Best Phone Answering Service For Real Estate Agents

Published on September 8, 2023

Best Phone Answering Service For Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents have a unique set of communication needs. They need to be reachable at all times, yet also have the freedom to attend property showings, closings, and client meetings. In this crowded, fast-paced, and highly competitive real estate industry, having an answering service real estate designed to serve real estate businesses is paramount. A real estate answering service can be a game-changer, allowing you to effectively manage your phone calls while concentrating on closing deals.

From handling inquiries, scheduling appointments, to relaying urgent messages promptly, this service ensures you never miss a beat in providing top-notch service to your valued clients.

Discover how this phone answering service can transform your real estate business and elevate your customer satisfaction to new heights. Let's dive in and explore the future of real estate communication together!

How Phone Answering Services Work for Real Estate Business

How Phone Answering Services Work for Real Estate Business

Call Screening and Qualification

A professional answering service can help real estate agents by screening and qualifying incoming calls. The process involves receptionists who answer calls on your behalf and screen them based on your guidelines. They can separate prospective clients from casual inquiries, helping you focus on the most important calls.

The call screening feature of a telephone answering service ensures that every potential buyer, existing client, or other critical contact is identified and prioritized. The result is a more efficient workflow, ensuring no missed calls and a seamless customer service sales advantage.

Call Screening and Qualification

Appointment Scheduling and Reminders

One of the primary tasks a real estate agent has is scheduling appointments with clients. An answering service for real estate can schedule appointments and provide reminders to the client and agent. These virtual receptionists can integrate with your calendar and fill in slots according to your availability.

For example, Signmore's property-focused receptionists have the capability to manage schedules in real-time. This feature saves you the trouble of juggling between phone calls, property listings, and appointments.

Appointment Scheduling and Reminders

Lead Capture and Follow-up

With a phone answering service, you never miss out on potential clients. The service can capture leads even after hours when you are not available to answer calls.

Live answering services are also instrumental in following up with prospective clients or real estate investors. They do this by promptly responding to inquiries, sending out property information, or even setting up appointments.

Lead Capture and Follow-up

Message Taking and Forwarding

A significant part of a realtor answering service is taking and forwarding messages. When you're busy or unavailable, the live answering service takes messages from client calls and forwards them to you through your preferred medium - be it via text, email, or directly to your cell phone. This process ensures that you don't miss out on important communication.

Message Taking and Forwarding

Handling Emergency Calls

In the real estate business, emergencies can happen at any time. Whether it's a property issue that a property manager needs to address immediately or a prospective buyer with a sudden change of plans, an answering service can filter these emergency calls and route them directly to you or the appropriate party.

Handling Emergency Calls

Integration with CRM and Real Estate Software

Many phone answering services offer integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and real estate software. This feature means that all the call details, messages, and client information collected by virtual receptionist services are automatically updated in your systems. The integration provides a streamlined process, helping you manage your real estate agency more efficiently.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Phone Answering Service

Key Considerations for Choosing a Phone Answering Service

1. Availability and Hours of Operation

One of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing an answering service for your real estate business is its availability and hours of operation. A 24/7 answering service ensures that your business never misses a call, even after normal business hours. This round-the-clock service can give your real estate firm a competitive edge in the industry.

2. Multilingual Support

With the global nature of the real estate industry, having multilingual support can significantly improve customer satisfaction. An answering service that can communicate in multiple languages can cater to a broader range of clients, giving your real estate company an edge.

3. Customization Options

Customization is key when it comes to choosing a phone answering service. The best answering service will provide options to customize call handling and routing, message delivery and notification, and even the greeting that callers hear. The more customization options available, the better the service will align with your business's specific needs.

4. Call Handling and Routing

You should consider how a phone answering service handles and routes calls. The service should prioritize calls based on your guidelines, routing important calls directly to you and handling others based on their importance.

5. Message Delivery and Notification

The service's message delivery and notification system is also important. You should be able to choose how you want to receive your messages, whether it's via email, text, or directly to your phone. Timely and accurate message delivery can significantly improve your response time to important inquiries or issues.

6. Experience and Reputation

The experience and reputation of the answering service provider matter. Look for a provider with a solid track record in the real estate industry, one who understands the unique needs of real estate agents. Positive reviews and testimonials from other real estate professionals can be a good indicator of the quality of the service.

Best Real Estate Answering Service

1. AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect is a leading answering service offering exceptional customer service for real estate businesses and agencies. With a 24/7/365 availability, their virtual support team proficiently handles incoming calls, ensuring no opportunity is missed. Moreover, they provide live chat answering service in both English and Spanish, catering to a diverse range of real estate clients.

