Veterans Day is Wednesday: ask if your clients are Veterans, then follow up
Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. On November 7, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs published a note about teaming up with the National Association of REALTORS® to raise awareness of the VA home loan benefit. VA Deputy Secretary Paul R. Lawrence boiled the agent’s job down to one question: “Are you a Veteran?” This week is a natural time to ask it, then follow up with anyone who might be eligible—including surviving spouses—without turning a day of thanks into a hard sell.
What the VA actually offers
According to the VA Home Loans page, VA helps Veterans, Servicemembers, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. Private lenders make the loans; VA guarantees a portion so lenders can offer more favorable terms. The main pillars VA lists are no down payment required by VA (lenders may still require one for some borrowers), competitively low interest rates, limited closing costs, no private mortgage insurance (PMI), and a lifetime benefit that can be used more than once. A purchase borrower needs satisfactory credit, enough income for the monthly obligations, and a valid Certificate of Eligibility.
In the November 7 VA News article, Lawrence said the benefit can help Veterans enter the market sooner: “For many people, saving for a down payment can take years. This benefit gives Veterans an opportunity to begin building equity and investing in their future much earlier.” He also said many myths linger—that VA loans are too complicated, slower, or less attractive to sellers—and that a lot of those perceptions are outdated. He was equally clear about the other side: “Zero down payment doesn’t mean zero responsibility.” Buyers still need to budget for taxes, insurance, maintenance and repairs.
What the numbers say this fall
This is not a small niche. In the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey for the week ending October 30, 2026 (released November 4), the VA share of total mortgage applications rose to 11.2% from 11.0% the week before. Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week of November 5 put the 30-year fixed conventional average at 7.18% and the 15-year at 6.57%, the third straight weekly decline.
A October 19 Realtor.com report said that as of October 15, the average locked rate on a 30-year VA mortgage was 6.90%, compared with 7.29% for a conforming loan, according to Optimal Blue. On a $415,000 loan balance, Realtor.com said that difference saves about $109 a month, or more than $1,300 a year. Those lock figures are from mid-October, not this week, so treat them as a recent snapshot, not a quote you can lock today. The same report put the median down payment at $27,100 in the second quarter of 2026. VA does not require a down payment.
Yet a 2026 survey commissioned by VA lender NewDay USA, reported by Realtor.com, found that just 32% of current and former service members knew a VA loan could require no down payment, and nearly 4 in 10 were unsure. Thirty percent were unsure whether they qualified. Among veterans who purchased a home in 2025, 55% used a VA loan, according to the National Association of Realtors® as cited by Realtor.com. Veterans United’s Q3 2026 survey (September 1–15, more than 900 prospective buyers) found that 82% of Veterans and service members say the benefit gives them an advantage in today’s market.
What this means for agents
Lawrence’s question is the strategy: ask, then help. Many eligible clients will not bring it up because they do not think of themselves as Veterans, they assume the benefit is only for combat service, or they have heard old stories about VA loans. The VA News piece quotes him directly: “If you served honorably, you’re a Veteran.” Eligible surviving spouses can qualify too. Thank people for their service, share one or two facts from VA itself, and offer to connect them with a lender who regularly closes VA loans. Do not quote a rate you cannot lock, and do not tell someone they are eligible if you have not confirmed it. Point them to VA.gov for a Certificate of Eligibility.
A real estate CRM helps because the work is follow-up, not a one-time post. Someone who says “I’ve been meaning to look into that” needs a next date on your list, the same way every other buyer and past client does.
4 follow-up moves this week
1. Ask every active buyer and new lead
Add one question to your intake: “Did you or your spouse serve in the military?” If the answer is yes, walk them through the official VA pillars above and offer a lender introduction.
2. Send a short Veterans Day note to known veteran clients and your sphere
Thank them, share one official benefit (no down payment required by VA, or no PMI), and offer to connect them with a VA-experienced lender. No pressure.
3. Reopen paused veteran buyers
If someone went quiet when rates climbed this fall, no PMI plus no required down payment from VA is a reason to talk again. Stick to dated facts. Do not promise a specific payment.
4. Remind past veteran clients the benefit can be used more than once
VA calls it a lifetime benefit. They may be ready to buy again, or they may know a fellow service member who has been waiting on a down payment.
Talk about it today
Copy, tweak and send. Each one sticks to the facts above.
Make the follow-up automatic
The hard part is not knowing what to say on Veterans Day. It is remembering every buyer, seller and past client who said “maybe later,” then showing up again next week. That’s what TouchTempo is for. It’s a simple real estate CRM in Google Sheets: every lead and past client gets a follow-up schedule, ready-to-send texts and emails, and a spot on your Today list when they’re due. Log a touch and the next date sets itself.
Want help with the writing too? The optional AI follow-up assistant drafts your follow-ups each morning. You review them and click send, and nothing goes out without your OK.
See it in action
Watch the narrated demo (about 8 minutes, no sign-up) to see how TouchTempo keeps every buyer, seller and past client on a follow-up schedule—so a useful note like this one does not stop at a single text.
Watch the demo See pricingQuestions? Book a call with Bradley (5–8 PM ET).