Generate Leads with Live Chat

"To be successful in the Internet era, agents need to be almost instantaneously responsive to customer inquiries," according to Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff.

photo credit: teamstickergiant

To satisfy customers who want information and want it now.  Many industries are turning to "Live Chat" services on their websites.  The auto industry and, now homebuilders, are finding this is an invaluable tool to engage customers who have a few questions but are not willing to deal with a live sales person yet.

For real estate agents, the use of email and texting are a good way for consumers to ask questions but there are some potential customers who won't use these methods because they don't want to get involved with an agent yet.

"When it comes to engagement with prospective clients, live chat has no peer." Said David Fletcher in an Inman News article.  Live chat offers the consumer the opportunity to ask questions without giving up pertinent information.  The Live Chat representative then sells the person on your service.

"What is different is that your website has a live and trained receptionist engaging the customer and capturing information, beyond contact data, to help the sales agent know what to talk about when contacting the inquiring customer," said Justin Brun, a manager for a Toyota dealership who uses Live Chat to generate leads for their sales force.

Monitoring Live Chat is the biggest challenge and cost. Do you handle it in-house?  Should agents handle it or do you hire staff specifically for this job?  Brun has a nine member sales force who handles all online inquiries, including Live Chat.  "We are completely satisfied with our model," Brun said, which they have been using for two years.

"Live chat is about increasing revenues through sales that may have otherwise been missed," writes Fletcher.  This is a great way to get leads for agents.

But "looking beyond lead capture," says Fletcher, "the recruiting potential is enormous, especially if you are the first broker in your market to offer live chat capabilities to new recruits."

"For example: Your competitor offers "the latest technology." You offer technology and referred prospects."

"If you were an agent looking for a change, which of these two offers would be most interesting to you?"

Read the full story at Inman News.

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Posted in MBI Advantages, Technology And You, Join Metro Brokers, Marketing, MBI Headlines, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff, Real Estate Trends

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