But without those calls – without that lead qualification and incoming lead follow-up – you risk missing out on new business and keeping your pipeline full. This is especially true if you are paying for leads through a lead generation service, like Accelerator. An Inside Sales Agent (ISA) can help you keep up.
Making hundreds of phone calls a day takes a lot of time and effort. In fact, according to TeleNet and Ovation Sales Group, in 2007 it took 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Today it takes 8 attempts. After that, the Online Marketing Institute has found it takes 7 to 13 touches to generate sales-ready, qualified leads.
That’s an awful lot of phone calls, texts, and emails. In addition, dealing with inquiries that come in at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week, can be exhausting.
That’s where an ISA comes in. ISAs are responsible for nurturing and converting inbound and outbound leads. They engage in lead follow-up, qualifying leads, and prospecting for new business. ISAs also make sure every incoming lead is immediately contacted. Some ISAs turn warm leads over to you or your team to close; others set appointments for you to follow up with.
A good ISA will continue to follow up with leads for weeks, months, or even up to a year. This is important because according to Spotio, 80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls. However, 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up call.
When choosing an ISA, consider the volume of leads you need to have qualified, your needs regarding follow-up on incoming leads, and your budget. Here are some ISAs we found to be particularly responsive:
Live ISA's
Agent Assistant
How it works
Responds immediately with human responses, not autoresponders. Live transfers when they are ready to move forward with an agent, text alerts when a lead qualifies. Automated lead follow-up for up to 6 months. Exclusive leads; agents can claim a zip code and own those leads. US-based team. There are also lead generation opportunities.
What’s included
Warm transfers, flexible plans, test alerts with qualification information, full support, 30-day free trial, real-time dashboard metrics, around the clock service.
Price
Qualify pricing is $399 a month for up to 25 leads, $499 for up to 50 leads, $899 for up to 100 leads, $1,299 for up to 200 leads. Prices are firm, regardless of the number of lead sources.
Who it's good for
Established agents; somebody who is doing at least 12 transactions a year on the low end. Typically independent realtors, but there is also a team package for brokerages.
Aiva
How it works
Contacts your leads via text message within 30 seconds 24/7. Will attempt to contact unresponsive leads up to 20 times over the course of 90 days via text message, email, and optional voicemails. Responsive leads are instantly matched with a human concierge team and are immediately qualified using customizable scripts via text message. Qualified leads are instantly delivered via email, text, and mobile apps. All activity is also logged into your CRM system.
What’s included
Conversion reports, customizable outreach, mobile apps, real-time activity sync, smart long-term follow-up, instant notifications, acceptance from 200+ lead sources, lead activity synced with over 15 different CRMs, full Zapier application, and integration, and Zillow Tech Connect partner.
Price
No contracts. $299/mo for up to 50 leads, $449/mo for up to 100 leads, $599 for up to 150 leads.
Who it's good for
They have a good mix of agents, teams and brokerages, and marketing agencies as customers. For teams and brokerages, they are a particularly good fit due to their solid blend of scalability and competence combined with customization and good pricing.
At Curaytor, we work exclusively with the best agents and teams in North America to help them get their marketing done right so that they can attract more listings. Schedule a quick 1:1 with our sales team to find out if we have availability in your market.
Conversion Monster
How it works
Responds within 5 minutes, transfers to agent or books at the next available meeting time. Utilizes various touchpoints and communication tactics to track down and convert qualified leads. Each lead receives 76 touches and is followed up with for over 360 days.
What’s included
Full team of ISAs, 24/7 coverage, account manager, CRM integrations, real-time reporting, call record monitoring, nurture drip campaigns, custom scripts with branding, discounted coaching services, long-term follow-up, dedicated success manager, no contract. They call off a local phone number, and the lead is under the impression that they are an assistant in your office.
Price
One-time onboarding fee of $995. Then, monthly $295 and $5 per new lead.
Who it's good for
Anybody spending money on lead generation. They nurture every lead for one year whether they make contact or not, so those who have longer-term lead and advertising channels are successful here.
My Out Desk
How it works
Generates leads through several channels, qualifies leads and determines if they should set up an appointment or be put on a touch/drift campaign, tracks all leads and checks with agents on status, hands-off hot calls whenever possible, and takes incoming inquires and converts them to appointments. There is a focus on talent-matching between the ISA and the hiring company.
What’s included
Warm and cold calling, lead screening and qualification, prospect and/or client follow up, lead nurturing, in-house proprietary productivity tracking software, circle prospecting, geo-farming, expired, and FSBOs, referral working.