Their call flows are tailored to suit specific business operations, enabling them to efficiently screen calls, take messages, reroute calls, book appointments, and qualify leads, all according to provided scripts. AnswerConnect's impressive called ID technology enables personalized customer experiences, enhancing client satisfaction.

What sets AnswerConnect apart is their outstanding reviews on Trustpilot (4.8 out of 5) and G2 (4.7), demonstrating their reliability, consistency, and agent professionalism. Additionally, their monthly plans based on estimated minutes ensure budget predictability, making them a preferred choice for real estate answering services. For real estate agencies looking to enhance their communication and streamline customer interactions, AnswerConnect proves to be a top-notch solution.

2. SignMore

SignMore

SignMore is a highly efficient realtor answering service and live answering service that caters to the needs of real estate professionals, property managers, and other individuals in the industry. Their property-focused agents possess extensive knowledge of the real estate market, making them capable of handling incoming calls 24/7. These virtual receptionists answer calls promptly, collect caller information, and schedule appointments seamlessly, ensuring that no potential leads are lost.

The service's standout features include a suite of tech tools that facilitate real estate success. With a video tour feature, SignMore allows easy connections between buyers and sellers through instant video calling. Moreover, their mobile app enables real estate professionals to stay connected with clients and team members while on the go, with real-time notifications and the ability to upload and download contracts for swift deal signings.

While the customization options and integration capabilities with existing property apps make it a popular choice, the pricing model, billed per minute for calls, maybe a drawback. Nonetheless, SignMore remains a top choice for real estate professionals seeking a reliable and convenient virtual receptionist service for their business needs.

3. Ruby

Ruby

Ruby Receptionist is a top-notch virtual answering service that stands out for its comprehensive package of features. Their team of friendly virtual receptionists, who are based in the US, provides 24/7 support to cater to the needs of various industries, including real estate agencies and investors. With Ruby, there's no setup fee or extra charges for after-hours services, making it a cost-effective choice for businesses.

For real estate agencies, Ruby's services are particularly valuable, as they offer customized voicemails, various hold music options, and custom after-hours call routing. Their in-house receptionists are fully trained in active listening and conflict resolution, ensuring excellent customer service. Additionally, Ruby's integration with popular phone systems, like Grasshopper and Nextiva, along with HIPAA compliance, adds to their appeal.

Moreover, Ruby's live chat tool is a great asset for engaging website visitors, capturing leads, and providing instant answers to inquiries. Their mobile app allows users to stay connected and manage customer conversations from anywhere. Overall, Ruby Receptionist is a reliable and efficient virtual receptionist service, ideal for businesses seeking seamless call center services, especially those in the real estate industry.

4. Davinci

Davinci

Davinci offers exceptional real estate answering services, perfect for your real estate business. As a real estate professional, handling phone calls and answering inquiries can be time-consuming.

Davinci provides outsourced assistance to manage call overflow, ensuring all calls are promptly answered and professionally handled. With their expertise, you can focus on core tasks while knowing that your real estate agency's communication is in capable hands.

Davinci provides dedicated virtual receptionists who are well-versed in real estate industry scripts and call flow, guaranteeing high-quality service. Their comprehensive support includes call screening, forwarding, voicemail management, and advanced call routing.

Whether you need help with appointment scheduling, market research, or client follow-ups, Davinci's Premium Plan offers outbound call support for added convenience. Elevate your real estate business with Davinci's reliable and efficient answering services.

5. MAP Communications

MAP Communications

MAP Communications is an excellent choice for real estate agencies seeking budget-friendly and efficient answering services. With their lowest cost subscription rates and per-minute plans, solo agents can benefit from their 24/7 live call center support. The bilingual live virtual receptionists, skilled in English and Spanish, enable realtors to cater to a wider clientele.

One standout feature is the ability to customize call scripts, ensuring personalized greetings that align with the brand's personality, crucial for converting leads in the real estate industry. The client portal empowers users to manage messages, access call data, and recordings, enabling easy identification of trends and adjustments to protocols as needed.

MAP Communications offers assistance with call routing, forwarding, overflow, transfer, appointment scheduling, call screening, and technical support. Despite the cost-effectiveness, their services maintain excellence and compliance with HIPAA and PCI standards. Although limited in integrations, they do work well with common scheduling platforms like Google Calendar, Calendly, and Setmore. As a bonus, the fact that each call center is employee-owned adds to their appeal.

