Phone system for estate agents
The best phone system for an estate or lettings agency is a cloud (VoIP) one, because it copes with the rush of calls when a new listing goes live, rings your branch and your negotiators on the move at once, holds buyers in a queue at peak rather than letting them ring out, and catches enquiries out of hours with voicemail to email or an AI receptionist. There are no new phone lines or hardware to install, you keep your existing number, and because it runs over the internet it is unaffected by the 2027 PSTN switch-off.
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A buyer calling about a new listing, reaching a negotiator fast.
The calls an estate agent can't afford to miss
In estate agency the phone moves the deal along, and timing is everything. A buyer who cannot get through on a new listing simply calls the next agent. A modern phone system makes sure those calls land, whoever is in the office and whoever is out on viewings.
The new-listing rush
When a desirable property first appears on the portals, the phone does not stop. A single line and one engaged tone at that moment can cost you several interested buyers in an afternoon, so calls need to ring widely and hold callers in turn through the spike.
The buyer who won't wait
Viewings and offers are time-sensitive, and a motivated buyer expects to reach someone quickly. If they hit voicemail with no follow-up, that enquiry, and possibly the sale, goes to a competing agency before you have even seen the missed call.
The agent out on viewings
Your negotiators spend half their day out of the office, at properties and in the car. They still need to take agency calls on the agency number, so a buyer or vendor reaches them wherever they are without giving out a personal mobile.
The wrong branch or department
Callers often do not know whether they need sales or lettings, or which office covers a property. Bouncing them between branches loses time and goodwill, where a clear menu routes each caller straight to the right team from the first choice.
The landlord and tenant
Lettings runs on responsiveness. A landlord chasing progress or a tenant reporting a problem expects to get through, and a missed call here is a relationship strained as well as a job delayed.
The evening and weekend enquiry
Plenty of buyers and tenants only get a chance to call after work or at the weekend, often the moment they spot a listing. If the line just rings out, that warm lead is cold by Monday. Capturing it out of hours turns browsing time into a callback list.
Recommended setup for an estate agency
A handful of features, set up well, cover the way an agency really takes calls. Here is a sensible starting point, with the reason each one earns its place.
- Auto attendant - a quick welcome menu that lets callers choose sales or lettings, or pick a branch, so each enquiry reaches the right team without going through one overloaded reception.
- Ring groups - ring the branch desk and your negotiators' mobiles at the same time, so a buyer on a hot listing is answered by the first free person whether they are in the office or out on a viewing.
- Call queues - hold callers in turn with a position announcement and music on hold during the new-listing rush, instead of an engaged tone that pushes them to a rival agent.
- Voicemail to email - send voicemails straight to a shared inbox so an after-hours enquiry about a property is picked up and called back first thing, not stranded on a desk phone.
- Call recording - keep a record of what was agreed about viewings, offers and instructions, useful for accuracy and for settling any later query over what was said.
- Business-hours routing - play your normal menu during opening hours and switch automatically to an after-hours greeting in the evenings, at weekends and on bank holidays, with no one having to remember to change it.
- Number porting - bring your existing agency number across and keep it, so the number on your boards, portal listings and stationery carries on working.
You can start with the essentials and grow the setup as you add staff or branches. For the bigger picture of how these pieces fit together, see the phone system overview, and because negotiators work on the move, the mobile app lets them make and take agency calls from their phone using the agency number.
An example call flow for an estate agency
This is an illustrative setup for an agency with a sales team in the office and negotiators out on viewings. It shows how a single buyer call on a new listing is handled from the first ring to the callback, and is an example rather than any specific agency.
They spot a property on a portal and ring the agency's main number to ask about a viewing.
A short greeting offers options - press 1 for sales, 2 for lettings, or hold for reception - and the caller presses 1.
A sales ring group means the office and the negotiators out on viewings all ring at once, so whoever is free answers.
They hear a position announcement and music on hold rather than an engaged tone, instead of being pushed to a rival agent.
They pick up on the mobile app using the agency number, take the buyer's details and book a viewing on the spot.
The after-hours greeting plays instead, so an evening or weekend enquiry is met rather than ringing out to nothing.
To voicemail, or to the AI receptionist if enabled. It is emailed to the shared inbox and logged, ready for a fast callback first thing.
AI receptionist for estate agents
A contained way to cover the calls your team cannot reach.
The AI receptionist is an optional add-on that handles enquiries out of hours and when every line is busy. It greets the caller, answers straightforward questions from information you give it, and takes the caller's name, number and the property they are interested in so a negotiator can call back. It is there to cover overflow and after-hours enquiries, not to replace your team. During opening hours your normal menu, ring groups and queues handle calls as usual, and the AI receptionist quietly captures what would otherwise be a missed-call list of warm buyers and landlords.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best phone system for estate agents?
The best phone system for an estate or lettings agency is a cloud (VoIP) system. It handles the surge of calls when a new listing goes live, rings your branch and negotiators at the same time, holds buyers in a queue at peak rather than letting them ring out, and catches calls out of hours with voicemail to email or an AI receptionist. There are no new phone lines or hardware, you keep your number, and it is unaffected by the 2027 switch-off.
How can an estate agency stop missing buyer and landlord calls?
Use a ring group so a new enquiry rings the branch and your negotiators on the move at the same time, then a call queue so callers wait in turn during the rush when a property first lists. Out of hours, voicemail to email or an AI receptionist captures the caller name, number and the property they are interested in and emails it, so a buyer, vendor, landlord or tenant call is never simply lost.
Can an estate agent keep their existing phone number?
Yes. You can move your existing agency number to a cloud system through number porting and keep it exactly as it is. Porting is normally free and your number does not change. Your calls start ringing on the new system once the transfer completes, so the number on your boards, portal listings and stationery still works.
Can calls be routed to the right branch?
Yes. An auto attendant lets callers choose sales or lettings, or pick a branch, then routes each to the right ring group. Multi-branch agencies can give each office its own routing while sharing one main number, and overflow calls into a queue when a branch is busy.
How much does a phone system for estate agents cost?
Voxora is priced per user per month. The Standard plan is £6.95 per user per month and the Pro plan is £9.95 per user per month, both excluding VAT. You only pay for the people who need a line, and call menus, ring groups, queues and voicemail to email are included. See the pricing page for what each plan covers.
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