August 13, 2016
Before agreeing on the advantages of Live Chat for Real Estate websites, I am sure we all would agree on how buying a house is unarguably one of the most important decisions in anyone’s life. It is often the culmination of months (or sometimes years) of careful planning, saving and organising one’s finances. Therefore, when it comes to real estate, it is a much more complex process for buyers as it is a question of an investment of a lifetime.
What makes it different from other purchases is that it is definitely not something that people buy online at the click of a button instead they spend a great deal of time online comparing locations, prices and builders before actually contacting real estate agents and arranging a site visit. As the multitude of real estate websites jostle for visitors’ attention, in a bid to make a more lasting impression that leads to an inquiry or a phone call, the best way to establish a rapport with potential buyers is to offer assistance when they most need it. That is where the concept of live chat comes into the picture.
Through live chat, real estate companies can pro-actively communicate with people visiting their websites, seeking valuable information that can gradually trigger a purchase decision. It can prove to be the one factor that can help edge out competition simply by connecting your online audience, responding to their queries and addressing their concerns. With live chat agents available round the clock providing insights and guidance to prospective buyers, real estate websites can guarantee that every visitor is being ushered in, attended to and connected with, in a way that optimises lead generation and minimises wasted opportunities.
Below are some tangible advantages of live chat to the real estate sector:
Makes the entire house buying process more transparent
By placing live chats on real estate websites and comparison platforms, the agents can highlight factors relevant to buyers and emphasise features based on individual preferences and requirements. It allows agents to provide insights to viewers about the property and help them navigate to related links and similar listings. Also, real estate is a complicated industry, replete with incomprehensible terminology related to finance, property deals and laws. The live chat agent can play a big role in demystifying the jargon and help make the entire process easier to understand for website visitors.
Provides answers to typically asked questions
The most frequently asked questions by online real estate visitors would pertain to the location of the property, its proximity to schools, markets, healthcare clinics etc. Live chat agents are equipped with expert knowledge about the locality and the surroundings, and can offer active advice and suggestions to buyers based on their specific requirements. When it comes to client queries, timing is of vital importance and that’s exactly what the live chat agent can offer – timely information, guidance and friendly support that eventually builds an atmosphere of trust and credibility between the buyer and the seller.
Helps take the prospective buyers to the next level by scheduling site visits
The key to efficient customer service is all about simplifying the process for clients and minimising their efforts. Our modern fast paced lives are so demanding that people have little time to contact agencies and schedule site visits. Live chat agents can easily gauge the preferences of online visitors and can encourage them to book a visit at a time that works for them. All the formalities and the organising is taken care of by the agents, thus allowing the customer the peace of mind to make an informed decision.
Handles special requests and specific industry relevant questions
As buying property is a complex, many layered process, the questions too become more complex, gradually moving from location and facilities to ones about licensing, warranties and legal contracts and agreements. By providing online visitors with expert guidance in the form of live chat agents it encourages an atmosphere of openness and trust thus paving the way towards a purchase decision.
Has a measurable ROI
As is the case with any business, the real estate industry spends exorbitantly on several marketing campaigns both online and offline but hardly succeeds in determining any substantial ROI. More often than not, these efforts fall well short of converting website visitors into valuable leads. You have no way of knowing when your visitors browsed your website, whether they found what they were looking for or just left unsatisfied. Research has confirmed that as many as 98% of website audience do not leave an inquiry or even enter the next phase of the conversion process. By adding live chat services to your website, your real estate business gets to maximise on every opportunity and achieve a healthy conversion rate.
Live chat is the newest rung in customer service – it makes available to online real estate audiences a personal interaction with an expert and delights them with easy and timely access to sought after information. So why not delight your website visitors and turn them into interested leads and potential customers?
Click here to request a demo today and see how CommVersion Live Chat can help you with increasing lead conversions on your website.
