It’s little secret chatbots are a keen interest item of 2018, rolling out across a variety of sectors, and according to Mike Hillsdon of the Australian-based Chatbot Agency they’re already proving a great addition to real estate sales.
Mr Hillsdon’s company creates chatbot apps in Facebook Messenger, using the advertising power of the social media platform and the tailor-made services of a chatbot to help agents drive interest in properties.
The strategy combines the targeted use of Facebook advertising with automated responses in Messenger, allowing agencies to start an immediate conversation about a specific property, and help direct potential clients where they need to go.
It’s a simple but effective system that works like this: An agency advertises a property through Facebook ads, targeting potential buyers via Facebook’s detailed demographic insight.
Once a Facebook user engages with the post, the chatbot springs to life in Messenger, offering information and prompts. It can provide property information, send the prospective buyer a video tour, offer insight into inspection times, prompt the interested party to call, and more.
It will also follow up after a potential customer has engaged, thanking them for looking at a property, flagging other listings and prompting them to register what they’re looking for in a house.
Throughout, the conversation feels natural and engaging. Meanwhile, the chatbot can subscribe potential buyers to an agent’s list, allowing agencies to further market relevant properties and open homes.
Mr Hillsdon explained it’s just like having a direct conversation with an agent, but can happen any time of the day, and for the agencies using it, the service is having very real results.
Chatbot Agency started working with a Dalby Real estate agency in December last year.
“We designed a Chatbot for his agency that serviced his latest listings (which we created as their own Chatbot sequence for running Facebook Ads), just sold listings, and their property management division,” Mr Hillsdon said.
Once the Messenger strategy kicked in, he notes they had the following results:
- Page likes increase by 19 per cent
- Page views went up 633 per cent
- Reach went up by 884 per cent
- Post engagements went up by an average of 156 each day or 1300 per cent per day.
“We were also able to capture 1100 subscribers (average of 16 new leads per day) into the Messenger List, which represents 17 per cent of the work force within Dalby.
“The agent is now running the ads with the chatbot sequence a week before the property goes onto realestate.com.au. (For) the most recent property we launched 18 hours ago, we had 58 chatbot conversations for the property.”
With research indicating leading agents typically respond in under two minutes, Mr Hillsdon says the Messenger strategy is also enabling agents to stay ahead of the on-demand communication game. And its services aren’t just limited to buyers, with strategies also available to attract listings.
Chatbot Agency designs custom Facebook and Messenger campaigns for real estate agents or can train them to implement the skills themselves, with further information available at chatbotagency.com.au.
