The Challenge: Qualify leads quickly, connect and close

The Solution: Faster, more personalized communication

Given the popularity of WhatsApp in Hong Kong, Centaline integrated WhatsApp Business Platform with its property recommendation engine. The company partnered with Sanuker to build a custom WhatsApp chatbot, which enables messaging and tracks communication history, collects customer information, and helps Centaline funnel leads to the appropriate agent.

The WhatsApp chatbot uses interactive features like List Messages and Reply Buttons that deliver far more than a text message service, and enables Centaline to better customize and personalize the customer experience. The List Message feature offers a series of up to 10 options that make it easier to identify what a customer wants to do, while Reply Buttons offers a simple, three-option menu that quickly guides them to the next step.

Enabled by these interactive features, customers enjoy more consistent, responsive experiences that keep them engaged with the business. And if a customer needs to go back to a previous question or revisit the app later, information is saved so they can pick up where they left off.

Their success: Chatbot success

Using the WhatsApp chatbot, customers can search for properties based on location, price, size, and other details, and that data is tracked directly in the app. List Messages and Reply Buttons enables the agency to identify which properties would be an ideal fit even before the first phone call or in-person conversation. When a customer is ready to be contacted, agents receive an immediate alert. They can quickly qualify leads based on buying interest and preference and customize personal outreach accordingly. “The WhatsApp automated chatbot is crucial to help identify the kind of property a buyer wants early on. Once customers are passed to our sales team, our agents are much better prepared to address each homebuyer’s unique needs and interests, helping us close more deals faster,” says Alex Shih, chief executive officer at the Centaline Group.

Just one month after launching the chatbot, 57 percent of the company’s new leads started coming through the WhatsApp Business Platform, resulting in a 12.8 percent increase in qualified calls to the agency, and a 27 percent increase in sales conversions. The initial interaction with the chatbot facilitates a better, more interactive connection with the agency and saves time, resulting in more homes purchased compared to traditional channels. “Real estate in Hong Kong is expensive, and customers investing large amounts want to feel confident in the property they’re buying. WhatsApp gives us the communication tools to attract customers and help transition them through the buying cycle so they can buy a property they love,” says Shih.

The app quantifies data usage, creates management reports, and helps refine metrics to better understand customer preferences, engagement, and buying behaviors. Going forward, Centaline will continue using WhatsApp Business Platform to help further customize the chatbot flow, and capture rich data analytics to help provide even greater experiences for its customers.