Price
Full virtual assistant plans are $1,788 a month for a 12-month plan.
Who it's good for
Someone looking to grow and create solid systems and processes with the help of a strategic partner. Current clients range from single agents to big brokerage teams.
Phone Animal
How it works
Finds homeowners looking to sell and connects them with top agents. Work with their data team to pick neighborhoods you want listings in. Both outbound prospecting and handling inbound leads. Call team prospects and connects with motivated homeowners thinking of selling within 12 months who aren’t working with an agent. Integrates in your systems which allows them to input your screened seller nurtures directly into your CRM. Each nurture comes with detailed notes and call recordings.
What’s included
Full time, fully trained, fully managed, and dedicated team, 25 hard seller nurtures/month on average.
Price
Implementation fee ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 depending on contract length. Contracts run from $1,250 to $2,000 a month.
Who it's good for
Agents and teams looking to shift their business from working with buyers to sellers.
Power ISA
How it works
They recruit, select, train, lead and motivate a team with specific scripts, experience with objecting sales techniques and language, and expertise in your location. The account is then assigned to a client success team that does hours of calling supervised by a licensed real estate broker and a team of internal and external ISA coaches and trainers.
What’s included
Direct to the calendar, live transfers, instant notifications, Facebook conversion, daily reports, dedicated ISA, regular sync ups, direct interaction with CRM and team.
Price
Rekindle & Generate (lead management and relationship builder) or Scout & Out (scout for new business and outbound listing generator) options; both priced at $2,250/mo for full time and $1,400/mo for part-time, plus a $199 ProDialer option
Who it's good for
Teams and agents who are looking for a customized approach.
Radius Agent
How it works
Experienced, U.S.-based team of ISAs qualify leads and set appointments. Automatically integrate real estate lead sources (including incoming calls) or email leads in a spreadsheet. ISA team contacts leads via text, email, or call within 5 minutes of submission. If qualified, they coordinate the best time for you to reach out. Decide what leads to accept and earn 25% on leads you refer out. Monitor progress with submitted leads and view a summary of engagement on a dashboard.
What’s included
Customizable features, including working closely with agents to be sure branding is on point, real-time integrations, inbound number, appointment scheduling through Calendly, customizable outreach and text scripts, full transparency as to how leads are going, recordings of the qualifications.
Price
Plans run from $299 to $419 based on the features chosen. The longer you sign up, the cheaper the pricing is, and you can also pay as you go at a slightly higher rate.
Who it's good for
Their target market is agents that are busy and want to outsource calling so they can focus on other aspects of their business. For teams, their target is brokers who want transparency for their team and the progress they are making.
Realty Conversion
How it works
Real human conversations + technology contact every lead and makes up to 10 attempts within the first 5 days via phone, SMS, and email. Lead generation, nurturing, and conversion; they book in-person appointments directly into your calendar. Offer up to 12 months of follow-up via phone, SMS, and email.
What’s included
Customized scripts, a dedicated representative, daily reports and engagement history, follow up on CRM.
Price
Charge per lead, in Canadian dollars: $10 per lead for up to 200 leads/mo, $9 per lead for 200-300 leads/mo, $8 per lead for 300-400 leads/mo, $7 per lead for 400+ leads/mo, billed at the end of based of the amount of net leads provided.
Who it’s good for
Teams between 3-5 agents; typically high-performing agents, someone doing 30-40 deals a year. Developers are another target audience.
Smart Alto
How it works
Real people, not AI, use the BANTAR (Budget, Authority, Needs, Timeline, Area, Relationship) method to qualify leads with webchat and text messaging. Integrated website chat and text messaging. Appointments are actually scheduled on calendars, meaning you never have to deal with tire-kickers.
What’s included
Virtual assistants to filter leads and set appointments, smart campaigns to automate follow up for 24 months, convert 25% of leads in 18-24 month span, bring old leads back to life, pre-written content, 2-minute response to all leads 24/7, custom scripts by lead type and source, mobile-friendly with no app to download.
Price
Starts at $300/mo for up to 100 leads. Prices increase incrementally to $1,000/mo for up to 500 leads and are customizable after that.
Who it's good for
Real estate teams and individuals trying to grow their businesses and can handle at least 50 leads per month.
Live & AI ISAs
Verse.io (Formerly Agentology)
How it works
Combination of humans and AI completely integrated in 2-way text and omnichannel communications. Both an AI-driven platform for managing, qualifying, and nurturing leads, and a team of highly trained human concierges that respond authentically to all leads within 5 minutes, 24/7, and re-engage at exactly the right moments. If a lead is qualified, but not yet ready to buy, it goes into a nurturing and reactivation campaign and gets recontacted at a time of their choosing. Qualified leads can be instantly live-transferred to your sales team, or they can book an appointment.
