What is a “Chatbot”?

In the last few years, a new word entered the business lexicon and became quite common, and that word is “chatbot.” Sometimes it is also referred to as a chatterbot. A chatbot is a program designed to simulate conversations. It is a virtual “assistant” designed to take questions and give appropriate replies. There are two basic types of chatbots: stateful and stateless. A stateful chatterbot is the more complex of the two. It can store information and give you relevant answers. In other words, a stateful chatbot can pick up from the last conversation. A stateless chatbot, on the other hand, treats each conversation as a new one.

Chatbots in the World of Real Estate marketing

In the world of real estate sales, it is not enough to get leads. You need to get quality leads that will convert to sales. The problem is getting good leads; it takes significant time talking with potential customers and getting a commitment from them. It is in these situations chatbots become a real game-changer. Once you have a chatbot is up and running on your website, it will answer many basic questions the client may have. Most real estate customers start their journey online. They browse websites to start the process of finding their perfect home. Hence, if you have a chatbot on your website, you can divert your resources to more important matters while the chatbot takes care of the customers' questions.

At its core, chatbots come under the category of artificial intelligence (AI). The following are examples of ways chatbots are helping real estate businesses.

• After-hours customer service
• Collecting applications
• Scheduling appointments and meetings
• Collecting data

After-hours service: Just because you are not at work, it doesn’t mean business needs to stop. Most people browse the Internet after work and on the weekends. Chatbots can capture the attention of all those leads by answering many of the questions a website visitor may have.

Collect applications: Not all real estate customers are looking to buy. Many are browsing to find good deals on rentals as well. Chatbots can help people with applications. The chatbot can answer everything from property locations, budgets, and prices while the customer browses properties. Once the person finds what they like, they will be able to leave behind contact info.

Appointments: Getting to know a customer and establishing relationships is crucial in sales, especially in real estate sales. Chatbots created today can display calendars and set up appointments. This is crucial since a staff member can't talk to multiple customers simultaneously and set an appointment. Chatbots can also create phone calls.

Data collection: Chatbots are gold mines when it comes to getting data. Relevant conversations regarding all things real estate can be stored for later use. You can take a look at all the data and determine what type of properties people are looking for and other trends. All the data that has been collected can then be used for future marketing campaigns.

Chatbots are the Future

The bottom line is that you cannot ignore the usefulness of chatbots. As time goes by, they are becoming more complex and capable. Having a virtual assistant such as a chatbot taking care of business is worth its weight in gold. You can sleep and be rest assured that someone minds the store.