), and $349 per month (monthly plan). The leads and the dialer are included in these plans.
According to this source, Vulcan starts at $250 per month for the annual plan).
And as it seems, it also wasn’t straightforward for them to get current pricing information.
Vulcan 7 vs. Redx Which is Better?
When you visit the Redx Website, one main difference is that the company discloses its pricing plans.
In terms of features and tools, there is not much difference.
Redx also provides you with the same type of leads for prospecting campaigns and a dialer.
Redx may be better if you are only looking for a more affordable solution when it comes to pricing.
The power dialer starts at $99.99 per month and is additional for sale by owner, and preforeclosure leads start at $39.99 per month.
But regarding the quality of the lead data Redx provides, Vulcan7 is likely better. How do I know that?
During my extensive research across different forums, videos, and reviews, most real estate professionals claimed that Vulcan7 allegedly has the better lead quality and more reliable contact data.
Here, you can find out more about Redx.
Vulcan 7 vs. Mojo
I already wrote an in-depth review of the Mojo Dialer software, and it is also a prospecting platform, including automatic dialer software.
The platform can provide you with the same seller lead data as Vulcan7.
One key difference is that it includes a skip tracer to help you look up missing contact details.
Another difference is an additional marketing feature that allows you to run direct mailing campaigns.
They don’t seem to offer the video email feature Vulcan 7 does. Mojo’s CRM also seems to be more flexible in terms of third-party software integrations.
Finally, in contrast to Vulcan7, Mojo also discloses its pricing plans.
The pricing is modular, and you pay first for a license starting at $99 per license, and then you can add the different leads you need starting at $25 per month for FSBO and for rent by owner leads.
Here, you can learn more about Mojo.
Vulcan 7 vs. Espresso Agent
At first glance and in the context of software components, Espresso Agent looks almost like a 1:1 copy of Vulcan7. It offers essentially the same.
They offer FSBO for rent by owner, expired listings, preforeclosure leads, and a neighborhood search for data.
And regarding tools, it’s a CRM, a dialer, and video email.
Their website also discloses pricing, starting at $199 per month.
Since Espresso Agent and Vulcan7 are so similar, the only difference that may remain is the user-friendliness of the system and the lead quality you get with it.
I couldn’t find reliable data from different users to compare the lead quality of both providers.
Some reviews mention that Vulcan 7’s lead quality is often better than of other providers, but no specific providers were mentioned, and the quality of this information couldn’t be verified. (source)
You can learn more about Espresso Agent here.
Vulcan 7 vs. Landvoice
The differences between Landvoice and Vulcan7 are easier to identify. For instance, they don’t offer a dialer on the one hand.
And on the other hand, they offer a feature called “Call Capture,” including toll-free numbers, done-for-you audio recordings, instant call alerts, and marketing tracking.
The latter helps you track offline marketing campaigns to measure which signs, ads, or flyers generate the most leads.
Lastly, the old expired leads they provide are guaranteed exclusive leads, so no other real estate agent will get them.
What I didn’t understand well is Landvoice’s approach in general.
On the one hand, they provide you with leads, but the call capture feature requires you to already have a converted seller lead.
So it’s a bit of a combination of seller lead generation and buyer lead generation support with the call capture feature.
Pricing starts at $79 per month, and you can learn more about Landvoice here.
Vulcan 7 Reviews
Let’s also have a look at some reviews from existing users.
Interestingly my in-depth research resulted in only one halfway legit user review platform and one that will need to be taken with a grain of salt.
The legit one gives Vulcan 7 an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
One positive review stated:
“If you are an agent looking for quality information on expired, canceled, and FSBO listings Vulcan7 is the ticket. I have been a client for a few years. The system is easy to navigate, the dialer will really push you to make your calls each day, and the information has a higher level of accuracy than the competition that I have tried. I pay for the annual membership.” (source)
And one negative review divulged the following:
“The worst customer service I had ever seen! The technician was either not educated enough that he couldn’t answer your questions, or he was too lazy to find out what exactly the problem was!! The worst part was he kept you hanging there forever and came back after a long wait!!” (source)
Another source I found was one I am not confident about its reliability.
Besides, I could only find negative reviews since the website is only dedicated to complaints. So by definition, it wouldn’t be balanced.
It also doesn’t allow the company to reply and clarify or explain their perspective as is possible on other platforms like “Better Business Bureau.”
Nevertheless, I will not withhold this website from you. So if you want to look at the complaints (with a grain of salt), you can do it here.
Vulcan 7 Competitors and Alternatives
Above, you can also find some competitors and alternative tools for Vulcan 7.
This section will provide a complete overview of all the competitors and their pricing.
You can find them in the table below.
| Competitor/ Alternative | Pricing of Software | Pricing of Lead Data (FSBOs, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Redx | from $99.99 per month | from $39.99 per month |
| Mojo | from $99 per license | from $25 per month |
| Espresso Agent | - | from $199 per month |
| Landvoice | - | from $79 per month |
| PhoneBurner | from $149 per month | no lead generation |
| archagent | from $59 per month (bundle) | included |
| ProspectBoss | - | - |
| Cole Realty Resource | from 119.95 per month | included |
| Vulcan 7 | from $297 per month (annual plan) | included |
Is Vulcan 7 Worth It?
Provided you have already decided to focus mainly on prospecting via cold calling (including calling FSBOs, etc.) Vulcan 7 is worth a try.
Why?
From a performance-based perspective, you can reduce your hourly costs by dialing a certain amount of numbers because you will go faster.
In my article about real estate prospecting rates, I analyzed the costs per lead and per sale for cold calling and/or calling FSBOs.
Based on a conversion rate of 2%, you will need to make 50 calls (1 divided by 2%) to make one conversion (appointment).
In the article, I assumed an hourly rate of $21.60 that you would need to convert one lead to an appointment resulting in a cost per (appointment) lead of $86.40.
The article didn’t factor in the time you would need to manually collect those leads from different FSBO websites.
This time and cost of your time will be saved if you use Vulcan 7 since it is done for you.
Provided Vulcan 7’s claims are right that you will reach four times as many leads as compared to doing this manually, you will therefore also cut your time by 4 to call the same amount of leads.
In that case, you could also divide the manual cost per lead (appointment) of $86.40 by four and end up with $21.60.
So from a performance-based perspective and using some estimated calculations, it might be worthwhile to give Vulcan 7 a try.
Ultimately, you will need to compare the costs you would incur doing the same work manually with the higher price tag Vulcan 7 has and be vigilant about the lead quality or data quality they provide.
Another recommendation would be to test Espresso Agent alongside Vulcan 7 and then come to a conclusion for the particular area or neighborhood you are operating in as a real estate professional.
Because the lead quality might also vary from neighborhood to neighborhood.
And if you want to learn how to increase your overall lead gen success rate with a new tool I created, you may also want to check out “The Ultimate Real Estate Lead Gen Strategy and Performance Suite.“
This article has been reviewed by our editorial team. It has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.
- The Surprising Link Between Weight Loss Struggles and Real Estate Lead Gen Success - October 29, 2024
- Performance Risks of “Marketing ROI Black Boxes” for Real Estate and other Industries - October 15, 2024
- What You Don’t Measure in Real Estate Marketing… - October 1, 2024