6. AbbyConnecy

AbbyConnecy

AbbyConnect is a leading telephone answering service that offers businesses, including real estate agencies, the convenience of a dedicated receptionist team without the need to hire in-house staff. With their personalized approach, Abby Connect ensures seamless communication between businesses and their clients, enhancing overall success.

The team is trained extensively on the values and needs of each business, allowing for warm transfers of calls with essential customer information.

One standout feature is the ability to upload custom transfer music, providing a unique touch to caller experiences. Abby Connect also offers a live chat tool with customizable interfaces, integrating seamlessly with websites and SMS for efficient communication.

The service extends to their Abby Go mobile app, granting access to call and text features, status settings, and call search functionalities. Moreover, Abby Connect stands out with its capability to block callers and ban harassing IP addresses directly from their portal, ensuring both efficiency and peace of mind for dedicated receptionists.

With a wide range of integrations through Zapier, including popular CRMs like Salesforce and Hubspot, Abby Connect offers a comprehensive and versatile live answering service solution for businesses of all sizes.

7. VoiceNation

VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a top-tier answering service that stands out for its instant activation feature. Within 24 hours, users can have their account up and running, complete with customization options. The service offers live receptionists and live chat support, ensuring comprehensive coverage around the clock.

Notably, there are no setup fees or additional charges for after-hours and holiday calls, making it a cost-effective choice for businesses with high call volumes year-round.

The bilingual receptionists (English and Spanish) cater to a diverse customer base and handle tasks such as sharing property listings, message-taking, and call forwarding as needed. VoiceNation's live chat tool adds further customer support capabilities to users' websites, with customizable response options and email transcripts for convenience.

Their user-friendly app and online dashboard enable easy customization of outgoing messages, access to valuable analytics, and the ability to manage agent rosters and availability schedules. Moreover, the integration with Ninja Number's PBX allows for multiple extensions, presenting a professional image and gathering valuable information about callers' needs.

Overall, VoiceNation is a reliable and efficient answering service that empowers businesses to provide exceptional customer support.

Tips for Maximizing the Benefits of Answering Service Real Estate

Tips for Maximizing the Benefits of Answering Service Real Estate

1. Set Clear Call Handling Guidelines

To get the most out of your phone answering services, provide clear guidelines on how to handle different types of calls. Define what constitutes an emergency, which calls should be forwarded directly to you, and how to handle general inquiries.

2. Provide Updated Information and FAQs

Keep your virtual receptionists updated with the latest information about your real estate business and properties. An FAQ section can help them handle common inquiries, ensuring better customer service and a higher level of client satisfaction.

3. Regularly Review Call Transcripts and Messages

Make it a habit to review call transcripts and messages. This review can provide insights into the quality of the service and highlight areas of improvement. It also ensures you are not missing out on any important information conveyed through these calls.

3. Regularly Review Call Transcripts and Messages

4. Utilize Call Analytics for Insights

Most answering services provide call analytics, which can provide valuable insights into call volume, call durations, call times, and more. Use this data to identify peak call times, understand call patterns, and make informed decisions about your business operations.

5. Offer Training to Call Agents on Real Estate Specifics

To ensure your virtual receptionists offer the best service possible, consider providing them with training on real estate specifics. This training can include information on how to handle inquiries about property listings, how to deal with prospective buyers or investors, and common industry terminologies.

Real estate answering services can significantly enhance your real estate agency's customer service and efficiency, providing a competitive edge in the highly competitive real estate market. As a business owner, it allows you to focus on what you do best - closing deals and growing your business while ensuring no call goes unanswered. However, the key is to choose the right service provider that best fits your needs and to leverage their services to the fullest.

5. Offer Training to Call Agents on Real Estate Specifics

Conclusion: Real Estate Answering Service for Real Estate Agents

The right phone answering service is a transformative tool for real estate agents, acting as an extension of their team and helping them provide unmatched client service. It's essential for an agent's productivity and efficacy, freeing up valuable time and energy to focus on what they do best - closing deals.

However, to maximize success in this competitive industry, consider adding another potent tool to your arsenal - buying real estate leads. At Property Leads, we provide a platform where you can purchase motivated seller leads. These are homeowners eager to sell, accelerating your reach out process and facilitating faster deal closure.

Think of it this way: while your phone answering service keeps you organized and responsive, buying leads from Property Leads propels you right into the heart of the action, saving time and boosting your bottom line.

Ready to turbocharge your real estate business? Sign up at Property Leads today and get a head start on success. Let's rewrite your success story together, one lead at a time.

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