When someone submits an enquiry on Rightmove or Zoopla, they are not a cold lead.
They have already seen the property. They have checked the price. They have decided to enquire. Intent already exists.
The real question is not how many leads you receive.
It is how many turn into conversations.
Most agencies auto-reply by email, then attempt to call. The pattern is predictable.
Email acknowledgement. Call attempt. Voicemail. Follow-up email.
Wait.
Inside the branch, this feels proactive. From the enquirer’s perspective, it feels administrative.
An automated email says: "We received your form."
It does not say: "We're engaging with you."
Opening an email is passive. Replying is active.
Without immediate interaction, most web enquiries never become two-way conversations. Speed materially changes engagement.
Now compare that with:
"Thanks for your enquiry about 12 High Street. Are you looking to arrange a viewing? What days generally work for you?"
Instead of hoping a call connects, you are asking a question.
Starting dialogue.
Capturing qualification instantly.
It feels conversational. It feels immediate. It feels organised. Not administrative.
Agencies using structured WhatsApp engagement see most applicants reply within minutes rather than waiting for a call. That difference is structural.
Every portal enquiry is also:
A potential future vendor. A potential landlord. A brand touchpoint.
If that applicant is not yet on the market, your response becomes their first lived experience of your agency.
One experience feels reactive. The other feels modern and easy to deal with. Perception influences instruction decisions long before a valuation appointment.
You are not just competing on who calls first. You are competing on how the interaction feels in the first five minutes. Intent only turns into revenue when it turns into conversation.
And conversation is driven by experience.