Written by Taylor London Transform how you capture and convert leads with Carrot’s new Call Tracking feature
Why Call Tracking Changes Everything for Real Estate Investors
Here’s the reality: your phone is your biggest lead conversion tool, but it’s also your biggest blind spot. Without call tracking, you’re flying blind on some of your most valuable interactions.
What you’re missing without call tracking:
- Which marketing efforts actually generate phone calls (spoiler: it’s not always what you think)
- The ability to see at a glance which channel a lead came from (website, PPC, mail, etc.)
- A record of every inbound call—including missed calls and voicemails
- Proof of ROI when a $500 campaign turns into a $15,000 wholesale fee
What call tracking gives you:
- Complete visibility into every inbound call to your business
- Recordings and transcripts to review (and learn from) every conversation
- A paper trail that connects phone leads directly to closed deals
- The confidence to scale what’s working and cut what isn’t
Think of call tracking as your business intelligence system for the conversations that matter most.
How Call Tracking Works in Carrot
Call tracking works seamlessly with your Carrot website and Carrot CRM to automatically log every inbound call or text as a new lead.
Getting started (Set up call tracking in five minutes or less)
Before You Begin: Enable Carrot CRM
Call tracking requires Carrot CRM to log inbound calls and texts as new opportunities. If you haven’t activated it yet, you will be asked to do so when you first land on the call tracking onboarding flow.
Step 1: Select Number
Enter your preferred area code, then pick from available numbers in that region. This becomes your new number for lead tracking–your business phone line can still remain the same to receive those forwarded calls. Note: At this time, you’ll choose a new number from our available inventory—number porting from another provider isn’t supported yet.
Step 2: Link Marketing Campaign
By default, your first tracking number will be assigned to your Carrot website (if you have more than one, you can choose which to assign to). Conveniently, we’ll automatically replace your website’s main phone number with the new tracking number–no need for manually replacing yourself.
You are also able to set a custom name for the campaign your tracking number is assigned to–we recommend clear naming conventions that will make sense to other members of your team or another marketing manager down the road.
Step 3: Set Your Routing Number
All calls to your tracking number will route to whatever phone you want to answer calls or texts from—your cell, office line…any number you choose! Each tracking number can route to a different destination if needed.
Step 4: Start Capturing Automatically
Every call and inbound text will be recorded (with proper consent notice) and stored in your call tracking dashboard–and with Carrot CRM enabled, logged instantly as a new opportunity.
What You’ll See in Your Dashboard
Your call tracking dashboard gives you a complete view of every lead interaction:
- Call & Text Log: Every inbound call and text message with date, time, duration, and contact details
- Campaign Attribution: See which marketing efforts (website, PPC ads, direct mail, etc.) generated each lead
- Audio Recordings: Full playback of conversations with speed controls and download options
- Email Notifications: Instant alerts for missed calls and new text messages, so you never lose a lead
- AI transcription and call summary (With AI add-on purchase): Calls summarized and transcribed so you get the full picture without listening to every second of the call (find out more about AI Call Insights here)
The goal isn’t to create more work—it’s to capture opportunities you’re currently losing and give you the data to make smarter business decisions.
Getting Started: Your First Week of Call Tracking
Before You Begin
- Have your preferred forwarding number ready (the phone you actually want to answer)
- Decide where you want to display your new tracking number first–we recommend starting with your main Carrot site to get full insight into where your leads are calling from
Day 1: Setup and Testing
Follow the initial steps described in “Getting Started” above.
Day 2-7: Learning and Optimizing
- Check your email notifications for missed calls and new texts
- Review call recordings to improve your pitch and catch details you missed
- Monitor campaign attribution to see which marketing efforts generate calls
- Set up your daily review routine (many investors check new activity each morning)
Once your tracking number is live, it will automatically replace your website’s main phone number—so there’s no manual work required. From that point forward, any calls or texts to your site will appear in your call tracking dashboard and trigger real-time email notifications.
Even if your call volume is light, you’ll start building a complete picture of what’s working (and what isn’t) across your marketing.
Making Call Tracking Work for Your Business
For the Solo Investor
Focus on lead capture and follow-up. Even if you answer most calls live, you’ll have recordings to review your pitch, catch details you missed, and follow up with anyone who didn’t convert immediately.
For Growing Teams
Use call tracking for smart lead distribution and training. Route different marketing campaigns to specific team members in Carrot CRM, review calls for training purposes, and identify your most effective scripts and responses.
For Multi-Campaign Marketers
Think attribution and scaling. Create separate tracking numbers for PPC ads, direct mail campaigns, bandit signs, and other marketing channels. With Carrot CRM, users can assign these leads to specific team members, add notes, and track follow-ups without switching tools. Finally know which efforts actually generate phone leads and drive the highest ROI.
What’s Coming Next
We’re just getting started. Here’s what’s on the roadmap:
Deep CRM Integration
Enhanced connection between call data and your lead management workflow.
Advanced Call Analytics
Detailed reporting and insights across all your marketing channels.
