It answers on WhatsApp as your agency, asks what your best person would, and hands over buyers ready to view.
Sue
We're flying out on the 14th of October and staying in Torrevieja until the 21st.
Sol y Sal Homes
I'll let Dan know about your 14th to 21st October trip, he'll give you a shout when he's free and put a few similar ones together. Is this for holidays or a full move?
“14th to 21st October trip”Caught the dates, no form needed.
“Holidays or a full move?”One question at a time. The right one.
In one agency's inbox, six in ten portal enquiries were never answered at all. Nobody was lazy. The enquiry landed as an email, the team was out on viewings, and by Monday the buyer had moved on.
Those are leads you'd already paid the portal for. Now every one gets a warm reply while the listing is still open on the buyer's phone, and nothing sits waiting for you to get back to the office.
Buyers can't always say why a reply feels right. These are the bits they notice.
Sue
There's one listed around £199k that caught my eye. Do you have floor plans?
Sol y Sal Homes
That one's another agency's advert I'm afraid, so I can't send plans for it. It was showing €229,000, roughly £197k.
“Another agency's advert”Doesn't bluff. Buyers notice.
“€229,000, roughly £197k”Euros and pounds, the way people say it.
Sue
Is this a bot?
Sol y Sal Homes
Yeah, I'm the AI assistant here, one of the team picks up when you want to see anything. Do you want them to message you when they're free, or shall I carry on?
“AI assistant”Honest, every time.
“Shall I carry on?”And the conversation carries on.
Sue
We're also looking at Mojácar, do you cover that?
Sol y Sal Homes
Mojácar's a bit outside our patch, we're Costa Blanca South and the Murcia side.
If you're open to nearby, the team can send a few over. When are you next out?
“A bit outside our patch”Never pretends to cover a town.
“The team can send a few over”Still turns it into a viewing.
Every reply from Sol y Sal Homes is real product behaviour. Only the names are made up.
Your best negotiator doesn't fire off a questionnaire. Neither does this.
Dates first. A trip is when the sale happens.
Asked early, so the shortlist is right.
It changes what you'd show them.
Tells you how fast they can move.
Must-haves stop wasted viewings.
It never asks what the enquiry already told it. And when Sue mentions her sister's coming out too, or that she's gone off high-rise, it writes that down without being asked.
The enquiries nobody got round to are still worth something. It re-opens each one warmly, owns the slow reply and makes saying no easy. Buyers still answer weeks later.
Sue enquired on A Place in the Sun back in spring. Nobody got back to her.
“Sorry we've been slow”Old enquiries, re-opened without the cringe.
Hi Sue, Sol y Sal Homes here, sorry we've been slow. The 3-bed villa in Villamartin you asked about on A Place in the Sun is still up on the site, I'm the AI assistant checking it hasn't gone. Still looking? Just say if not.
“Just say if not”Easy out, no pressure.
Sue
Still looking, yes. We'd given up on hearing back.
When a buyer's ready, Dan gets a note like this on WhatsApp, written the way a colleague would. No cold call, no “so what were you looking for again”.
“Cash”Your exec picks up already knowing.
To Dan, from
Sue, ready to view. Villamartin. Flying 14 to 21 Oct, staying in Torrevieja. After a 2-bed townhouse up to £200k, cash, holiday home now and maybe retire out later. Must-haves: communal pool, parking, walkable to a couple of bars, no high-rise. Couldn't do floor plans, it was another agency's listing. She'd like a WhatsApp from you with a few similar ones and viewings that week. Full chat below.
“She'd like a WhatsApp”How she wants to be contacted.
Sue
Hi, is the villa in Villamartin still available?
A typical bot
Thank you for contacting us. Please choose an option: SALES, RENTALS, SPEAK TO AN AGENT.
Sol y Sal Homes
Hi Sue, Sol y Sal Homes here. The villa in Villamartin is still up on the site, I'm the AI assistant checking it hasn't gone. When are you next over?
Sue
Cash, we sold in the UK last month.
A typical bot
Thank you for your interest. Please complete our buyer questionnaire so we can assist you further.
Sol y Sal Homes
Lovely, that keeps it simple. Anything that's a must, pool, parking, walk to a supermarket?
Sue
We'd want to stay under £150k really.
A typical bot
Noted. A member of our team will be in touch shortly. Text STOP to opt out. Sent by an automated system.
Sol y Sal Homes
No problem, I'll note £150k. Are you thinking apartment, or a house with a bit of outside space?
Buyers see your agency and your number. We stay out of sight.
Every chat and every buyer belongs to your agency, not to us.
In the first message, and whenever it's asked. A person is one message away.
A straight chat with the people who build it. Send us one of your listings and we'll show you how it would answer.
One agency per patch, so we'll also tell you whether yours is still free.