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How to Respond to Direct Messages From Your Clients
How to Respond to Direct Messages From Your Clients

In this article, learn how clients can send you messages directly through Homebot and how to respond.

Erica McGarvey avatar
Written by Erica McGarvey
Updated over 2 months ago

Throughout the Homeowner and Buyer reports, clients are encouraged to message you directly with pre-written and custom questions.

We'll notify you via email when someone sends you a direct message, prompting you to respond via email or by phone.

Continue reading to learn each of the direct messages and how to respond. Click on one of the pink links below to skip ahead.

Direct messages from the Homeowner digest:

From the Market Temperature Module:

  1. Should I sell now?

  2. How's my neighborhood doing?

From the Should You Sell Now Module:

  1. Should I hold on to my house?

  2. Can you prequalify me?

  3. Do you know any buyers that would be interested in my home?

  4. How can I prepare my home to maximize my listing price?

  5. How's the market for buying?

From the Refinance Module:

  1. What are my cashout options?

  2. How long until I recoup closing costs?

From the Additional Payments Module:

  1. What are the trade-offs versus refinancing?

  2. What if I made a single large payment?

From the Purchase Power Module:

  1. What option is best for me?

  2. How do I get started?

  3. How can I finance a rental?

  4. Do I need to update my home?

  5. Does it make sense to sell now?

From the Equity Explorer Module:

  1. What option is best for me?

  2. What are my cashout options?

  3. What would my refi rate be?

  4. Should I use equity for home improvements?

  5. Can I build an ADU?

  6. Should I pay off my loans now?

  7. How do I pay off my credit cards?

  8. Can I finance solar panels with equity?

  9. What's the best use of my equity?

  10. Can we chat through my goals?

From the Short-Term Rental Module:

  1. Can you help me get started?

  2. How else can short-term rental income help me?

From the Reverse Mortgage Module:

  1. Can you help me plan my retirement cashflow?

From the Mortgage Insurance Module:

  1. How can I remove my mortgage insurance?

  2. Do you know if I have PMI?

  3. How would I drop mortgage insurance faster?

From the Equity Smart Search Module:

  1. Hey, can you walk me through this?

From the Home Insurance Module:

  1. How do I know if I'm overpaying?

  2. Where should I start?

  3. Can you help me check my insurance policy?

Direct messages from the Buyer report:

From the Budget module:

  1. Can you get me prequalified?

From the Explore markets modules:

  1. What areas should I be looking at?

  2. Is there new construction I should know about?

From the Buyer timeline module:

  1. How do I get started?

  2. How do I shrink these timelines?

From the Interest rate module:

  1. How do I lock in before rates rise?

  2. What down payment do I really need?

From the Short-term rental module:

  1. Can you help me get started?

  2. How else can short-term rental income help me?

Below are additional questions if you have Homebot home search connected:

  1. Can I afford this home?

  2. Is this home a good investment?

  3. Can I get prequalified for this home?

Market temperature module

In the Market Temperature module, clients can look at how their market is doing based on their zip code and learn more about the selling temperature. Like, if it's a good time to sell (hot market) or if they should hold onto their home awhile longer (cool market).

Be the first to know if your client is considering selling when they send one of the following messages:

  1. Should I sell now?

  2. How's my neighborhood doing?

Here are the best practices for answering Market Temperature questions

  1. Preview your client's digest report to understand their individual situation better

  2. Call your client right away! "Hey, Holly! I received your question from Homebot and wanted to follow up with you. Are you thinking of selling? Are you currently working with a preferred agent?"

  3. Please direct them to the market temperature module to better understand their market

  4. Ask them if they are interested in selling.

  5. Find out if your client is working with an agent or if they'd like an introduction to a professional you trust for a detailed CMA.

  6. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Should you sell module

From within the Market Temperature module, clients can better understand their selling position based on home appreciation/depreciation, cash position, and market temperature.

Be the first to know your client is considering selling when they send one of the following messages:

  1. Should I hold on to my house?

  2. Can you prequalify me?

  3. Do you know any buyers that would be interested in my home?

  4. How can I prepare my home to maximize my listing price?

  5. How's the market for buying?

Here are the best practices for answering Market Temperature questions

  1. Preview your client's digest report to understand their individual situation better

  2. Call your client right away! "Hey, Holly! I received your question from Homebot and wanted to follow up with you. Are you thinking of selling? Are you currently working with a preferred agent?"

  3. Find out if your client is interested in a detailed CMA.

  4. Please direct them to the market temperature module to better understand their market

  5. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Additional payments module

From the home value report, clients can find tips to save interest over time and send you questions to ensure paying extra is the best course of action.

Start aligning your client's financial goals with their mortgage to grow wealth when client's ask you these questions:

  1. What are the trade-offs versus refinancing?

  2. What if I made a single large payment?

Best practices for answering questions from the Additional Payments section:

  1. Preview your client's digest report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Review their rates, eligibility for a refi, and if refi makes more sense for them.

  3. Call your client right away!

  4. Get a better understanding of your client by asking about their goals.

  5. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Refinance Module

In the Refinance module, clients eligible for a refi can explore various loan options to understand potential savings better and request more information.

Clients can proactively reach out to you, indicating intent with the following questions:

  1. How long until I recoup closing costs?

  2. What are my cashout options?

Here are the best practices for answering questions from the Refinance Module:

  1. Preview your client's digest report.

  2. Review their rates, eligibility for a refi, and create a cost & savings analysis for your client to understand their individual situation better.