The foundation you’re building today with basic call tracking will become the backbone of a complete lead intelligence system.
Ready to Start Tracking?
Call tracking isn’t just about recording conversations—it’s about building a smarter, more profitable real estate business. Every call you’re not tracking is data you’re losing and money you’re leaving on the table.
Next Steps:
- From the start screen, enable Carrot CRM and choose your first tracking number from your Carrot dashboard
- Connect it to your website or primary marketing campaign
- Send your first test call and text message
- Set up email notifications and daily review routine
Questions? Check out our Call Tracking FAQ below or reach out to our team—we’re here to help you get the most out of every conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Carrot subscriptions have access to call tracking?
Any member on a standard Carrot subscription (this includes Starter, Plus or Grow subscriptions) will be able to access call tracking*. Note in some cases, you will need to also enable Carrot CRM in so incoming call tracking leads are automatically logged as a new opportunity in Carrot CRM. Not sure what subscription you are under? Check your account billing here.
*Legacy subscriptions such as Content Pro or Advanced Marketer will need to migrate to a standard subscription in order to access call tracking
Do I need to change my current phone number?
No need! You’ll still answer calls on your existing business phone number. You’ll simply select a new tracking number for your website or marketing campaign to forward to whatever phone you prefer—your cell, office line, or even a partner’s number. Nothing about your current number needs to change.
Can I port my existing phone number into Carrot Call Tracking?
Not yet. Number porting isn’t currently supported, but it’s on our future roadmap. For now, you’ll select a new tracking number, and your existing number can still receive forwarded calls so you don’t miss any leads.
Will callers know they’re being recorded?
Absolutely. As state laws vary, we default to each call recording to a two party consent notice, we automatically play a short consent message before the call connects. Most callers are used to hearing this kind of notice—it’s quick and doesn’t interrupt the flow of the conversation.
Important! If you have any consent recording messaging already set for your forwarding phone (in other words, the number that tracking numbers will be forwarded to), be sure to turn off the notice to avoid callers hearing the same consent message played twice.
Can I have multiple tracking numbers?
Yes, you can! Your account includes one tracking number to start, and you can add additional numbers for $3/month each. Many users create separate numbers for different campaigns (like PPC, direct mail, website traffic, even Google Business Profiles!) to keep attribution clean.
What if the tracking number on my website doesn’t match the number on my Google Business Profile?
Will it hurt my SEO or credibility if my website uses a different phone number than my Google Business Profile?
Not at all. It’s a common misconception that using a tracking number will hurt your SEO and NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency. However, Google now allows for primary and secondary phone numbers on GMB.
It’s common to use a tracking number on your website while keeping your original number on your Google Business Profile as a primary number. If you ever want to track leads coming direct from your Google Business Profile, you can move the main business number to the secondary spot and replace the main with a Carrot tracking number.
Google and other platforms understand that businesses use tracking numbers for marketing and lead attribution. What matters most is keeping your citation listings (like Google, Yelp, Facebook) consistent with each other. Avoid using multiple different tracking numbers for various directories.
We recommend:
- List your main, local business number as the primary phone number on your Google My Business profile and any other citation sources
- Using your Carrot-provided tracking number only on your website
This will allow you to track leads and call performance while maintaining consistency for your primary NAP and without negatively affecting your local SEO.
What if I miss a call?
No worries—you’ll receive an email alert with the caller’s info and a link to the call log. If they left a voicemail, that’s saved too. It’s a great way to make sure no lead slips through the cracks.
Can people text my tracking number?
Yes, up to 25 inbound texts are supported per month. If someone sends a message to your tracking number, you’ll get a real-time email with the content of the message and the sender’s number.
Can I reply to texts?
For now, you can read inbound texts through email notifications, directly in your dashboard, or through the lead information integrated in your Carrot CRM. Remember, Scale and Team Carrot CRM plans support two-way messaging functionality via integration.
How long are call recordings stored?
Call recordings are saved for 30 days from the date of recording and then automatically deleted, but we’ll still retain the original call record and details. You can download the entire recording in the activity details screen at any point in that 30 day period.
Who can access my call recordings?
Recordings are only accessible to you, authorized team members on your Carrot account, and designated Carrot support staff when needed for system troubleshooting or platform support. All recordings are stored securely and never shared externally. You retain full control over access within your team.
What happens if I go over my included minutes or texts?
We’ll never cut you off—additional usage is simply billed as needed. Any minutes beyond your monthly 100-minute limit are billed at $0.05/minute, and additional inbound SMS texts are billed at $0.03 per message. You’ll get email alerts before you hit your limits so there are no surprises.
What if my phone is busy or turned off?
Calls will route just like any other forwarded call—if your phone is unavailable, the caller will hit your usual voicemail or call handling setup. There’s no interruption to your existing flow.
Need help?
We’re here to support you every step of the way. Reach out through your Carrot dashboard or visit your Call Tracking settings to manage your numbers, routing, and preferences.