Build Your After-Hours AI Voice Agent for Property Management
Look for an agency that delivers custom code that integrates directly with your property management software. Ensure they provide full source code ownership and a flat maintenance fee, not per-call charges.
We built an after-hours voice agent for a firm managing 450 single-family rentals. They were paying a human answering service $800 per month for about 200 calls. Our AI agent went live in 3 weeks and now resolves over 70% of calls by creating work orders directly in their PMS without human intervention.
The system's complexity depends on the number of call types and the quality of your PMS integration. An agent that only handles emergency maintenance tickets is a simpler build than one that also answers leasing questions and checks rent payment status. Direct API access to AppFolio or Buildium is more straightforward than working with a closed system.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most property managers first try basic phone trees or IVR systems from providers like RingCentral. These fail because tenants with urgent issues like a burst pipe will not navigate a 'press 1 for X' menu. They hang up frustrated, your property suffers damage, and you get an angry call in the morning. These systems are menus, not conversational agents.
Off-the-shelf voice bots are the next step, but they lack context. They cannot access your property management software to answer specific questions like, 'Is the on-site manager for the Elm Street building available?' or 'What is the pet policy for unit 3B?' The bot defaults to taking a message, which is no better than voicemail and creates a poor tenant experience.
This leads companies to hire expensive 24/7 human answering services. This solves the robot problem but introduces new ones. These services have high turnover, are prone to error, and cannot perform actions in your PMS. They just take a message and forward it. This adds a 15-to-30-minute delay to your response time for a critical emergency.
How Does It Work?
We start by connecting to your property management software's API, whether it is AppFolio, Buildium, or another platform. We use this connection to pull property data, tenant information, and vendor lists. This allows the AI to give specific, accurate answers. We provision a phone number or port your existing one, handling the voice infrastructure.
The core of the system is a Python application using FastAPI, deployed on AWS Lambda for high availability. When a call comes in, we use real-time transcription to convert speech to text. The Claude API then analyzes the transcript to classify intent, such as 'emergency maintenance' or 'leasing inquiry'. The entire turn, from tenant speaking to AI responding, takes under 800 milliseconds.
For actionable requests, the agent performs tasks. If a tenant reports a water leak, the agent gathers details and creates a P1 work order in your PMS via an API call. It then looks up the correct on-call plumber for that specific building and triggers a PagerDuty alert. This entire workflow, from call start to plumber notification, completes in under 90 seconds. The system can handle over 2,000 calls a month for less than $75 in hosting fees.
Every call, successful or not, is logged with a full transcript and intent analysis to a Supabase database. This provides a clear audit trail and a feedback loop. A simple dashboard shows you key metrics like call volume, average call duration, and automated resolution rate, which typically exceeds 75% within the first month.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Answer Tenant Calls in 2 Seconds, Not 2 Rings
The AI picks up instantly and identifies the issue. Emergency work orders are created in your PMS in under 60 seconds, day or night.
Stop Paying Per Call or Per Minute
A one-time build cost and an optional flat monthly maintenance fee. Your bill is predictable, whether you get 50 calls or 500.
You Get the Keys to the System
We deliver the complete Python source code to your company's GitHub repository. No vendor lock-in. You own the asset.
Know Exactly Why a Call Failed
Every conversation is transcribed and logged. If the AI cannot resolve an issue, the full transcript is emailed to your team for review and system improvement.
Speaks Fluent AppFolio and Buildium
Direct API integration with your Property Management Software. The AI creates work orders, checks leasing status, and logs calls just like a human agent would.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Scoping and PMS Access (Week 1)
You provide read-only API access to your PMS and walk us through your top 5 after-hours call types. We deliver a detailed technical spec and call flow diagram.
Core Agent Build (Week 2)
We build the core voice agent using Python and the Claude API. You receive a link to a test phone number to interact with the first version of the agent.
Integration and Deployment (Week 3)
We connect the agent to your PMS for creating tickets and looking up data. We deploy the system on AWS Lambda and deliver the full source code to your GitHub.
Live Monitoring and Handoff (Week 4+)
We go live on your main after-hours number. For 30 days, we monitor every call and fine-tune responses. You receive a runbook for system maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is a project like this priced and how long does it take?
- A typical build takes 3-4 weeks. Pricing depends on the number of unique call flows and the quality of your PMS's API. A system that only handles maintenance requests is simpler than one that also manages leasing inquiries and payment questions. We provide a fixed-price quote after a 30-minute discovery call where we review your specific needs and current call volume.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands a tenant or can't solve the problem?
- If the AI fails to understand the request after two attempts, or if the tenant says 'speak to a human,' the call is automatically routed to a designated on-call phone number. A full transcript and audio recording of the failed interaction is emailed to your team immediately. This provides a human safety net while capturing data to improve the system.
- How is this different from a service like Ruby Receptionists or a standard answering service?
- Answering services are message-takers. They cannot create a work order in AppFolio or tell a prospect if a unit is pet-friendly. Our system is an agent, not a message pad. It performs actions directly within your software, resolving issues in real-time instead of just logging them for morning review. This reduces resolution time for emergencies from hours to minutes.
- Can it handle different emergency protocols for different properties?
- Yes. The system's logic is customized to your portfolio. It can know that a water leak at '123 Main St' requires calling ABC Plumbing, while the same issue at '456 Oak Ave' goes to XYZ Restoration. These protocols are configured in a simple settings file, not hard-coded, so you can update them easily without needing a developer.
- Does it work with our existing phone number?
- Yes. We can port your existing after-hours number to our system with no downtime. Alternatively, you can forward your main line to a new number we provide. Most clients prefer the forwarding option as it is faster to set up and easier to switch off if needed. The tenant experience is identical either way; they just call the number they already know.
- What kind of voice does it use? Does it sound robotic?
- We use modern text-to-speech APIs that sound natural and conversational, not robotic like old IVR systems. We can select from dozens of voices to find one that matches your brand. The goal is for tenants to have a calm, clear, and efficient experience, especially during a stressful after-hours maintenance emergency. We can provide voice samples during our discovery call.
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