  3. Email your client the information, and then call your client right away!

  4. Once you get a better understanding of their goals, review potential scenarios with your client.

  5. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

HOMEBOT PRO TIP: Automate your client's total cost analysis by POWERing UP using our Morgage Coach integration!

Purchasing power module

In the Purchasing Power module, Homebot gives eligible homeowners a glimpse into what they could potentially afford using their home equity. To be eligible, homeowners must have at least 25% equity or at least $10,000.00 to see this module. See scenarios in the image below:

Some of the questions you'll receive from clients within the Purchasing Power module include:

  • What option is best for me?

  • How do I get started?

  • How can I finance a rental?

  • Do I need to update my home?

  • Does it make sense to sell now?

Best practices for answering questions from the Purchasing Power Module:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away!

  3. Get an understanding of their goals, timeline, etc.

  4. Ask them if they are working with an agent or if they’d like an introduction to a professional you trust

  5. Ask both your client & the agent to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Equity explorer module

In the Equity Explorer module, Homebot provides eligible clients (with more than 35% accrued equity) an opportunity to explore creative ways in which they can exercise their cash-out refi.

Some of the questions you'll receive from clients within the Equity Explorer module include:

  • What option is best for me?

  • What are my cash-out options?

  • What would my refi rate be?

  • Should I use my equity for home improvements?

  • Can I build an ADU?

  • Can I finance solar panels with equity?

  • Should I pay off my loans now?

  • How do I pay off my credit cards?

  • What's the best use of my equity?

  • Can we chat through my goals?

Here are the best practices for answering Equity Explorer questions

Think of the Equity Explorer module as an excellent opportunity to create a referral network. Review your contacts for:

  1. Financial advisors

  2. Debt specialists

  3. Green energy companies

  4. Construction contractors

Once a client reaches out to you about using their equity:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away!

  3. Get an understanding of their financial goals.

  4. See if they’d like an introduction to a specialist you trust

  5. Ask both your client & the expert to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Short-term rental module

In the short-term rental module, Homebot provides your client insight into how well their home could perform as a short-term rental using data collected by AIRDNA.

Client's interested in learning more about using their home as a short-term rental can email you the following questions:

  • Can you help me get started?

  • How else can short-term rental income help me?

Best practice for managing short-term rental questions:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better: Are they considering renting out their primary home? Are they hoping to buy another home?

  3. See if they’d like an introduction to a specialist you trust better to understand laws & regulations around AirBnB in their area.

  4. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Reverse mortgage module

In the reverse mortgage module, clients who are close to the qualifying age (61.5 years old) and who have at least 50% equity can ask you the following questions:

  1. Can you help me plan my retirement cashflow?

Best practice for managing reverse mortgage questions:

  1. Preview your client's digest report to understand their individual situation better

  2. Call your client right away! "Hey, Holly! I received your question from Homebot and wanted to follow up with you.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Mortgage insurance module

In the Mortgage Insurance module, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. How can I remove my mortgage insurance?

  2. Do you know if I have PMI?

  3. How would I drop mortgage insurance faster?

Best practice for managing mortgage insurance questions:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better

  3. See if they’d like an introduction to a professional in your network.

  4. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Equity smart search calculator module

In the Equity Smart Search Calculator module, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. Hey, can you walk me through this?

Best practice for managing equity smart search calculator questions:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and show them how it's calculated or introduce them to a professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Home insurance module

In the home insurance module, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. How do I know if I'm overpaying?

  2. Where should I start?

  3. Can you help me check my insurance policy?

Best practice for managing home insurance questions:

  1. Preview your client's digest to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer to introduce them to a professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Budget module

In the budget module of the buyer report, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. Can you get me prequalified

Best practice for managing budget questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and discuss the pre-qualification process

  3. Add the pre-qual information to their buyer profile.

  4. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Explore markets module

In the explore markets module of the buyer report, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. What areas should I be looking at?

  2. Is there new construction I should know about?

Best practice for managing market questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer to introduce them to a trustworthy professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Buyer timeline module

In the buyer timeline module of the buyer report, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. How do I get started?

  2. How do I shrink these timelines?

Best practice for managing buyer timeline questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer to introduce them to a trustworthy professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Interest rate module

In the interest rate module of the buyer report, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. How do I lock in before rates rise?

  2. What down payment do I really need?

Best practice for managing buyer timeline questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer to introduce them to a trustworthy professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Short-term rental module

In the short-term rental module of the buyer report, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. Can you help me get started?

  2. How else can short-term rental income help me?

Best practice for managing buyer timeline questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer to introduce them to a trustworthy professional in your network.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Below are additional questions through the buyer report if you have Homebot Home Search connected:

In Homebot home search, clients can ask the following questions:

  1. Can I afford this home?

  2. Is this home a good investment?

  3. Can I get prequalified for this home?

Best practice for managing Homebot Home Search questions:

  1. Preview your client's report to understand their individual situation better.

  2. Call your client right away to understand their goals better and offer your services.

  3. Ask your client to share Homebot with their friends and family!

Related Articles
Client Referrals
How Clients Can Send Direct Messages Through a Homeowner or Buyer Report
Module Overview: Equity Explorer
The Welcome Email and How to Customize It.
Understanding Client Engagement and Activity
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