Why are my Google Ads leads not responding? Causes and fixes for property agents

Real Google Ads leads go quiet for reasons you can check: your call was silenced or labelled as spam, your first message looked like a scam, the number on the form was old or mistyped, or your follow-up did not match what the ad offered. Each of these has a fix in how you make first contact.

This guide is about leads who are real but quiet. For how fast to reply and a follow-up schedule within PDPA and Do Not Call rules, see why timely follow-ups convert property enquiries. If you suspect the leads are not real, start with 5 ways to protect yourself from spam leads.

Is the problem your leads or your first contact?

Look at how the silence happens. The pattern points to the likely cause, and several causes sit in your very first call or message.

Why don't leads pick up your calls?

Often because their phone never rang. A new lead has not saved your number, and phones and messaging apps now screen calls from numbers outside the contact list.

• iPhone. In the Phone app, Screen Unknown Callers can be set to Ask Reason for Calling, where "the caller is asked why they're calling before your phone even rings", or Silence, which "automatically silences these calls and sends them to voicemail". Missed calls from unknown numbers can also be moved to a separate Unknown Callers list.¹
• Android phones that use the Phone by Google app. Caller ID and spam protection is on by default. A call can show as "Suspected spam caller", and with "Filter spam calls" turned on, the owner gets no missed call or voicemail notification.²
• WhatsApp calls. With Silence Unknown Callers on, calls from unknown people "will not ring on your phone, but will be visible in your Call list".³
• ScamShield. The app blocks calls only from numbers suspected as scams by the authorities, after police review of reports, and never from numbers in the person's contacts.⁴ If you believe your number was wrongly blocked, ScamShield asks you to call its helpline on 1799.⁴

How to get through:

1. Message before you call. A short WhatsApp or SMS that names you and the project tells the buyer who the next call is from, and gives them a reason to pick up or reply.
2. If you are asked why you are calling, answer clearly. With Ask Reason for Calling, the iPhone asks before it rings,¹ so say your name, the project and that you are returning their enquiry.
3. Leave a short voicemail with your name, the project and how to reach you. Silenced calls go to voicemail,¹ so that message may be the only part the buyer hears.
4. Never hide your number. For marketing calls, the PDPA forbids concealing your calling line identity,¹⁹ and a withheld number gives the buyer no way to call you back.

Why do leads ignore your messages?

Because a first message can look like the scams buyers are warned about. Make it plain, personal and easy to check.

Police advisories tell the public "Do not click on dubious URL links provided in social media advertisements",⁹ to verify ads and organisations "through official channels before engaging with them", and never to share personal contact details with unknown persons.¹⁰ A buyer who has just left their number on an ad form may be wary of the first stranger who writes. A first message that is only a link, a file or a promotion fits what they are told to avoid.

Buyers are also told how to check you. CEA tells consumers to key the phone number of the person they are dealing with into the CEA Public Register,⁵ and police give the same advice after scams in which fake agents used real agents' names with different numbers.⁶

"It is likely a scam even though the property agent's name and registration number can be found on the CEA Public Register." (CEA, on numbers not registered with CEA)⁵

So a message from a second phone, a virtual number or an assistant's personal number can fail that check even if your name is real. Contact leads from the number registered with CEA, or have each team member use their own registered number.

Two technical points for SMS:

• Sender IDs. If your campaign tool sends SMS under a name such as your brand, that Sender ID must be registered with the SMS Sender ID Registry, and unregistered Sender IDs are marked "Likely-SCAM".⁷ Registration needs a UEN, and a SIM card mobile number cannot be registered as a Sender ID, so an SMS from your own mobile number is not affected.⁸
• ScamShield filtering. On iPhones, ScamShield files SMS from senders the authorities suspect into the Junk folder, labelled "Filtered by ScamShield". When someone checks a message in the app and it looks like promotional or unsolicited content, ScamShield marks it "This looks like spam" and submits a report automatically.⁴ Bulk promotions to leads risk exactly that.

Here is an example first message to adapt with your agency:

"Hi [name], this is [your name] from [agency], CEA [registration number]. You asked about [project] a few minutes ago. Shall I send the [brochure or floor plans] here, or would you prefer a quick call?"

It names you the way the buyer can check on the register, mentions the request so they recognise it, has no link, and asks one easy question. A reply that only answers the buyer's request is not a marketing message under the Do Not Call rules.¹⁹

Did the lead mean to be contacted, and on that number?

Not always in the way you assume. Lead forms are built to be quick and can fill in details for the person, so some leads expected a brochure rather than a call, and some numbers are ones the person rarely uses. This applies to Google's lead forms and, if you also advertise there, to Meta's.

