Buyers and sellers revealed that communication skills are one of the most valued traits in a great real estate agent.
With this in mind, receiving out of office messages can cause consumers to jump to conclusions about your professionalism. They may even seek a different agent, all based on a missed call or two.
Of course, we know there are many reasons you’ve missed a call. With the inability to take your business phone with you on the go, your availability for calls is restricted. This is where a virtual phone system comes in.
If you are tired of losing clients and sales due to poor phone management and an inadequate phone answering service, it’s time to make the change. Follow along to discover how using a virtual phone system can be the perfect fit for your real estate agent needs.
What Is a Virtual Phone System?
A virtual phone system is a replacement for those clunky, chorded down business phone systems. While many real estate offices have a receptionist to field calls, having a phone call sent to your office while you are out is highly ineffective.
Instead of operating on a physical phone board, a virtual phone uses the internet to make your number and all associated services mobile. This process acts as a cloud phone system, allowing you to access your messages, contacts, and calls from anywhere at any time.
This allows for a more prompt response to inquires without having to visit the office or rely on a receptionist to relay messages.
So why is this system ideal for real estate agents? Let’s take a look at the features that can elevate your business and simplify your calls.
Mobile Integration
The best business phone system is the one you can hold in your pocket. Stationary phones cause delayed responses and ineffective use of time. You can waste valuable business hours driving to and from the office between showings.
The glory of shifting to a virtual phone number is your ability to access it from any device, including your existing mobile phone. Both android and IOS users can download the app right to their device and access it with the touch of a button.
You can review your dashboard, field incoming calls, or return text messages right from the app. This means you can quickly send off a text between showings, listen to a message on your way to your next appointment, or even answer a call at home.
Personal Privacy
Many real estate agents choose to use their personal mobile phone for their business phone or adopt a second phone for work. While these solutions do allow you to take work beyond the walls of your office, they do present distinct downfalls.
If you are using your personal phone, you face the problem of your private phone number being available for anyone at any time. This can cause an increase in the number of spam calls you to receive and take away from your personal phone use.
Without knowing which calls are personal or business, you’ll likely find yourself struggling with calls in the evening. You may even face being interrupted during that overdue phone call to your folks.
Alternatively, carrying around a second phone can be uncomfortable and inconvenient. You may find yourself struggling to switch back and forth, or forgetting the one phone at locations altogether.
A virtual phone system allows you to tie your business phone and personal phone together without sacrificing privacy. You’ll get a business phone number or port an existing number to the system, allowing you to keep work and personal calls separated and secure.
Professional Greeting and Busy Message
Another problem many agents face with a personal device is the unprofessionalism of a personal greeting. Because you are doubling up on the purpose of your number, your leads may be listening to a greeting that doesn’t send a great first impression.
Beyond this, with all calls leading to one number, your mailbox is likely to fill up faster than the average mobile user. This will see you losing leads simply because they could not leave a message for you to get back to them when you’re free.
Even if you do have a receptionist to direct your calls, a busy tone can be a deterrent and busy offices can cause phone calls to be rushed and unfocused.
Virtual phone systems allow you to set specific, professional greetings. Whether you are off showing a home, or on the other line with a buyer, clients can feel confident in your professionalism.
Do Not Disturb
Just like any other worker, you deserve the chance to enjoy your evening and take a break from work. A virtual phone system will allow you to do just that without having to power off your personal phone.
Simply log on to your dashboard and set your incoming calls to ‘do not disturb’. Say goodbye to phone calls that disrupt your dinner or wake you at ridiculous hours. You can even use this feature to block work calls while you are on holiday or in an important meeting.
This way you can still use your mobile while you are ‘out of office’ without facing the wall of inquires.
Caller ID and Address Book
The number of calls you receive can cause confusion when returning messages or keeping up with sellers. A virtual phone system can alleviate the confusion by providing caller ID and simple saving options.
With just the click of a button, you can save your ongoing clients in your system for a simple ‘dial by name’ feature. You’ll know before you even answer that the Smith’s have a counteroffer or those buyers you showed around yesterday are ready to make a move.
Keep your contacts organized and even block calls from spammers and solicitors.
