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1stNov2016

What Tasks Can I Outsource to a Real Estate Answering Service?

What Tasks Can I Outsource to a Real Estate Answering Service?

In the real estate industry, answering incoming telephone calls is critical to obtaining long-term success. Homebuyers and homeowners are searching for a realtor and if you let a call go to voicemail, you risk losing tens of thousands of dollars.

Real Estate Answering Service can do a lot more than answer your phone lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We can also take on a range of other customer service tasks so you can focus on serving your customers face-to-face. All of our clients enjoy custom accounts built around their needs, but here are a few realtor specific services that we bring to your business.   

What can a Real Estate Answering Service do for my business?

Answering Real Estate Inquiries 24/7

Successful realtors know the importance of being available when their clients need them the most. You can’t expect to grow your business by constantly turning your phone off and sending inquiries straight to your voicemail. Towards that end, you also can’t afford to constantly interrupt clients during a meeting, open house or private viewing to answer a ringing cellphone.  

If you’re an ambitious realtor that wants to gain a reputation for outstanding customer service, the only solution available is to hire someone to answer your business lines. Outsourcing your real estate customer calls to 24-hour virtual receptionists will allow to be available to your customers all day, every day.  

A professional answering service acts as both your receptionist and assistant to help your callers with their inquiries. We can help your homebuyers and homeowners that call at 6:00 am on a Monday or 6:00 pm on a Sunday. Our team is on call 24-hours a day and help by: 

  • • Providing callers with your realtor identification number, credentials and general business information.
  • • Emailing a copy of your MLS Agent Production Report upon request.
  • • Informing calling leads with your specialty (neighborhood, property types, etc.) lists.
  • • Answering FAQ’s regarding a specific property listed on your website.
  • • Advising of general commission rates, administrative fees and other expenses.

Outsourcing your calls also allows you to keep a detailed record of your leads and inquiries. After each call ends, we will send you a detailed message with the caller’s contact information via email or text for your records and advisement.   

Gathering Preliminary Information from Lead 

A realtor’s virtual receptionist can act as your gatekeeper. We’ll guide your callers through a series of prequalifying questions before scheduling a consultation. This allows you to be confident that you’ll be speaking with serious leads after reviewing their responses. 

You can customize questions to determine the motivation and needs of your cold calling leads. Realtor Magazine shares 24 excellent prequalifying questions that can inspire your script.   

  • • How long have you been looking?
  • • Are you working with another realtor or broker?
  • • How soon do you need to move?
  • • What is your price range?
  • • Has a lender prequalified you for a loan? If so, for how much?
  • • Is there a specific location you’re looking at?
  • • What are you looking for in a realtor?

Based on their answers, we will 1) transfer the call directly to your cellphone; 2) schedule a consultation; or 3) email you a detailed intake form for a callback at your convenience.   

Handling, Delivering and Dispatching Emergency Calls

With a time-sensitive industry like the real estate market, it’s important that you keep communication with your firm open. When you hire a Real Estate Answering Service to answer your calls, you’re going to be able to closely monitor your customers’ accounts 24/7/365.

Outsourcing your 24-hour help line to a team of virtual receptionists gives callers direct access to you in the case of an emergency. You tell us what types of calls (or specific client names) you need transferred to you immediately and we’ll follow your instructions. Treat a virtual receptionist team like you would an on-site receptionist, with open communication. When you constantly keep us informed, we’re able to better serve you and your callers.

Small changes to your account can take as little as a few minutes. This quick turnaround time allows you to give us a call in the morning with some of these scenarios:

  • • “I’m expecting a call from Tom Smith, an appraiser working on the Jennifer Jacobson listing. Please interrupt any of my scheduled meetings and transfer his call straight to my cell.”  
  • • “I’ll be working a big open house tonight. Please hold all calls and email me my messages as usual. Text me in the event of an emergency and I’ll call you right back.” 
  • • “I’m going out of the country this weekend and won’t available via telephone until Wednesday. Let all of my callers know that they can email me and I will be checking my inbox twice a day.” 

No matter what stage of the buying process your client is in, it’s critical that they’re able to reach you. We make that possible.   

Scheduling Support for Appointments and Events

It’s true, you can outsource your scheduling needs to a business answering service. Give us access to your appointment book and we can help you with our administrative support scheduling services. After asking calling leads your prequalifying questions, we can then take the call a step further and schedule a consultation.

You’ll receive immediate notifications of all changes made to your calendar in real-time. A virtual scheduling assistant can take on the tasks of setting, confirming, canceling and rescheduling some of these common events: 

  • • Initial Consultations
  • • Telephone Conferences
  • • Private Home Viewings
  • • Open House Events
  • • Neighborhood Tours
  • • Property Walk-Throughs
  • • General Meetings

Our Real Estate Answering Service is here to help your business grow!

As an experienced Real Estate Answering Service with over 30 years of experience, we can give you the support you need to grow your real estate agency.

Learn more about our affordable plans by reviewing our General Rates and Prices. To get a custom quote, give us a call today at 1-800-785-6161 to discuss your specific need with an account expert. 

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