So you’re looking for a new phone system for your estate agency? Is VoIP the best option? What are the alternatives? This blog should hopefully answer that question and more!Â
Maybe you’re facing one of these problems with your current phone system:
- You feel that frequent engaged tones may be leading to frustrated clients and a loss of revenue.
- You’d like a phone system that links to your client management software so you can greet clients by their name and save time.
- You feel that enquiries may not always be dealt with in the best way so you want to monitor and improve the way your staff interact with your clients.
If so, don’t worry, there’s still hope! Yo Telecom has helped hundreds of estate agents successfully overcome these challenges. In this short article, we’ll outline the differences between the phone systems that are available.
What is the Best Phone System for Estate Agents?
There are three main types of telephone systems available:
- Digital phone systems
- Internet (VOIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol) or cloud-based phone systemsÂ
- Hybrid phone systems (the best of both worlds)
I’ll briefly introduce the three and give you the lowdown on the pros and cons of each system and show you which one is the best for your estate agency.
Digital Phone Systems for Estate Agents
A digital phone system is a physical telephone system that is located somewhere in your estate agency. They are small boxes which are usually mounted on a wall or placed in a cabinet. They connect to your phone lines and all the handsets you have in your building. A benefit of a digital phone system is that it’s very reliable. This system ranks #2 out of the three systems in reliability. However, a disadvantage of a digital phone system is that it is restricted to physical phone lines (digital or analogue phone lines). This means it’s not that future-proof.
Internet (VOIP) Phone Systems for Estate Agents
An internet phone system, also known as a VOIP or cloud based phone system, is a virtual phone system which unlike a digital or hybrid system will not be located in your estate agency. Instead, it will be located in a data centre somewhere in the world. A benefit of VOIP systems is that they can save money on call charges. However a disadvantage of VOIP systems is that if your internet goes down, you will not be able to use your phones – at all.
Hybrid Phone Systems for Estate Agents
The hybrid system is a mixture of a digital phone system and an internet (VOIP) phone system. The system will be located in your estate agency and offers flexibility with your choice of cordless and fixed handsets. A benefit of a hybrid phone system is that they offer more reliability than both VOIP and digital phone systems. If one type of line fails for you, it can automatically route calls in and out from a backup line. Hybrid phone systems don’t really have any disadvantages. They truly are the best of both worlds.
The Hybrid Phone is the Best Phone System for Estate Agents
As well as being the most reliable phone system you can buy. Hybrid phone systems also offer a range of other useful features for your estate agency. You can find these listed below;
+ Call Logging
Never let an unanswered call turn into a missed opportunity, bad impression or an upset client again. You may miss calls when you’re busy on the phone, helping clients, or even when you’re closed. With the Yo Telecom hybrid phone system you get an instant notification of any missed calls. You can pleasantly surprise your clients by returning their missed calls.
+ Call Waiting
Rather than clients getting an engaged tone while you’re busy on the phone, your phone system will automatically greet clients, notify them that you’re busy on the line and then play them some music or marketing while they wait for you. This keeps your clients interested and on the line, rather than looking at other estate agents on Google.
+ Call Recording
Make calling your estate agents a positive experience, always, by improving and monitoring the way your staff speak to your clients. If a caller has a bad experience, it can be damaging to your reputation and your clients may lose trust in you. With Yo Telecom’s call recording you can listen to any call that has been made or received and use it to guide and help staff to improve. It also comes in handy if you ever need to re-listen to information clients give you over the phone.
+ On Hold Marketing (or Music)
Fill those awkward silences while your clients are on hold. This feature will allow you to play marketing messages to your clients when they are placed on hold so they can get a better understanding about the services you provide. Alternatively, we’ll find the perfect music to keep your clients entertained while they’re on hold.
+ Professional Voicemail
If you can’t answer a client’s call because you’re closed or busy helping other clients, it’s important that your voicemail is impressive, professional and helpful. If not, your voicemail could be causing your clients to call a competitor. Yo Telecom’s professional voicemail messages are personalised and recorded specifically for your estate agents, to help you achieve your goals in business.
+ Smart Inbound Call Routing
Impress your callers with fast service by smartly sending inbound calls to a phone or a group of phones. If the person who usually answers calls is already busy on the phone or doesn’t answer quickly enough, the call will automatically be sent through to another phone. Saving your callers time, and keeping them happy.
3 Step Plan to Increase the Success of Your Estate Agents
1. Book a Demo
Book in for a free demo of our phone systems by calling us on 02382 146115.
2. Sign up for the Option That Suits the Needs of Your Estate Agents
One of our specialist telecom experts will come to your estate agency and discuss all of your options, until we have come up with the perfect solution that meets your requirements.
3. Let us Take Care of a Hassle Free Installation & Training
Your delivery and installation date will be booked on a day that suits you. We’ll take care of the whole switch over and will train you to make the most of all of the features on your new phone system!
