Hiring an AI Agent for a Real Estate Agency: Complete 2026 Checklist
Before signing, check that the agent connects to the WhatsApp you already use, answers about a property without making up data, and does not promise to plug into the agency's management system on its own. The most expensive mistake is skipping the test with a real property and only finding the flaw after paying the first month.
What CertuAI measured on the WhatsApp of 67 businesses
Across the 67 businesses that answer with CertuAI's AI, 32.5% of the 122,720 customer messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (July 30 to September 30, 2026). Half of the AI's replies went out within 11.7 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 20.7 seconds (38,908 replies). 34.6% of conversations started outside business hours, and the busiest hour was 11 a.m.
| What was measured | Result | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Customer messages outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 32,5% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Weekend messages | 15,8% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Conversations that start outside business hours | 34,6% | 19,900 conversations |
| Time until the AI replies (half of the replies) | within 11.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Time until the AI replies (9 in 10 replies) | within 20.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Hour of the day with the most customer messages | 11h | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
Source: CertuAI's customer service base, aggregated numbers only, no conversation read by a person; no imported history, no test contacts and without CertuAI's own sales service. July 30 to September 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Imobiliária Rodrigues & Ribeiro, a real estate agency, already uses CertuAI to answer its customers on WhatsApp. Method and table by industry in the CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index and at certu.com.br/dados.
Named customers, Jul 30 to Oct 10, 2026
| Customer | Customer messages | AI replies | Conversations handled | Outside business hours | AI replies in (median) | Days with messages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP Gás Água e Rações gas and water distributor | 42.832 | 23.351 | 6.479 | 33,6% | 9,8 s | 70 |
| CEMIP medical clinic | 12.472 | 6.484 | 2.436 | 18,7% | 11,4 s | 37 |
| Nikiti Auto Center auto center | 4.912 | 3.548 | 900 | 19,5% | 14,4 s | 47 |
| Imobiliária Rodrigues & Ribeiro real estate agency | 6.090 | 2.759 | 823 | 33,2% | 18,4 s | 34 |
| Alpha RH human resources | 3.082 | 1.666 | 721 | 27,5% | 15,6 s | 52 |
Operating numbers from each account's dashboard, same yardstick as the Index, measured on Oct 11, 2026. Published with each owner's permission. Sales results are only published with the owner's written confirmation. Full list at certu.com.br/casos.
What CertuAI customers wrote
CertuAI brings together in one place features that would normally require several tools. Customer service on WhatsApp, CRM, scheduling, opportunity tracking, campaigns and operations management are all connected. Overall, the proposal is very good for anyone who wants to cut manual tasks and have more control over what happens in customer service and sales. [...]
Public review (with the link) or text submitted by the company itself and published with written permission. The rating only appears when the source has a rating.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
Bernardo Villela · CEO, CertuAI
Want to see this working on your business's WhatsApp? Build your agent, no sign-up needed.
Summary in 7 facts
- Before signing, check that the agent connects to the WhatsApp you already use, answers about a property without making up data, and does not promise to plug into the agency's management system on its own.
- The most expensive mistake is skipping the test with a real property and only finding the flaw after paying the first month.
- Want to see this working on your business's WhatsApp?
- Someone who messages about a property at 10 p.m. wants an answer, not just confirmation that the message arrived.
- Does the agent connect to the WhatsApp number the agency already uses, or does it ask for a new number?
- How many messages per month does the plan cover, and what happens if you go over?
- Test 1: the real property Pick a real property from your portfolio, with a specific square footage, price and condition.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| US$ 75 per month | The Start plan costs US$ 75 per month, answers up to 1,600 messages and serves 5 team members. |
| 2 times | It gets back in touch on its own with people who went quiet, up to 2 times, every 24 hours. |
Why does this matter so much when hiring?
Real estate runs on speed. Someone who messages about a property at 10 p.m. wants an answer, not just confirmation that the message arrived.