• Google lead forms can be pre-filled for signed-in users, with the full name, email and phone number taken from the person's Google Account.¹¹ An old account can carry an old number.
• Meta instant forms can take details from the person's Facebook or Instagram profile, which they can edit before submitting.¹² The default form type, More volume, "makes it easy for people to quickly submit the form on a mobile device". The Higher intent type adds a note under the contact fields that the business may follow up, and a review screen to confirm the details, to prevent "submissions from those people who are only marginally interested".¹³

What to change:

1. Ask for the best number and time. Meta suggests using custom questions or an appointment request "to find out when and how to best reach your customers".¹⁴ The same works on your own landing page.
2. Say who will contact them and how. One line above the button, such as "[Your name] will WhatsApp you the floor plans", sets the expectation. Our new launch landing page checklist covers the consent wording the form also needs.
3. Choose quality over volume. On Meta, use the Higher intent form type; it runs only on Facebook and Instagram feeds on mobile.¹³ On your own page, phone verification filters out mistyped numbers; our spam leads guide compares the options.
4. Stop when it is the wrong person. If the person who answers never enquired, apologise and do not market to them. PDPC advises checking that a request really came from the person when it reached you through someone else.¹⁹

Does your follow-up match what the ad promised?

It should, and in the first message. If the ad offered a brochure, floor plans or a showflat slot, send that before anything else. A buyer who asked for a document and gets a sales pitch has less reason to reply.

• Relevance carries over. Google rates your landing page on "how relevant and useful" it is "to people who click your ad".¹⁷ Your follow-up is the next step of the same journey, so keep it on the same project and the same offer.
• Offer only what you can send. CEA requires advertisements to be accurate and not misleading, and the terms of any promotion to be disclosed at the outset.¹⁸ If you cannot yet send what the ad mentions, change the ad.
• The buyer should know you are an agent. Online advertisements must show your name, registration number, agency name and licence number, and your CEA-registered number.¹⁸ A buyer who expected the developer and got an agent may stop replying; check that your ad and page make clear who you are.

Are you missing the leads who call you?

Possibly. A buyer who taps the call button on your ad calls your business directly.¹⁵ Google tracks whether such calls connected through call reporting, which needs Google forwarding numbers, and Singapore is not on Google's list of countries where they are available.¹⁶ So check your own phone's call log for missed calls while your campaign runs.

• Show the call button only when you can answer. Google lets you schedule a call asset to show "only when your business is answering phone calls".¹⁵ Meta likewise recommends running lead ads during business hours so you can start a conversation quickly.¹⁴
• Check your own settings. If you silence unknown callers on your own iPhone, calls from new buyers go to voicemail and into your Unknown Callers list.¹ Check that list and your voicemail during campaigns, and call back from the same number.

Which follow-up rules affect whether leads reply?

Three: the hours you call or text, stopping when asked, and Do Not Call checks for anything beyond the enquiry. CEA bars SMS advertising and cold calls between 10pm and 9am and says to stop "immediately" when a recipient asks.¹⁸ Promoting other projects needs a DNC check within 21 days or clear and unambiguous consent, on WhatsApp as well as SMS and calls.¹⁹ A buyer who feels pestered has every reason to stop answering. Our follow-up guide sets out a plan that keeps each step inside these rules.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Apple Support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone, published 17 Sep 2026, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
2. Google, Phone app Help, Use caller ID & spam protection, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
3. WhatsApp Blog, New Privacy Features: Silence Unknown Callers and Privacy Checkup, 20 Jun 2023, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
4. ScamShield, ScamShield guide (call blocking, SMS filtering and check outcomes), accessed 12 Nov 2026.
5. Council for Estate Agencies, Check if your property agent is registered, last updated 4 Sep 2026, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
6. Singapore Police Force, Police advisory on rental scams involving the impersonation of property agents, 21 Nov 2024, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
7. SGNIC (a subsidiary of IMDA), Overview of SMS Sender ID Registry, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
8. SGNIC, SMS Sender ID Registry FAQ, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
9. Singapore Police Force, Police advisory on phishing scams involving fraudulent social media advertisements, 2 Oct 2026, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
10. Singapore Police Force, Police advisory on malware from social media advertisements, 20 Oct 2026, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
11. Google Ads Help, About pre-filled information in lead forms, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
12. Meta Business Help Centre, About prefill questions available on your lead ads with instant form, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
13. Meta Business Help Centre, About instant form types, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
14. Meta Business Help Centre, Best practices to respond to leads from your lead ads with instant form, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
15. Google Ads Help, About call assets, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
16. Google Ads Help, Google forwarding number, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
17. Google Ads Help, Landing page experience: Definition, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
18. Council for Estate Agencies, Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising PG 2/2011, version 2.0, issued 29 Jun 2011, revised 10 Dec 2020, accessed 12 Nov 2026.
19. Personal Data Protection Commission, Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions, revised 1 Feb 2021, accessed 12 Nov 2026.

Written by ProjectSG Editorial TeamGTReviewed by Grace Tan

The ProjectSG team writes about Google Ads, lead generation and new launch marketing for Singapore property agents, drawing on campaigns we run every day.

Researched and drafted with AI assistance, then fact-checked and approved by a named ProjectSG reviewer before publishing. Last updated 12 Nov 2026. Read our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Email info@project.sg.