The problem
Every viewing needs a confirmation to the applicant and one to the vendor, and each is easy to forget on a busy day. If you book 40 viewings a week (about 172 a month) and confirming takes 4 minutes each, that's 688 minutes, about 11.5 hours a month.
What the AI does
Apex27 is a cloud CRM for estate and letting agents. Its Viewings Manager sends automated applicant and vendor confirmations by email and text, according to the vendor's page. The negotiator books the viewing in the CRM and Apex27 sends the confirmations. The page doesn't describe reminders, message timings or wording options, so you check those in the free 30-day trial before relying on them.
A worked example
A three-negotiator agency in Stockport books about 40 viewings a week. The three negotiators each have an Apex27 user, and the manager checks the confirmation wording during the trial.
Before
4 minutes to text the applicant and email the vendor for each of 172 viewings: 688 minutes, about 11.5 hours a month
After
About 1 minute to book the viewing and check the confirmation went: 172 minutes, about 2.9 hours a month
What it's worth
About 8.6 hours a month saved (3 minutes x 172 viewings = 516 minutes), worth around £172 if negotiator time is worth £20 an hour. Apex27 is £35 a user plus VAT, so three users are £105 a month, or £126 with VAT. That is the price of the whole CRM; if you already use Apex27 the extra cost is nil, and if you replace another CRM the difference is what counts.
How to set it up
- Start the free 30-day trial and book ten real viewings through Viewings Manager.
- Read the confirmations the applicant and vendor receive and check the wording, the address and the time.
- Ask Apex27 what happens if a viewing is moved or cancelled, and whether reminders are available.
- Check that your contact permissions for texts and emails are recorded for applicants and vendors.
- Agree who checks, each morning, that the day's viewings were confirmed.
What goes wrong
- The page doesn't state reminder timings or what the messages say. Don't promise applicants a reminder until you've seen it work.
- Pricing is per user, so adding a fourth negotiator adds £35 a month plus VAT. The paid plan is on a 30-day rolling contract.
- Moving your data into a new CRM takes time and may cost extra. Ask Apex27 what a data import costs for your records.
- Applicants' phone numbers and emails are personal data. Use the CRM's permissions so only staff who need them can see them.