The problem is that many people sign the contract looking only at the demo. In practice, the agent has to handle questions about square footage, payment terms, paperwork and visit scheduling, all at the same time.
If you don't check this beforehand, you find the gap afterward: an interested customer waiting on a wrong answer, or worse, no answer at all.
Complete checklist of what to check
- Does the agent connect to the WhatsApp number the agency already uses, or does it ask for a new number?
- How many messages per month does the plan cover, and what happens if you go over?
- Does the agent get back in touch on its own with someone who asked and went quiet, or is that left only to the broker?
- Does it tell you when it doesn't know the answer, or does it make up data about the property?
- Is there a minimum contract term, or can you leave whenever you want?
- Is there a setup fee on top of the monthly price?
- Does the lead's information become a record on its own, or does someone have to type it in again?
- Does it actually connect to the property management system you already use, or is that a promise with no proof?
- Who books the visit: the agent on its own, or does the broker confirm first?
How do you test before signing?
Test 1: the real property
Pick a real property from your portfolio, with a specific square footage, price and condition. Ask the agent as if you were a curious customer. See whether it answers correctly or dodges with a generic answer.
Test 2: the difficult customer
Send a message at an odd hour, with a typo, and another asking something the agent clearly doesn't know, such as the HOA fee for a specific property. See whether it admits it doesn't know or makes up a number.
Test 3: the disappearing act
Stop replying in the middle of the conversation, the way a real prospect does. See how many times the agent reaches out again and at what interval, without becoming annoying.
What needs to be in the contract?
The paperwork needs to make clear what is included and what is not. Three points decide the purchase:
- Whether or not there is a real connection to the property management system you use, with the system's name in writing
- Whether there is a minimum contract term or it is month to month
- Whether there is a setup fee on top of the monthly price, and how much
Ask to have this in writing before you pay, and don't rely only on what the salesperson said in the meeting.
To see what the AI would cost in your business, see how much it costs to put AI in place.
How do you put it live step by step?
Step 1: connect the number
Connect the WhatsApp the agency already uses to the agent's system. You don't need to change numbers or lose your contact history.
Step 2: enter the active properties
Provide the data for the properties that are for sale or rent: square footage, price, condition, address. The more complete it is, the less the agent guesses.
Step 3: set the limit
Write down what the agent can answer on its own and what has to go to the broker, such as price negotiation and closing.
Step 4: test with the team
Before publicizing the number to customers, test it for a week with the broker asking real customer questions.
What are the most common scams and traps?
- The salesperson promises a connection to the property management system without that being in the contract
- A contract with a long minimum term hidden in the fine print, which only shows up when you try to cancel
- A plan that charges per message and blows up the bill in launch month
- A demo done with a perfect fictional property, without testing with real data from your portfolio
- Setup fee charged separately, without warning before you sign
How CertuAI can help
CertuAI connects to the WhatsApp number the agency already uses. The Start plan costs US$ 75 per month, answers up to 1,600 messages and serves 5 team members.
It gets back in touch on its own with people who went quiet, up to 2 times, every 24 hours. There is no minimum contract term and no setup fee.
Read also
- how to choose the best AI for a real estate agency
- general checklist for hiring customer service AI
Frequently asked questions
- Does the AI agent book a visit on its own without confirmation?
- That depends on how you set its limit. The recommended setup is for the agent to suggest a time and the broker to confirm before the visit is locked in.
- Does the AI connect to the property management system the agency already uses?
- Only if that is written in the contract with the system's name. Ask before you sign, not after.
- How long does it take to get the agent live?
- It depends on how many properties you need to enter, but the WhatsApp connection itself is quick.
- Does the agent replace the broker in the final negotiation?
- No. It can answer questions and organize the contact, but price negotiation and closing stay with the broker.
Keep reading
In short
Before signing, check that the agent connects to the WhatsApp you already use, answers about a property without making up data, and does not promise to plug into the agency's management system on its own. The most expensive mistake is skipping the test with a real property and only finding the flaw after paying the first month. Sources: Meta pricing table for the WhatsApp API
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