What’s included
Zapier integration, custom scripts, Verse Smart Cadence™, real-time sync with CRM.
Price
Essential (up to 250 leads) is $7 per lead, Pro (up to 500 leads) is $6 per lead, Premium (up to 1,000 leads) is $5 per lead. Enterprise (more than 5,000 leads) also available.
Who it's good for
Teams or brokerages who generate a lot of online leads and are looking to scale. Also allows a team with a successful system to scale it without taking on new staff.
AI ISAs
Structurely
How it works
Artificial intelligence that immediately responds to real estate leads, follows up with them for a year and qualifies them. Text and email only; no phone calls. Communicates with leads at scale, engaging, qualifying, and nurturing leads via two-way conversation. AI Assistant overcomes objections while driving the conversation forward and empathizes with leads like a human. Apps let you take your conversations on the go. Mute conversations or take over conversations directly from the app.
What’s included
No contracts, 200+CRM integrations, 24/7/365 responses in under 2 minutes, 12+ months follow-up, complete script customization, appointment scheduling, bilingual services, drip campaigns, analytics reporting, tasks, mobile apps.
Price
$299/mo for 100 contacts, $499/mo for 200 contacts, up to $1,499/mo for 1,000 contacts.
Who it's good for
Single agents, teams, brokerages that have an established CRM and generate at least 50 online leads a month.
Upcall
How it works
Primarily focused on outbound calling and converting. It calls within seconds when a lead comes in from a variety of sources, and then notifies you with actionable results. Uses real people to gather insights over the phone. Calls the numbers you provide up to 5 times to engage the decision-maker and meet the goal of the call.
What’s included
Custom call scripts, full transparency in a real-time dashboard, over 1,000 integrations, email drip automation, dedicated account manager, in-depth data research, resellers, and white labeling, multiple sub-accounts, REST API access.
Price
Up to 5 calls each lead: $3,500 for 700 leads, $4,500 for 1,000 leads, $12,750 for 3,000 leads, $20,000 for 5,000.
Who it's good for
Anyone who wants to outsource their outbound lead generation without having to hire a sales team. Also for anyone who needs help either scheduling appointments or calling into inbound leads quickly after they submit to be contacted.
Here are some other ISAs we found
Success Assurance
Humans, not AI, reach out within 90 seconds to get the conversation going. They qualify the lead and set up an appointment. View the conversation happening in real-time and can jump in at any point. Custom scripts and campaigns, lead nurturing for up to a year, and proactive re-engagement of past leads, performance tracking with comprehensive dashboard, analytics, and ROI tracking.
Rokrbox
A team of U.S.-based callers is available 80 hours per week, 7 days a week. Leads are called immediately upon registration to welcome them to your site and determine their needs and motivation. Ten phone calls, 4 text messages, and 4 emails are performed during the first 21 days after registration. Consistent and personalized follow-up with leads more than 90 days from purchasing. Leads buying in less than 90 days are introduced to your Agents to cultivate a relationship and make recommendations. Immediate buyers are assigned to agents to schedule a consultation.
3C Contact Services
Provides tailored inbound and outbound solutions while improving profitability, increasing market share, and maximizing your understanding of customer relationships. Specializes in understanding behaviors that can prevent a successful sale and excel at deepening existing customer relationships with upselling and cross-selling techniques. Dedicated and well-trained cadre of customer support specialists who are able to consistently provide excellent services, delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Referral Genie
Captures new leads, promotes your brand, promotes your sphere of influence, solicits referrals. Unlimited clients, customized profile, apps, monthly drip marketing.
Prime Seller Leads
Phone calling is the primary contact method. They keep calling leads every day until they either book an appointment, learn what their intentions are, or request to be left alone. They replace all disinterested or bad phone number leads. $299/mo, no contracts. Daily phone calls, weekly call reporting, calls made from local area codes, integrates with several platforms.
Prospect Boss (Formerly SalesDialers)
ISAs spend 10 hours training to learn about all aspects of your business so they can take over this part of your business as smoothly as possible. You can use your own leads, but this service does come with FSBO and Expired leads. Either have the agent warm transfer the leads after qualification or be notified at the end of the day with detailed descriptions of the calls. Customizable scripts.
Expert Prospecting
Prospect new leads, follow up with old leads, and reconnect with previous clients all while setting your appointments. Starting at $499 a month.
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