Chat Requests

Overview

Chat Requests is Life & Homes’ lead capture and inquiry management system that allows you to receive and respond to incoming questions from potential clients who find your listings or profile online. When someone submits an inquiry (e.g., “I’m interested in 123 Main St” or “Can you help me find a home in Austin?”), it appears as a Chat Request that you can respond to, track, and convert into a full client relationship. Quick, professional responses to Chat Requests can turn website visitors into loyal clients.

Key Capabilities

• Receive Inquiries: Get notifications when potential clients submit questions or showing requests
• Quick Response Templates: Use pre-written templates for fast, professional responses
• Convert to Contact: Instantly add inquirers to your Contacts list
• Convert to Prospect: Move promising leads into your sales pipeline- Track Response Time: Monitor how quickly you’re responding to new leads
• Inquiry History: See all past Chat Requests and their outcomes
• Auto-Responders: Set up automatic acknowledgment messages for immediate engagement
• Mobile Alerts: Receive push notifications so you never miss a lead
• Source Tracking: See which listings or pages generated the inquiry

Accessing This Feature

1. Log in to Life & Homes
2. Click Chat Requests in the left sidebar navigation
3. The Chat Requests page displays all incoming inquiries (new, responded, converted, or archived)

Alternatively:

• From the Dashboard, view the Chat Requests widget showing unread inquiries
• You’ll receive email or mobile notifications when new Chat Requests arrive

Step-by-Step Usage

Common Task 1: Responding to a New Chat Request

Reply to an inquiry from a potential client.

1. Receive notification of a new Chat Request via:
   • Dashboard badge/widget
   • Email alert
   • Mobile push notification
2. Navigate to Chat Requests in the sidebar
3. Click on the new inquiry to open it
4. Review the inquiry details:
   • Inquirer’s name and contact information (email, phone if provided)
   • Their message or question
   • Which property or page they inquired from
   • Date and time of inquiry
5. Write your response:
   • Address them by name
   • Answer their specific question
   • Provide additional helpful information
   • Include a call-to-action (e.g., “Would you like to schedule a showing?”)
6. Or select a response template for common inquiries:
   • “Thanks for your interest in [Property Address]”
   • “I’d be happy to help you find a home in [Location]”
   • “Let’s schedule a time to discuss your needs”
7. Click “Send Response”
8. The inquirer receives your message via email or the platform
9. The Chat Request status updates to “Responded”

Respond Within 1 Hour

Studies show that responding to leads within 1 hour dramatically increases conversion rates. Set up mobile alerts to ensure quick responses even when you’re away from your desk.

Common Task 2: Converting a Chat Request to a Contact

Add the inquirer to your Contacts list for ongoing relationship management.

1. Open the Chat Request you want to convert
2. Click “Convert to Contact” or “Add to Contacts” button
3. The system auto-fills contact information from the inquiry:
   • Name
   • Email
   • Phone (if provided)
   • Notes (inquiry message is added as the first note)
4. Add additional details:
   • Tags (e.g., “Lead,” “Buyer,” “Inquiry from 123 Main St”)
   • Property preferences
   • Timeline or budget (if mentioned in inquiry)
5. Save the contact
6. The contact appears in your Contacts list
7. The Chat Request remains linked to the contact for reference

Common Task 3: Converting a Chat Request to a Prospect

Move a promising lead directly into your sales pipeline.

1. Open the Chat Request
2. Click “Convert to Prospect” or “Move to Pipeline”
3. Fill in prospect details:
   • Prospect Type: Buyer, Seller, or Both
   • Status: Lead (typically starts here)
   • Budget/Price Range (if known)
   • Timeline
   • Property Preferences
   • Motivation Level
4. Add notes from the inquiry and any additional context
5. Set a follow-up reminder for your next touchpoint
6. Save the prospect
7. The prospect appears in your Prospect Management pipeline
8. A contact record is created automatically if it doesn’t exist

Common Task 4: Using Response Templates

Respond quickly with pre-written templates for common inquiries.

1. Navigate to Chat Requests → Settings or Templates
2. Create or edit response templates:
   • Template Name: “Property Inquiry Response,” “General Lead Response,” “Showing Request”
   • Template Content:
     • “Hi {Name}, thanks for your interest in {Property}. I’d be happy to provide more information and schedule a showing…”
   • Use variables like {Name}, {Property}, {Location} for personalization
3. Save templates
4. When responding to a Chat Request:
   • Click “Use Template” or select from a dropdown
   • Choose the appropriate template
   • The system fills in variables with actual data from the inquiry
   • Edit as needed to personalize further
   • Send the response

Personalize Templates

Even when using templates, always personalize with specific details from their inquiry to show genuine interest and attention.

Common Task 5: Reviewing Chat Request History and Metrics

Track your lead response performance and outcomes.

