Make.com Tutorial for Real Estate Agents: How to Automate Lead Routing by Zip Code (2026)
Make.com is the automation tool real estate agents are using to route leads instantly by zip code — and in this tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to build it.
Lead routing by zip code solves this. Instead of manually assigning leads or blasting every agent on your team, Make.com can instantly route each lead to the right agent based on their zip code coverage — automatically, 24/7, without you lifting a finger.
This tutorial walks you through exactly how to build that automation in Make.com, step by step.
What You’ll Need
- A Make.com account (free plan works to start)
- A lead source (Zillow, Facebook Lead Ads, a website form, or a CRM like GoHighLevel)
- A spreadsheet or CRM to store zip code assignments
- Gmail or another email/SMS tool to notify agents
Why Make.com for Real Estate Lead Routing?
Make.com (formerly Integromat) is a visual automation platform that connects apps together using drag-and-drop “scenarios.” Unlike Zapier, Make.com lets you build complex logic — like routing decisions based on zip codes — without paying for premium tiers.
For real estate agents and team leaders, this means:
- Instant lead response — leads are routed in seconds, not hours
- Fair lead distribution — no more manual cherry-picking
- Coverage-based routing — agents only get leads in their farm areas
- Runs 24/7 — even when you’re asleep or with a client
Step 1: Set Up Your Zip Code Assignment Sheet
Before building your Make scenario, create a simple Google Sheet with two columns:
| Zip Code | Agent Email |
|---|---|
| 33101 | agent1@yourbrokerage.com |
| 33102 | agent2@yourbrokerage.com |
| 33103 | agent1@yourbrokerage.com |
| 33109 | agent3@yourbrokerage.com |
This is your routing table. Make.com will look up the zip code from the incoming lead and match it to the right agent.
Save this sheet and note the Sheet ID from the URL — you’ll need it later.
Step 2: Create a New Scenario in Make.com
- Log into your Make.com account
- Click Create a new scenario
- Click the + icon to add your first module (trigger)
Step 3: Set Your Lead Source as the Trigger
Choose the app where your leads come in. Common options:
Option A: Webhook (works with any form or CRM)
- Search for Webhooks and select Custom webhook
- Click Add to generate a webhook URL
- Copy that URL and paste it into your lead form or CRM as the destination
- Make.com will listen for incoming lead data automatically
Option B: Google Forms / Typeform
- Search for your form tool and connect your account
- Select the form you use to capture leads
- Make.com will trigger every time a new response comes in
Option C: Facebook Lead Ads
- Search for Facebook Lead Ads
- Connect your Facebook account and select your lead form
- Make.com triggers every time a new lead fills out your ad form
For this tutorial we’ll use the Webhook method since it works universally.
Step 4: Parse the Zip Code from the Lead
Once your trigger is set, add a second module:
- Click + after your trigger
- Search for Tools → select Set variable
- Map the zip code field from your incoming lead data to a variable called
zip_code
This isolates the zip code so you can use it in the next step.
Step 5: Look Up the Agent in Your Google Sheet
- Click + to add another module
- Search Google Sheets → select Search Rows
- Connect your Google account
- Select your spreadsheet and the sheet tab
- In the Filter field:
- Column: Zip Code
- Condition: Equal to
- Value: select your
zip_codevariable from Step 4
This returns the row that matches the incoming zip code, including the agent’s email.
Step 6: Add a Router for Matched vs. Unmatched Leads
Not every lead will have a zip code in your sheet. Add a Router to handle both cases:
- Click + → search Flow Control → select Router
- Route 1: Filter condition — Google Sheets result is not empty (matched lead)
- Route 2: No filter (fallback for unmatched leads)
This prevents errors and ensures every lead gets handled.
Step 7: Send the Lead to the Right Agent
On Route 1 (matched lead):
- Add a Gmail module → Send an Email
- Connect your Gmail account
- To: map the agent email returned from your Google Sheet lookup
- Subject:
New Lead in Your Farm Area — [Zip Code] - Body: Include the lead’s name, phone, email, zip code, and timestamp
Example email body:
Hi [Agent Name],
You have a new lead in your farm area:
Name: {{lead.name}}
Phone: {{lead.phone}}
Email: {{lead.email}}
Zip Code: {{lead.zip_code}}
Source: {{lead.source}}
Time: {{now}}
Log in to follow up within 5 minutes for best results.On Route 2 (unmatched zip code):
- Add another Gmail module
- Send the lead to your own email or a team lead email as a fallback
- Subject:
Unassigned Lead — Zip Code Not in Routing Table
Step 8: Test Your Scenario
- Click Run once in the bottom left
- Submit a test lead through your form or send a test webhook
- Check that the correct agent email receives the notification
- Verify the Google Sheet lookup is returning the right row
If everything works, click the Scheduling toggle to turn your scenario ON.
Step 9: Set Your Scenario Schedule
Make.com runs scenarios on a schedule or instantly via webhook:
- If you used a Webhook trigger: your scenario runs instantly every time a lead comes in — no scheduling needed
- If you used Google Forms or Facebook Lead Ads: set the schedule to run every 15 minutes on the free plan, or every 1 minute on a paid plan
For real estate, instant response is critical. Use a webhook trigger wherever possible.
Advanced: Add SMS Notifications
Want agents to get a text instead of (or in addition to) an email? Add a Twilio or Gmail to SMS module after the email step:
- Add Twilio → Send an SMS
- Connect your Twilio account
- Map the agent’s phone number from your Google Sheet (add a phone column)
- Send a short text:
New lead in [zip code] — check your email now
This gets agent response times under 2 minutes.
How Much Does Make.com Cost?
Make.com has a free plan that includes:
- 1,000 operations per month
- 2 active scenarios
- 15-minute minimum interval
For most solo agents or small teams, the free plan handles lead routing easily. If you’re running a larger team or multiple lead sources, the Core plan starts at $9/month and gives you 10,000 operations and 1-minute intervals.
Start your free Make.com account here
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I route leads to multiple agents in the same zip code? Yes. Add multiple rows in your Google Sheet for the same zip code and use a Random or Round Robin module to distribute evenly.
What if a lead doesn’t include a zip code? Your Router’s fallback route handles this — sending the lead to you or a team leader for manual assignment.
Does this work with GoHighLevel? Yes. Use GoHighLevel’s webhook trigger to send leads to Make.com, then route them back into GoHighLevel as contact records assigned to specific users.
Is Make.com better than Zapier for this? For routing logic with multiple conditions, yes. Make.com‘s visual builder handles branching logic (like a Router) more cleanly than Zapier at a lower price point.
Final Thoughts
Lead routing by zip code is one of the highest-leverage automations a real estate team can build. It eliminates the lag between lead capture and first contact — and that lag is where deals are lost.
Make.com makes this buildable in under an hour, even if you’ve never used automation software before. The free plan is enough to get started, and the visual interface makes it easy to expand as your team grows.
Create your free Make.com account and start building
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