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Real estate agents lose an average of 48% of inbound leads to voicemail and slow follow-up. An AI receptionist answers every call instantly, qualifies Zillow and Realtor.com leads 24/7, and books showings automatically — at a fraction of the cost of a human ISA.
You spent $1,200 on Zillow Premier Agent this month. Your "For Sale" signs generated eight calls over the weekend. A past client referred two friends who left voicemails on Saturday night. By Monday morning, three of those leads had already signed with a competitor who called them back faster.
This is not a hypothetical. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average response time for real estate leads is 47 hours. A MIT study found that a lead contacted within five minutes is 100 times more likely to convert than one contacted after 30 minutes. Speed-to-lead is the single biggest driver of conversion in residential real estate — and the phone is still the fastest channel.
The problem is that you cannot be on the phone every minute of every day. You are showing homes, writing offers, in listing appointments, and sleeping. That is exactly the gap an AI receptionist fills.
48% of real estate calls go to voicemail
47 hrs avg agent response time (NAR)
100× higher conversion when called in under 5 min
$149/mo AI vs $4,000+ for a human ISA
An AI receptionist for real estate is a software-powered voice agent that answers your business phone line in real time, around the clock. It uses natural language processing to hold genuine conversations with callers — not robotic button-press menus, but actual dialogue.
When a Zillow lead calls at 10:30 PM asking about the three-bedroom colonial you just listed, the AI introduces itself as your team's receptionist, asks qualifying questions, captures their contact information, and books them for a showing the next morning — all while you are asleep. By the time you wake up, the appointment is already in your Google Calendar and the lead's details are logged in your CRM.
This is what a human ISA (Inside Sales Agent) does — but at a cost of $149 to $399 per month instead of $3,500 to $6,000 per month.
What is an ISA in real estate? An Inside Sales Agent is a dedicated team member whose sole job is to call, answer, and qualify leads for a real estate agent or team. Top-producing teams have long relied on ISAs to ensure no lead slips through the cracks. In 2026, AI voice agents can perform the same inbound ISA functions at a fraction of the cost.
Real estate is an evenings-and-weekends business — yet most agents only have coverage from 9 AM to 6 PM. A motivated buyer who calls at 7 PM after seeing your Realtor.com listing is at peak interest. Every minute they wait increases the chance they call the next agent on the list.
An AI receptionist is live 24/7/365. It answers the 9 PM call, qualifies the buyer, and schedules a morning call with you — all without you touching your phone.
Online listing portals generate high-volume, time-sensitive leads. The typical Zillow lead converts at 1–3% — but only if you contact them immediately. Most agents receive an email notification, then call back when they have a free moment. By then, the lead is cold.
With AIEmply, when a Zillow lead calls your number (or triggers an inbound call via your lead routing), the AI picks up immediately, asks their price range, financing status, and timeline, and either books a showing or schedules a follow-up call — in under three minutes.
Signage on a listing generates some of the highest-intent leads in real estate — someone who drove by your listing and picked up the phone. These callers are typically ready to move fast. Missing a sign call because you were in a showing is one of the most costly missed opportunities in the business.
AI receptionists handle unlimited simultaneous calls. Whether one or ten people call your sign at the same time, every call is answered on the first ring.
When a past client sends a referral your way, that person calls with social proof already in place. They are pre-sold on you. If they hit voicemail, it does not matter how good your reputation is — you have introduced friction at the worst possible moment.
Here is a realistic example of how an AI voice agent handles an inbound call for a real estate agent using AIEmply:
Answers in under one second with your custom greeting: "Thanks for calling The Sarah Mitchell Real Estate Group — this is Alex, how can I help you today?"
Identifies the caller's intent: buying, selling, renting, general inquiry.
Qualifies the lead by asking: pre-approval status, budget range, desired neighborhoods, timeline, number of bedrooms, and whether they are working with another agent.
Books a showing or callback by accessing your live calendar availability in real time.
Logs everything to your CRM — all qualification data, contact info, and call summary — instantly and automatically.
Sends you a real-time notification via SMS or email with the lead summary and appointment details.
The entire interaction typically takes two to four minutes. The caller hangs up having spoken to a professional, responsive receptionist who got them exactly what they needed. You wake up or finish your showing to a fully qualified, booked lead in your CRM.
The economics of replacing or augmenting a human ISA with AI are compelling. Here is a full breakdown for a solo agent or small team handling 300–600 inbound inquiries per month.
Cost Category Human ISA AI Receptionist (AIEmply) Monthly Base Cost $3,500–$6,000 $149–$399 Benefits & Payroll Taxes $700–$1,200/mo $0 Training & Onboarding $500–$1,500 one-time $0 (included) After-Hours / Weekend Coverage Extra cost or unavailable Included 24/7 Sick Days / Vacation 15–20 days/year of no coverage 0 days — zero downtime Simultaneous Calls Handled 1 at a time Unlimited CRM Data Entry Manual (error-prone) Automatic, real-time Annual Total Cost $50,400–$87,600 $1,788–$4,788 Annual Savings with AI — $48,612–$82,812
Even at the highest AIEmply tier ($399/month for growing teams), the annual cost of $4,788 represents a 94% reduction compared to a full-time ISA — with better availability, faster response, and zero management overhead.