1. Navigate to Chat Requests or Analytics2. View key metrics:
   • Total Chat Requests received (this week, month, all time)
   • Average response time
   • Response rate (% of inquiries you’ve responded to)
   • Conversion rate (% converted to contacts or prospects)
2. Filter Chat Requests by:
   • Status: New, Responded, Converted, Archived
   • Date range
   • Source (which listing or page)
3. Review inquiry sources to understand which listings generate the most leads
4. Identify patterns:
   • Which properties attract the most inquiries?
   • What time of day do most inquiries arrive?
   • Which response templates have the best conversion rates?
5. Adjust your strategy based on insights:
   • Promote high-performing listings more
   • Optimize availability during peak inquiry times
   • Refine response templates that don’t convert well

Tips & Best Practices

• Set Up Mobile Alerts: Enable push notifications so you can respond immediately, even when away from your desk
• Use Auto-Responders: Set up an automatic acknowledgment message (e.g., “Thanks for your inquiry! I’ll respond within the hour”) to engage leads instantly
• Respond Promptly: Aim for responses within 1 hour during business hours, ideally within 15-30 minutes
• Personalize Every Response: Even with templates, add specific details from their inquiry to show you’ve read it carefully
• Ask Questions: In your response, ask clarifying questions to better understand their needs (budget, timeline, must-haves)
• Include Call-to-Action: Every response should suggest a next step (schedule a call, set up a showing, send more listings)
• Track Follow-Ups: If they don’t respond to your first message, follow up 24-48 hours later
• Convert Quickly: Don’t let inquiries sit in “Responded” status—convert to Contact or Prospect to start relationship management
• Analyze Sources: Review which listings generate the most (and best quality) leads to inform your marketing strategy
• Close the Loop: Archive or mark inquiries as “Converted” or “Not Interested” to keep your list clean

Related Guides

• Messages - Continue conversations with inquirers via integrated messaging- Contacts - Manage converted contacts from Chat Requests
• Prospect Management - Track converted prospects through the sales pipeline- Dashboard - View new Chat Requests on your Dashboard
• Lead Response Workflow - Learn the full workflow for handling new inquiries

FAQ

Q: Where do Chat Requests come from? A: Chat Requests are generated when potential clients submit inquiries through property listing pages, your agent profile, contact forms on your website, or integrated lead sources. The platform captures these inquiries and routes them to you.

Q: Can I get Chat Requests from Zillow or Realtor.com? A: Integration with third-party lead sources varies. Some platforms support integrations with Zillow, Realtor.com, and other lead sources. Check with your administrator or platform settings to enable these integrations.

Q: What if I receive a Chat Request outside of business hours? A: Set up an auto-responder to acknowledge the inquiry immediately (e.g., “Thanks for reaching out! I’ll respond first thing in the morning”). Then respond manually as soon as you’re available.

Q: How do I know if a Chat Request is a serious lead or just browsing? A: Look for indicators of seriousness: specific questions about property details, mentions of timeline or budget, requests for showings, multiple inquiries. Less serious leads tend to ask very general questions or don’t provide contact information.

Q: Can I mark a Chat Request as spam or irrelevant? A: Yes, most platforms allow you to archive or dismiss Chat Requests that are spam, duplicates, or clearly not relevant leads. This keeps your active list clean.

Q: What happens if I don’t respond to a Chat Request? A: Unresponded inquiries remain in your “New” queue and may trigger reminders or affect your response time metrics. Promptly respond or archive to maintain a clean workflow.

Q: Can I assign Chat Requests to other agents in my team? A: Team features vary. Some platforms allow you to forward or assign Chat Requests to colleagues. Check your platform’s collaboration settings.

Q: How long should I keep Chat Request history? A: Keep Chat Requests indefinitely (or per your brokerage’s data retention policy) for reference. Even if a lead doesn’t convert immediately, they may re-engage months later.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Not receiving Chat Request notifications

• Cause: Notification settings disabled, email filtering, or mobile app permissions
• Solution:
  1. Check notification settings in your profile
  2. Enable email and/or push notifications for Chat Requests
  3. Verify notification email address is correct
  4. Check spam/junk folder for notification emails
  5. Ensure mobile app has notification permissions enabled
  6. Test with a sample inquiry (ask a colleague to submit one)

Issue: Cannot respond to a Chat Request

• Cause: Permissions issue, inquiry expired, or system error
• Solution:
  1. Refresh the page and try again
  2. Check if the Chat Request is already archived or converted
  3. Verify you have permission to respond to inquiries
  4. Try responding from a different browser or device
  5. Contact support if issue persists

Issue: Chat Request converted to wrong contact

• Cause: Duplicate contacts, auto-match error, or manual selection mistake
• Solution:
  1. Review the contact record created
  2. Merge with the correct contact if a duplicate exists
  3. Manually link the Chat Request to the right contact
  4. Update contact information to correct any errors
  5. Report the issue to support if auto-matching is consistently wrong

Issue: Response templates not working or saving

• Cause: Browser issues, permission restrictions, or template syntax errors
• Solution:
  1. Clear browser cache and reload
  2. Check for required fields in the template
  3. Verify variable syntax (e.g., {Name} not {{Name}})
  4. Try creating a simple template without variables
  5. Use a different browser
  6. Contact support if templates consistently fail

Issue: Chat Request metrics seem incorrect

• Cause: Tracking not enabled, data sync delay, or calculation errors
• Solution:
  1. Refresh the metrics/analytics page
  2. Check date range filters
  3. Verify all Chat Requests have correct status (Responded, Converted, etc.)
  4. Allow time for metrics to update (may have hourly or daily refresh)
  5. Contact support if numbers are clearly wrong

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Next Steps

Now that you understand Chat Requests, explore related features:

• Messages - Continue conversations with leads via messaging- Prospect Management - Track converted leads through the pipeline- Workflows - Learn the full lead response workflow from inquiry to client