Communication is key during COVID-19 for real estate agents 

Peyton Duplechien • 26 Mar 2020 • 3 min read

Coronavirus has caused a shift in the economy that has many small business owners – and even large corporations – worried about the future. But one bright side is the housing economy. Mortgage rates are at a historic low and combined with spring being the time to list, houses for sale are everywhere. 

Managing home showing during coronavirus 

As a real estate agent, you may find yourself even busier than ever during a normally busy time. While people are sheltering and self-isolating during coronavirus, open houses and showings are still business as usual until further notice.  
But this means – just like with other businesses that are operating right now – this means taking necessary precautions. This could include having hand sanitizing stations and wiping down after visitors, but first and foremost is communication. 

Keep lines of communication open 

This means for your clients, both in whose houses you’re representing and those you’re taking to visit homes. You need to know if someone who is selling a house is feeling ill, or a family member who lives in the house or has visited feels ill. Same goes for people you are taking on home tours. Is anyone in their house or at their work feeling unwell or even tested positive for the virus? 
Your role as a real estate agent now has shifted slightly toward not just selling homes but working as an agent in public health. You wouldn’t want to bring coronavirus into a home that’s for sell and potentially cause the spread unknowingly. 

More effort for the real estate agent 

This means you’ll be talking one the phone much more checking in with your clients and other real estate agents simply about home buying and selling safety. But you know that there is much more business you conduct over than phone than talking about a virus. 
Your call volume could be spinning out of control and you could be losing leads and customers by sending them to voicemail. Be prepared and don’t lose out to your competition by having someone else handle your phone calls.  

Real estate live answering 

Outsourcing your phone calls may sound intimidating. After all, you know your business and your clients the best. At its most basic, a live answering service will answer your calls and send you your messages. This is great for alleviating some of the burden for you, but real estate requires a more tailored touch. 

The need for a more feature-rich answering service 

One thing about real estate agents is that they don’t operate within traditional business hours. Real estate agents work hard to customize their hours to best benefit home listers and buyers. If you want full call coverage, it’s important to look for an answering service that can handle calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even during holidays. 

Real estate virtual receptionists 

Wouldn’t it be beneficial for your answering service to act as a virtual receptionist? This means beyond message taking. 

  • Share property listings. Real estate virtual receptionists can build in complex, custom scripting that allows them to share your property listings with clients and leads.  
  • Call transferring. When a call is too important to just have a message taken, virtual receptionists can transfer calls to you. Just tell them who’s on your VIP list!  
  • Bilingual operators. Have a broader client base? Bilingual operators can help you with your Spanish-speaking clients.  
  • Appointment scheduling. You can link your calendar and have your virtual receptionists book appointments for you. 

VoiceNation is the real estate answering service you need 

During these exceptionally busy times, don’t miss out on providing the best client experience and capturing every lead with VoiceNation’s virtual receptionists for real estate. We answer your calls 24/7/365 and send you your messages instantly through text, email, our online dashboard and mobile app. Our US-based operators will share property listings, transfer calls and schedule appointments. We offer bilingual services as part of your plan! 
Right now we’re offering 15% to get you started. Activation is instant, so we’ll start answering your calls right away! Want to learn more? Give us a call! 866-766-5050 x2