Renters search when you’re off the clock
Rental enquiries don’t stop when the office closes.
In the last 30 days, about 6 in 10 rental enquiries sent to CrayonsCRM agencies arrived outside business hours, defined here as 8am–6pm, Monday–Friday. About 1 in 3 arrived on a weekend.
For property managers, that means a large share of enquiries arrives when the team may have finished for the day. Tenants still want to know when they can inspect, how to register and whether a property suits them.
The AI assistant gives tenants a way to ask those questions outside office hours. Rental teams can also choose how their automatic follow-up works, so answering a question at night doesn’t mean every message needs to arrive on someone’s phone at night.
Questions get answered at night
Tenants don’t only enquire after hours. They ask questions then too.
In the last 30 days, more than 4 in 10 tenant questions to the AI assistant came outside business hours. About 1 in 5 came on a weekend.
Here’s an example from a weeknight evening:
Tenant: Keen on this place, but I’m still interstate until next month. Any viewings coming up?
AI assistant: Thanks for getting in touch! There’s a viewing this Thursday, 5:00–5:15pm. Tap Register next to that time to save a spot.
Tenant: Could my brother go and have a look for me?
AI assistant: Absolutely — someone can view it for you. Just have them register for that time on the page so the team knows they’re coming.
Based on a real chat. Details changed.
The tenant gets an answer about viewing options and a clear next step for registration, even while they’re interstate. It’s a practical question answered in the evening, when they’re ready to plan.
The AI assistant also answers questions included in realestate.com.au and Domain enquiries. The answer appears in a chat on the tenant’s own listing page, and their welcome message links to it.
When the first time doesn’t suit
If a tenant can’t make an advertised time, there’s another way to keep the conversation moving.
Tenant: Is there any chance of a viewing this weekend?
AI assistant: There’s one this afternoon, and another on Saturday at 11am. Tap Register next to the one you want.
Tenant: Can’t get there today, but Saturday works if it’s still going.
AI assistant: Saturday at 11am it is — just tap Register beside it. If neither time works, use “None of these times suit?” to tell the property manager when you can come.
Based on a real chat. Details changed.
The tenant is shown another advertised time and directed to register. If none of the times work, they can suggest an alternative.
CrayonsCRM reads the requested day and time from the tenant’s message and shows it to the property manager, with the tenant’s own words underneath. Those requests also feed the Ideal Week report, helping the team see which times suit tenants.
Being available doesn’t mean being noisy
Automatic texts to tenants wait overnight from 8pm to 8am. The matching email still goes straight away. Running-late and cancellation texts are exceptions: those notices send immediately, including overnight.
Follow-up can also ease off when a tenant goes quiet. Open-home reminders and listing updates pause after reminders for 3 open homes go unanswered, or after 14 quiet days. Agencies can change both settings on the Automations page.
Those messages resume when the person replies, enquires, signs in or clicks a link. Running-late and cancellation notices continue to go out.
The new Queue in Messages gives staff a view of what is waiting to send and why. If plans change, staff can cancel a waiting message before it goes.
The automation map also shows what is switched on for the agency, including which automations can happen at any time.
Keeping landlords in the loop
Follow-up matters for landlords too.
Owner reports now go out 2 hours after an open home ends. Agencies can change that timing, along with when the tenant survey follow-up goes out.
Together, these tools give rental teams more control over the conversation: tenants can ask questions after hours, staff can see waiting messages, and landlords receive their open-home report at the time the agency has set.
Want to see how this works for your rental team? Request a CrayonsCRM demo.
