If you are a real estate agent, you probably receive phone calls yourself in order to avoid hiring full-time staff. However, doing this is not a good idea from a business point of view. You might have already heard that real estate agents do not receive calls themselves.
There are certain reasons why professional agents often desist from picking up those calls on their smartphones. Agents may not have the privacy, time, resources or even skills to answer calls made by buyers and sellers. Let’s take a look at why receiving your own calls can be such a business faux-pas.
You’re Already With a Client
At any given time, you might probably be discussing a property’s prospects with your client or you may be handling an open house day. You certainly don’t want various individuals calling you up when someone who is interested in the same property is physically present with you. Even if the calls are regarding other listings, you wouldn’t want to discuss it over the phone in the presence of other clients as some information is confidential. Answering client calls in front of possible buyers or sellers infringes on privacy and that is never a good thing.
You Need Work-Life Balance
Clients often expect businesses to be available all the time. This means you might even receive calls post your dinner time. If you advertise your mobile number on your website, you can expect calls even in the middle of the night or when you need privacy. A virtual receptionist can receive and make calls on your behalf, and save a lot of time and privacy for you. Most importantly, you will not need to be available to take calls all the time. A service such as ours helps your business to remain available on phone lines 24/7.
You’re Out and About
Many sellers often call up just to describe their property and you will either need to jot all this data down in a notepad or manually type on a laptop. Could you practically enter data when you are seeing other clients or when you are on the field, visiting various properties? Yet, these leads shouldn’t be ignored and all the data should be saved digitally so that it can be retrieved when needed. A virtual receptionist will not only take your calls, but also enter important information in CRM, so that data entry can be automated. You will be able to use this data in the future, whenever it is required. Most importantly, you will be able to focus on your work and stop worrying about taking calls and writing down information.
You Can’t Always Be Chipper
We must acknowledge the fact that we are all good at only a few things and not at everything. You might be great at sealing deals and selling properties. Yet, you may not be all that great at handling calls, conversing with leads and clients, or at scheduling appointments and entering data. Answering services ensure that your calls are handled by trained professionals who have world-class front-desk skills. Our bilingual answering service is available in both English and Spanish, helping you to reach a larger target audience.
Your Clients Expect You to be Busy
There is also another side to this story. When people find your number on your website or in a web listing, they expect front-desk to answer their queries. If you answer the call yourself, you might come across as a rookie agent who does not have enough clients. Worse, you might come across as a rookie who is unable to hire full-time staff. When a virtual receptionist answers your calls, you are giving the impression of being busy and successful. This always works with customers.
If you do not have a local number, we can help you get a number quickly along with our answering services. In addition, we also have the option of getting a toll-free number, which is a great idea if you are only targeting domestic clients. As you can see, answering your own calls is never a good idea, and it is not the standard practice among real estate agents. Have your calls answered by answering services like Abby Connect, and watch your business grow rapidly.
For more strategies on improving your processes, check out our guide on ways you can grow your real estate operations.
