Virtual Leasing Assistants That Are So Real Clients Ask Them Out for Coffee

The conversations seem so “real” and so personable, that EliseAI clients are calling apartment communities asking to take “her” out for coffee, or at least to express their gratitude.

The artificial intelligence enabled texting function has proven so proficient for some communities, that one from the NMHC Top 10 requested that the company “turn off” their service temporarily so they can “catch up.”

EliseAI is an AI-based leasing assistant that is software agnostic, answers prospective residents’ questions, schedules and handles tour requests.

It also automatically follows up, sends reminders, and sends lease applications to those interested in moving in.

Mark Halling is principal, director of portfolio management, for San Diego-based Stratford Partners.

It owns properties mostly on the West Coast and Mountain states in markets such as Denver, Portland, Phoenix and Seattle. Most are B and B+ value-add properties.

It helped reduce strain on our onsite staff, who were feeling overwhelmed, even before the pandemic.

“When we had spikes in our lead traffic, it became a situation where we’d get to them when we had the time,” Halling said. “Our leasing teams had to work through the list via email.

“Now, when tour appointments have been set automatically, and our prospects have had most of their questions answered, our team can step in personally and handle these customers.

“It once was that if prospects inquired after work on Friday, for example, they had to wait around until as late as 9:30 a.m. Monday to get a response from us. By that time, they’ve already moved on to another (more receptive) property.

“Today, prospective renters who reach out to us hear back from us 24 hours a day. They feel more appreciated and valued.”

Virtual Assistant Delivers ‘Startling’ Results

Halling said that the increases in tour scheduling aren’t because his teams changed their property photos or the wording on their ad listings.

“It’s just that we have this virtual leasing assistant,” said Halling, who uses it at five properties and plans to onboard it soon at six more.

In one community, the virtual leasing assistant rented seven apartments within two weeks of going live without Stratford Partners having to change anything else (pricing, marketing, staffing, etc.).

“We saw immediate results through this technology,” Halling said.

“EliseAI is very conversational in the way it communicates to prospects – like you really are connected to a human. People believe it’s a real person.

“Ours happens to be named Josie and people will call in and ask to speak to her. We even indicate to the prospects up front that they are using a with a programmed, computer-driven tool to communicate.”

No One Wants to Read a Two-Page Brochure

“Consumers today want a quick, direct conversation. They don’t want to read a two-page brochure. They want realism and responsiveness, and not be put into a phone tree.”

Halling said about 55% of his tours are made during off-hours, via its virtual leasing assistant.

He said his staff tells him that “it is less work for them. Instead, they can focus on what they are good at.”

Once prospects get into the marketing funnel, they might be sent up to four emails in a 10-day period.

“When they come in,” Halling said. “They say, ‘Thanks for being so persistent with me.’ ”

Stratford Partners is “very deliberate” when implementing the virtual assistant, Halling said.

“It took about two months for our team to be comfortable with using it,” he said. “We’ve found with other technologies in the past, you try to do too much and too fast and then it fails or get ignored by the team.”