Texting
Texting has become one of the most popular ways to communicate, with 52% of consumers revealing they would rather text than call a business. Texting facilitates better communication with your leads, allowing them to choose how to reach you. Beyond this, it also allows you to review past messages and keep up with conversations.
Not to mention, sending a text is often much easier to fit into your schedule than performing a lengthy phone conversation.
For this reason, our virtual phone system has an integrated text platform that utilizes the same number as your call line. This makes it simple for buyers and sellers to get in touch with you via text if your line is busy.
You’ll be better equipped to return messages and keep their business while you’re unavailable.
Voicemail to Email
You may be listening to messages on the go and don’t have a pen and paper handy, or perhaps you didn’t quite catch each number. If you struggle to keep your messages straight this feature is a fantastic option.
Allow missed calls to be recorded into your voicemail box and transcribed to text. You’ll then receive an email, letting you know you’ve missed a call, and regurgitating the information they left. You can then determine if this call needs an urgent response, or whether it can wait until business hours.
With simplicity like this, there’s no reason to miss out on another sale. Say goodbye to lost scrap papers with scribbled numbers and hello to efficient, organized messages.
Conference Calls
This feature is incredibly handy for dealing with other real estate agents or multiple clients. For back and forth conversations with many recipients, repetitive calls and updates can be exhausting. Instead, you’ll have the option to add another individual to the call and open up the conversation.
This can save you valuable time when the sellers of a home are not together but both need to be contacted. Rather than calling each one and relaying information, you can host easier, more fluid communication among the team.
Have multiple agents accessed a listing? No problem. Keep everyone in the loop with a high-quality conference call and reduce the risk of details being lost in translation.
Fax from Phone
While it’s great to meet up with buyers and sellers to handle forms and paperwork, this isn’t always possible. You may have a conflicting schedule, or constant interruptions could cause the selling process to be drawn out longer than necessary.
In these instances, it can be much more effective to fax over documents for review and touch base with any questions. Unfortunately, having a mobile office or simply not having a fax machine can derail this effort.
Virtual phone systems on the other hand will open up your ability to send important documents and faxes right from your computer. Just attach your document and send it straight to your client’s fax. They’ll be able to review and sign without any unnecessary steps.
Cloud Phone System
Forgot your phone in the car or left it at home? Having a virtual phone system makes it easy to access any information you need wherever you are. Simply log on from a computer, tablet, or mobile and respond to calls, send texts, and listen to voicemails.
This cloud phone system feature means you’ll be able to find a contact from any device with the touch of a button. You can even forward information without switching back and forth between phone and computer.
Even on an overseas vacation, you’ll be able to view your phone activity and handle any business that needs attention without sacrificing time away.
Analytics
Thanks to a detailed analytics system built right into your virtual number, you can gain a better understanding of your client base.
Gather insights on call length, high traffic times, and even review your incoming vs outgoing call schedule. These analytics will allow you to make more educated decisions when returning calls and even adjust your schedule to accommodate.
For example, if you know that 3 pm is statistically your busiest time for incoming calls, you can schedule viewings around that time to ensure you are free for leads. If you see a large number of calls receiving a busy signal, you can even introduce virtual receptionists to help manage these high volume times.
Phone Answering Service
Once your virtual phone number is up and running, you’ll have the option to request a phone answering service right from your new number.
This service supplies you with a live virtual receptionist that can professionally receive and direct calls. This can be fantastic for multiple agents at an establishment, or even for your own high volume call times.
The live receptionist will assist with appointment scheduling and call forwarding, ensuring a while glover service your clients will love. Not only will each call receive a prompt answer, but any spam callers will be blocked and removed before reaching your business.
Your virtual receptionist will filter irrelevant calls to assist in better time management and productive conversations.
Virtual Phone Numbers for Real Estate Agents
Now that you know the amazing features that a virtual phone system has to offer for your real estate business, you can set forth with confidence. Choose the best business phone system for your needs with a virtual phone number.
From a professional business number to text message integration, you’ll give your leads the impression of great communication rather than poor phone skills.
Ready to get started with your virtual phone system and start boosting your revenue? Get in touch with us today to secure the best business phone system for real estate agents and reap the benefits of simplified communication.