Chat bots are an up and coming trendy technology. But will they work in real estate? Let’s talk about how to use chat bots in real estate!
In this video (from a Facebook live) we talk about chat bots and how to use them in your real estate business.
First, what is a chat bot?
By definition, a chat bot is a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.
Fancy stuff, right? There are a lot of software options available for different types of chat bots (website, lead generation, lead nurturing, text message chat bot, etc).
Have you ever thought about using a chat bot in your real estate business?
I’ve asked real estate agents what they think, “Hey, what do you think about chat bots?” And most agents were like, “Well, I don’t really know anything about chat bots, so I don’t know.” One guy said, “I would never use chat bots because you should never replace a person, and I’m super hands-on with my people,” and blah, blah, blah.
Seriously, I think it’s safe to say that ALL real estate agents are super hands-on with their people and provide the highest level of service, etc etc. No need to be defensive!
But then when I told him, “Hey, you don’t have to spend a fortune to do chat bots. A lot of this stuff is for free that you just set it up and boom, it’s done.”
Ironically, he was less against the idea of a chat bot and much more curious about how to use it. I share this story because I think real estate agents have many opportunities to use chat bots, and use them well. And, even if chat bots aren’t ultimately for you – it’s still smart to be aware of the technology.
Let’s keep it simple and focus on using a chat bot with Facebook Messenger.
You can set up some cool automations using ManyChat (bot software) for FREE. (Who doesn’t love free?) Click here to see an example of a chat bot on our Savvy Agent Facebook page. This bot will share with you ways you can use your chat bot in your real estate business. Plus, it’s cool to see a bot in action!
You can use ManyChat to have a better Messenger Menu. For example, on the Savvy Agent page, the messenger menu can direct you to our website, the Club signup page, I could ask you a question, send you a PDF, a download or whatever else you want. (Also, this menu shows up really well on mobile.)
But how does that translate for real estate agents?
People want to look at homes for sale, right? So why notset up your main menu on your chat bot and have people go directly to your website to search for homes for sale. Or maybe you have a home value page. So you can send people to that page, they input their address, and BOOM! You get a lead in your pipeline and they get their automated home value.
Maybe you don’t have an automated home value page. In that case your chat bot could have an automated conversation with somebody that ultimately results in them giving you their address and then you’ll get back to them in a couple days with a home value report you manually generated.
Best practices
It’s best if you have your chat bots set up so that people know they’re talking to a robot instead of thinking that they’re talking to you. Being upfront with people, will result in a nice and efficient way to get the streamlined information you’re hoping to receive. And, it’s a better experience for your customer.
Maybe you have a sellers guide that you like to share with people. Maybe you do a buyers guide every quarter. Chat bots are great at getting these guides into the hands of potential leads.
For example, you could run an ad that says: “Comment on this post if you’re looking for the 2019 spring buyers guide and I’ll message it to you immediately.” So then they comment on the post (or they message your page or however you have it set up) and boom, your message with your PDF goes to that person immediately.
How long does it take to make sales?
If you’re picturing a sales funnel, or sales pipeline, this type of ad is going to be getting people into your funnel/pipeline. They’re pretty cold leads but that’s just part of the process of building your audience and warming them up so that they get to know you. Now you can target them with your re-marketing. You can send them other messages through your chat bot setup, whether they’re messages you type in or messages that you plan your bot to send out. But you’re warming them up so that when they’re ready, they call you up to say, “Hey, I’m ready to buy a house.”
Somebody might need to be touched by you for five years before they’re ready to sell their house or buy a house. But the key is that once they’re ready, you’re the person that they have had the most interaction with and they’ve gotten the most value from over time. So you’re the first person that they call!
Another option, if you’re working with a builder and they have a couple of floor plans, imagine what you could do with that. You could say, “Oh, hey, you’re interested in working with ABC Builder, here’s five different floor plans that we have available. Which one speaks to you the most?” or “Click here to get a PDF mailed to you of our floor plan samples.” Lots of different options.
You can send a link to anything. You could notify them when you’re going live if you have a pretty regular live show that you do. You can send a message out at the moment you’re going live, maybe 10 minutes in advance. You have a lot of control over the types of messaging that you can do with the audience that reacts to your chat bot.
Here’s a couple bot examples you can check out:
Comment bot (this is a free banner overlay giveaway)
If you’re interested in learning more we’ve got several trainings available in Savvy Agent Club.