Stop Missing Tenant Calls. Build a Custom AI Voice Assistant.
Yes, you should hire an agency if you need to handle tenant calls after hours without hiring more staff. A custom voice AI can answer common questions, log maintenance tickets, and schedule property viewings automatically.
The project scope depends on the number of properties you manage and which property management software (PMS) needs integration. Connecting to AppFolio for maintenance requests is different from connecting to a custom CRM for leasing inquiries. A build requires a clear process for handling the top 3-5 reasons tenants call.
We built a voice assistant for a 15-person PMC managing 400 residential units. They were missing 30% of calls after 5 PM. The system went live in 4 weeks and now handles 90% of after-hours maintenance requests, logging them directly into their PMS without human intervention.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most property management companies start with a standard Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system from a provider like RingCentral. These systems use rigid "press 1 for maintenance, press 2 for leasing" menus. A tenant with a complex issue, like a broken heater who also needs to ask about rent, gets stuck and has to hang up. The IVR cannot understand natural language, leading to tenant frustration and abandoned calls.
To solve this, many hire a third-party answering service. These services solve the 24/7 coverage problem but introduce delays and errors. They cost between $1.50 and $3.00 per minute and can only take a message. The operator cannot access AppFolio or Buildium to see tenant history or create a work order directly. This creates a 12-hour data entry backlog for your staff the next morning.
A regional PMC with 800 units paid an answering service over $2,000 per month. A tenant called at 10 PM about a leak. The service took a message that was not flagged as urgent. The property manager saw it at 9 AM, 11 hours later. The delay turned a minor plumbing fix into a significant water damage claim because the system could not distinguish a drip from a flood.
How Does It Work?
We start by analyzing your last 3 months of call logs and maintenance tickets to identify the top 10 call reasons, which typically cover over 80% of your call volume. We use this data to fine-tune a Claude 3 Sonnet model to understand your specific terminology for issues like "HVAC," "water heater," or "appliance repair."
We build the core logic in Python using the FastAPI framework and connect it to a cloud telephony API like Twilio to manage the phone calls. The system transcribes the caller's speech in real-time. This transcript is sent to the Claude API, which identifies the caller's intent, such as "maintenance_request" or "leasing_inquiry." The API call to classify intent has a p95 latency of under 800ms.
The classified intent triggers a specific, automated action. For a maintenance request, a Python function connects directly to your PMS API, like AppFolio or Buildium, to create a new work order with the full transcript. For a leasing inquiry, the system can check unit availability and send the caller a scheduling link via SMS. This entire application is deployed on AWS Lambda, costing under $50 per month to run for up to 10,000 calls.
We configure structured logging using `structlog` that pushes to a Supabase database. This creates a simple dashboard showing call volume, intent classification accuracy (typically above 95%), and API error rates. If a call's intent is ambiguous, the system automatically forwards it to your on-call emergency line and logs the transcript for human review. The entire build and deployment cycle takes 3-4 weeks.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Capture 100% of Calls, Not 70%
The voice assistant answers 24/7. No more missed maintenance calls after 5 PM or on weekends, reducing tenant frustration and emergency repair costs.
Fixed Build Cost, Not Per-Minute Fees
A one-time project fee replaces variable monthly answering service bills. Hosting on AWS Lambda is a predictable, low flat rate, not a per-call charge.
You Own The System and The Code
We deliver the complete Python source code to your company's GitHub repository. You have full control, no vendor lock-in, and own all call transcript data.
Direct PMS Integration, No Manual Entry
The assistant writes maintenance tickets directly into AppFolio or Buildium. This eliminates the 12-hour delay and data entry errors from human answering services.
Real-Time Alerts for True Emergencies
The system understands urgency based on keywords. A call about a "leaking pipe" is instantly forwarded to a human, while a "broken cabinet hinge" is logged as a standard ticket.
What Does the Process Look Like?
System Audit (Week 1)
You provide read-only access to your PMS and phone system logs. We analyze call patterns and define the top 5 intents to automate. You receive a technical scope document.
Core Development (Week 2)
We build the Python application, connecting to the Claude API and your PMS. You receive a development server URL to test the voice assistant's responses with your own voice.
Deployment and Testing (Week 3)
We deploy the system on AWS Lambda and connect it to a new phone number for live testing by your team. You receive a runbook detailing the system architecture.
Launch and Monitoring (Week 4)
We switch your main phone line to the new system. We monitor performance for 30 days, tuning as needed. You receive a final handoff report and dashboard access.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom voice assistant cost and how long does it take?
- A typical build takes 3-4 weeks. Pricing is fixed based on complexity, primarily the number of integrations with your Property Management Software and the variety of call types to handle. It's a one-time cost, unlike a monthly answering service. We provide a fixed-price quote after our initial discovery call at cal.com/syntora/discover.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands a tenant or the system goes down?
- If the AI cannot confidently determine the caller's intent after two tries, it automatically transfers the call to a human operator or live voicemail. The entire conversation is transcribed and logged. System downtime is monitored 24/7; an outage triggers an alert and a failover to a standard voicemail box so no call is ever lost.
- How is this different from a service like CallRail or a standard IVR?
- CallRail provides tracking and analytics but does not handle the conversation. A standard IVR uses rigid "press 1, press 2" menus that frustrate callers. Our system uses natural language understanding, so a tenant can simply state their problem in their own words. It then takes direct action by integrating with your PMS.
- Can it handle different accents and background noise?
- Yes. We use modern speech-to-text models trained on millions of hours of diverse audio, making them resilient to most accents and moderate background noise like traffic or a television. We test this during development using sample call recordings you provide to ensure high accuracy for your specific tenant base.
- Who maintains the system after you build it?
- You own the code and can have any Python developer manage it. We provide a runbook for common maintenance tasks. Most clients choose our optional flat-rate monthly maintenance plan, which covers hosting costs, API updates, performance monitoring, and two hours of development time for minor changes or adjustments.
- Is our tenant and property data secure?
- Yes. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We do not store personally identifiable information (PII) long-term. Call transcripts are temporarily processed on AWS Lambda and logged to your private Supabase instance, which you control. We follow AWS security best practices, and you own all access credentials after handoff.
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