Executive Summary
A 40-agent boutique brokerage in the Midwest struggled to convert the thousands of “cold” buyer leads it collected from listing-site registrations, open-house sign-ins, and purchased databases. Only 8 % of those leads ever spoke to a human, and agents spent hours each week dialing without success.
We rolled out an outbound-dialing AI voice agent powered by our proprietary “ACT” buyer script and a CRM-connected cadence workflow. In the first 60 days the brokerage:
- Reached 71 % of dormant buyer leads (vs 8 % prior).
- Converted 43 % of reached leads into live agent transfers or scheduled showings.
- Generated 96 additional buyer appointments—a 258 % increase.
- Cut agent cold-call time by 76 % and lifted team morale.
1 Introduction
Background of the Client/Company
- Industry: Residential real estate brokerage
- Size: 40 licensed agents, single flagship office
- Location: St. Louis metro area
- In business since 2011 with a focus on first-time and move-up buyers.
Context of the Problem
Lead sources exploded—IDX site, Zillow, Facebook ads—but most prospects cooled off before an agent connected. Manual dialing during office hours wasn’t enough, and lead-gen spend was wasting away in the CRM. Competitors were deploying tech to speed contact and the brokerage risked falling behind.
Purpose of the Case Study
Show how outbound AI voice agents, armed with a tested buyer-engagement script and automated cadence, can resuscitate old databases, boost appointment volume, and free agents for higher-value work.
2 Challenges and Objectives
| Challenge | Details |
|---|---|
| Low Contact Rate | Only 8 % of “cold” leads answered/live-talked |
| Agent Burnout | Avg 12 hrs/week cold-dialing with < 5 % success |
| Slow Speed-to-Contact | First attempt often 24–48 hrs after registration |
| Under-utilized CRM | 9 500 untouched leads aging > 90 days |
Objectives & KPIs
- Contact ≥ 60 % of outbound buyer list.
- Conversion ≥ 35 % of contacts to appointment/transfer.
- Reduce agent dialing time ≥ 60 %.
- Unlock ≥ 75 new appointments in 60 days.
3 Solution
Strategy Development
- AI Outbound Dialer: Cloud-based voice AI initiates calls on a progressive cadence (0 min, 2 hrs, 24 hrs, 72 hrs).
- “ACT” Buyer Script: Three-phase framework—Acknowledge intent, Confirm criteria, Transfer/Time-block showing.
- Data-Driven Cadence: AI decides next touch based on sentiment & objections logged to CRM.
Implementation
| Week | Milestone | Stakeholders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data hygiene & list segmentation (exclude DNC) | Ops, Compliance |
| 1 | Script localization—market stats & lender intro | Sales Enablement |
| 1 | AI model training + Twilio outbound number pool | NLP Engineers |
| 1 | Our Own CRM & Calendly integration | DevOps |
| 2 | Pilot on 2 000 dormant leads; real-time QA | RevOps |
| 2 | Full rollout to 9 500 leads; daily dashboards | Project PM |
Tools & Technologies Used
- Twilio Programmable Voice – Carrier-grade outbound dialing.
- Custom LLM stack + LangChain – Dynamic dialogue & memory.
- LangSmith – Prompt A/B testing & performance analytics.
- HubSpot CRM + Zapier – Lead-status updates & agent assignment.
- Google Looker Studio – Visual KPI dashboard emailed daily.
4 Results and Outcomes
Quantitative Results (First 60 Days)
| KPI | Before AI | After AI | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach rate | 8 % | 71 % | +63 pp |
| Show/transfer conversion | 19 % | 43 % | +24 pp |
| Buyer appointments | 27 | 96 | +258 % |
| Agent cold-call time | 12 hrs/wk | 2.9 hrs/wk | −76 % |
| Cost / appointment | $112 | $38 | −66 % |
(Graphical bars included in PDF.)
Qualitative Results
- Prospect Feedback: 4.7 / 5 average post-call satisfaction (“friendly assistant understood what I wanted”).
- Agent Sentiment: Reported higher energy and more time for live showings & negotiations.
- Brand Reputation: Social media mentions of “quick follow-up” increased 34 %.
Comparison to Objectives
All targets surpassed: contact 71 % (> 60 %), conversion 43 % (> 35 %), dialing time down 76 % (> 60 %), appointments 96 (> 75). A surprise benefit was pipeline forecasting accuracy—CRM stages auto-updated, giving leadership real-time revenue visibility.
5 Conclusion
Summary
Outbound AI callers, powered by a purpose-built buyer script and integrated workflow, revived neglected databases, delivered three-times more appointments, and dramatically slashed agent dialing time.
Key Takeaways
- Volume + Velocity: AI can place hundreds of dials per hour, hitting leads when they’re likely to answer.
- Script Consistency: A tested framework outperforms ad-hoc human calls.
- Data Loop: Automatic CRM updates turn “black-hole” databases into living pipelines.
Impact on the Business
- Immediate revenue lift from converted buyers in escrow.
- Sustainable process for future lead lists (portals, events, paid media).
- Competitive moat—buyers praised the seamless, tech-forward experience.