When someone is looking to purchase or sell a property, one of the first things they usually do is seek out a trustworthy real estate agent to help them navigate the process. They rely on their real estate agent (or realtor) to help them make smart decisions while avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes. And if buyers can’t get a hold of their agent to help with any inquiries or concerns, it could lead to disappointment and frustration or even make them consider another realtor.
Answering clients’ calls promptly and professionally goes a long way toward building trust and growing your portfolio. At times, however, the call volume can become overwhelming, often without warning—especially in a market where homes are selling within a few days. This dilemma leads many real estate agents to working with a reputable answering service, not only to handle call volume, but also to make sure no calls are missed.
But what are the most meaningful benefits of a real estate answering service—and how can one work for you? How do you find the best real estate answering service for your needs? Keep reading for the answers to these questions and more.
How Should a Real Estate Agent Answer Their Phone?
From a customer service standpoint, how a real estate agent answers their phone is of great importance—you only get one chance to make a first impression, after all. Generally speaking, there are three main options for real estate agents to handle incoming calls:
- Rely on an answering machine
- Hire an in-house receptionist
- Work with a professional answering service
Which is best? Ideally, the phone will be answered promptly and professionally, by someone who is both knowledgeable and empathetic. This illustrates a clear limitation of answering machines, making them the least effective option of the three. That leaves you with two options: hiring a receptionist or exploring professional answering services.
Hiring an in-house receptionist definitely beats an answering machine, but there are certain disadvantages to this approach as well. The most significant is the price tag. According to Glassdoor, the average real estate receptionist salary is $45,763, a number we’ll reference again in a bit. They’re also only available for 40 hours per week, which might be an issue if clients expect a wider range of availability.
That brings us to answering services. What is a professional answering service, and what advantages does one provide? An answering service works with your real estate agency to answer and direct calls on your behalf, as an extension of your company. More than just a message-taker, a call answering service for real estate agents can also screen and redirect calls, answer questions, book appointments, and more. So, while you might hesitate to trust your customer service to an answering service, a professional answering service understands the importance of human connection as well as consistency.
Working with a professional answering service company helps real estate agents to maintain high customer service standards, while offering greater availability for a literal fraction of the cost. At the time of this writing, our most expensive plan costs $599 per month, with 500 minutes included. Over a 12-month period, that amounts to $7,188, which is just over one-eighth of the average receptionist’s salary cited earlier.
Why Do People Still Use Answering Services?
Since professional answering services have existed in one form or another for nearly a century, many people mistakenly believe they are an outdated or obsolete concept. The truth, however, is that modern, customizable answering services offer clear and compelling benefits for real estate agents as well as their clients.
- Regardless of their reason for calling, your clients expect to be connected with someone empathetic and knowledgeable. When you work with a specialized company like Answering Service Care, you can rest assured with phone coverage you can count on. Our real estate answering service agents receive extensive training to prepare them with the skills and knowledge they need to effectively answer calls, book appointments, and more.
- For real estate agents and agencies, answering services deliver a wealth of customizable features at a price point well below what a traditional, in-house receptionist would cost. At the time of this writing, we have 4 packages to choose from, ranging from the Starter plan ($25/month, plus minutes) to the Enterprise plan ($599/month, 500 minutes included).
How Do I Find the Best Answering Service for Real Estate Agents?
The best live phone answering service for real estate agents is one that provides empathetic and knowledgeable agents, services tailored to your needs, and a strong ROI. Answering Service Care checks each of these boxes, and more.
- We provide live operators that are specially trained to provide professional and courteous service to each of your clients when they need you most. They’re ready to answer questions about listings, book showings, and more, with 24/7 coverage available so no calls go unanswered.
- Our operators are ready to work as an extension of your agency. If you have specific preferences about how customers are greeted, or how certain call types are routed, you can provide specific instructions for agents to follow.
- Finally, Answering Service Care not only provides highly accessible, high-quality service, we’ll deliver substantial cost savings, too. With multiple packages to choose from and fair, sensible pricing, you can find something to suit your needs. And with no long-term contracts and a 21-day money back guarantee, you can rest easy knowing that you will never find yourself locked into some cumbersome contract with unclear ROI.
Answering Service Care: A Surprisingly Cost-Effective Solution for Real Estate Agents
If you’re a real estate agent who is serious about taking care of your clients, but unable to pay an exorbitant amount of money recruiting, training, and paying the salary of one or more full-time receptionists, take a look at our offerings for real estate agents. If you’re ready to take the next step, let’s get started.