Not all AI receptionists are built for real estate. When evaluating platforms, these are the features that matter most for agents:
Your AI receptionist should ask your qualification questions — the ones you use in every buyer consultation. Buyer budget, pre-approval status, timeline, preferred neighborhoods, and whether they are currently working with an agent. These should be fully configurable, not a one-size-fits-all template.
Showing scheduling only works if the AI can access your live availability. Look for native integrations with Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, and Acuity Scheduling. The AI should be able to book, confirm, and reschedule appointments in the same phone call — not just collect information for a human to follow up on later.
Your AI receptionist should push lead data directly to your real estate CRM in real time. The most important integrations for real estate are:
Follow Up Boss — the most popular real estate-specific CRM
kvCORE / Sierra Interactive — common in mid-size teams and brokerages
HubSpot & Salesforce — used by larger real estate businesses
GoHighLevel — popular for agents using digital marketing funnels
LionDesk & Top Producer — widely used by independent agents
In many U.S. markets — Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, New York — a significant portion of buyers and sellers prefer Spanish. An AI receptionist with native Spanish support ensures you capture leads regardless of language preference. AIEmply includes English and Spanish support in all plans.
After every call, you should receive a text summary: caller name, phone number, qualification score, lead type (buyer/seller/investor), and any appointment booked. This lets you prioritize callbacks the moment you are free.
AIEmply checks every box above. Real estate-specific call scripts, live calendar sync, Follow Up Boss and kvCORE integration, bilingual support, and instant agent notifications — all starting at $149/month with no per-call fees. See all features →
Platform Starting Price RE CRM Integration 24/7 Coverage Showing Scheduling Multilingual Best For AIEmply $149/mo Yes (FUB, kvCORE, HubSpot) Yes Yes Yes Solo agents & growing teams Smith.ai $292/mo Yes (HubSpot, Clio) Yes Yes Limited Teams wanting human backup Rosie $49/mo No Yes Basic only No Solo agents, basic coverage only Goodcall $59/mo Limited Yes Basic only No Local agents, simple calls Human ISA $3,500+/mo Yes (manual) No Yes Varies High-volume teams ($500K+ GCI)
Solo Buyer's Agent — Phoenix, AZ Metro
Before AIEmply
~280 inbound calls/month
Answering ~55% of calls live
45% going to voicemail
Average callback time: 3.5 hours
Booking ~12 showings/month from leads
Monthly cost: $0 (no ISA)
After AIEmply (Month 1)
100% call answer rate
Average response: <1 second
Showings booked: 31 (up 158%)
3 additional closings attributed to leads previously going to voicemail
Monthly cost: $149
Revenue recovered: $22,400
"I was skeptical an AI could sound natural enough to not alienate leads. After the first week I stopped worrying — callers literally asked if they could schedule a follow-up with 'Alex' again."
— Marcus T., RE/MAX agent, Phoenix AZ
Getting started with an AI receptionist as a real estate agent is simpler than most agents expect. Here is the typical process with AIEmply:
Onboarding call (Day 1): Your dedicated setup specialist walks through your business — team size, call volume, lead sources, CRM, calendar setup, and the qualification questions you want the AI to ask every caller.
Script & voice customization (Days 2–3): The team builds your custom call flow and selects a voice that matches your brand. You approve the script and qualification logic before going live.
CRM & calendar integration (Days 3–4): Your AI agent is connected to Follow Up Boss, HubSpot, or your platform of choice, plus your calendar for live availability.
Test calls & go-live (Day 5–7): You make test calls, review the AI's responses, and request any adjustments. Once approved, your number is forwarded to your AI receptionist.
You start paying: AIEmply only charges once your agent is live and performing. No upfront setup fee.
Solo agents and small teams typically move fully to AI for inbound call handling. But larger teams and brokerages often adopt a hybrid model: the AI receptionist handles 70–85% of all inbound calls — qualification, appointment booking, FAQs, after-hours coverage — while human team members focus on high-value follow-up, listing presentations, and complex negotiations.
This hybrid model preserves the human touch for the situations where it genuinely matters, while eliminating the cost and availability gaps that lead to missed leads at scale.
Is your team handling 600+ calls/month? AIEmply's Growth plan ($399/month) includes multi-agent routing, priority onboarding, and dedicated account management. Compare plans
Real estate is a speed-to-lead business. The agent who picks up the phone first — at midnight, on Sunday, during a showing — wins the client. In 2026, that agent does not need to be you personally. An AI receptionist handles the call, qualifies the lead, and puts a booked appointment in your calendar while you focus on the work that actually closes deals.
For $149 per month, AIEmply gives every real estate agent — solo practitioners and large teams alike — the always-on, always-professional inbound lead coverage that was previously only accessible at ISA budget levels. The leads are already calling. The only question is whether someone is there to answer.
Most agents go live within one week. No setup fee. You only pay once your AI agent is live and performing.
Test Our AI Employee (Try a real-time voice conversation)
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