As a real estate professional, you know that speed and follow-up can make or break a deal. In today’s market, leads expect instant responses, and the first to engage often wins the client. In fact, 73% of buyers work with the first agent to respond. To handle leads, many brokerages consider hiring an Internal/Inside Sales Agent (ISA), outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant/Agent, or deploying a Voice AI Agent. Each approach has its pros and cons, especially when it comes to cost and ROI. Let’s break down how they compare – and which offers the best bang for your buck in real estate.

In-House ISA: Effective but High Overhead

An Inside Sales Agent (ISA) is a dedicated team member who calls leads, follows up, and sets appointments. Real estate teams love ISAs because they do deliver results. A good ISA can yield a 5× to 7× return on investment in closed deals. In other words, an ISA earning ~$50,000 could help generate over $250,000 in sales revenue through diligent lead nurturing and conversion. ISAs work closely with your agents and can be trained to convey your brand’s personal touch.

However, that performance comes at a cost. In-house ISAs often have a base salary plus commission, with on-target earnings around $45,000–$65,000/year (more in high-cost markets). You also invest time in hiring, training, and providing office space. And an ISA can only call so many leads in a day and only during business hours. If they’re sick or on vacation, lead response may lag. The upside is strong, human rapport and expertise but you pay for it in overhead and limited hours of coverage.

Virtual Agent (Virtual ISA): Lower Cost, Added Flexibility

Virtual ISAs are remote assistants (often abroad or via an agency) who perform the same lead nurturing tasks but at a fraction of the cost. From a financial perspective, a virtual ISA typically costs just 30–40% of what you’d pay an in-house employeedigitalmaverick.com. That means if an internal ISA runs ~$50k/year, a virtual one might cost around $15k–$20k when factoring in lower wages and no benefits. In fact, you can contract part-time virtual calling services for under $2,000 per month in many casesblog.insidesalespredictability.com.

The savings are significant: you avoid office overhead, and you can scale hours up or down as needed. Virtual agents can still greatly improve your lead conversion – companies report 35–50% more appointments from the same leads by dedicating ISAs (in-house or virtual) to quick follow-up. The challenge is ensuring quality and training. Because they’re not in-office, you’ll rely on good processes and scripts. Time zone differences might limit real-time coverage (though you can hire multiple VAs to cover 24/7 in shifts).

Overall, a virtual ISA delivers similar benefits to an in-house ISA, but with 70–80% lower labor cost, making ROI easier to achieve.

Voice AI Agent: 24/7 Lead Engagement at a Fraction of the Cost

A Voice AI Agent is an automated, intelligent phone assistant that can call and converse with your leads. It uses AI to sound natural, qualify buyers or sellers, answer basic questions, and even schedule showings or appointments – all without a human operator. The biggest advantage here is speed and scalability. An AI agent can engage new inquiries within seconds, 24/7. Why does that matter? Because leads are 21× more likely to convert if contacted within 5 minutes and almost all real estate leads go cold after a few hours. A Voice AI ensures instant follow-up at any hour, capturing opportunities your human team might miss after business hours or when busy with clients.

The cost savings are game-changing. You’re essentially replacing or augmenting human reps with software. Businesses have found that AI voice assistants cut operating costs by up to 90% while boosting revenue per customer by ~30%. For example, one analysis showed that a traditional after-hours call service costing $800/month could be replaced by an AI agent for about $400/month, saving nearly $4,800 a year. Even a hybrid model (one human ISA plus an AI agent) can save ~$40,000 annually compared to a team of three humans. In real estate terms, that’s like the salary of another experienced agent back in your pocket.

Beyond dollar savings, a voice AI never sleeps or takes a day off. It can handle multiple calls simultaneously and never lets a lead slip through the cracks. It will tirelessly follow up with leads through the 5+ touches often needed to convert a sale (since 85% of deals require several follow-ups). Complex or hot leads can always be routed to your human agents when ready, so you still provide that personal service when it counts.

The bottom line: a Voice AI Agent offers scalable lead coverage at a tiny cost relative to hiring staff, delivering an impressive ROI in both increased conversions and reduced expenses.

ROI Showdown: Which Option Delivers the Best Value?

When comparing these options, let’s look at ROI and cost side by side:

• In-House ISA: Highest personnel cost (~$50k/yr plus benefits), but can generate ~5× their cost in revenue if successful. Great personalization and integration with your team, yet limited to working hours and adds significant overhead.
• Virtual ISA: Much lower cost (roughly 30% of in-house)digitalmaverick.com and no office overhead. Can quickly respond to leads and improve conversion rates similar to an in-house ISA. ROI is high since labor costs are minimized – you’re paying less to achieve the same outcome. Quality depends on training and management, but many teams see a 5–7× ROI here as well.
• Voice AI Agent: Lowest ongoing cost by far – often 50–80% less than even a virtual assistant for comparable call volume. It scales effortlessly and maximizes lead response speed. The ROI is potentially enormous: besides cutting costs, you capture more leads (being first to respond nearly guarantees you the client). Essentially, you get a 24/7 assistant for a few hundred dollars a month, which could bring in tens of thousands in extra closed deals.

So, which is best? For pure ROI and cost-effectiveness, the Voice AI Agent comes out on top. It dramatically lowers costs while also increasing lead conversion opportunities – a one-two punch for ROI that human solutions struggle to match. A human ISA (in-house or virtual) can certainly drive revenue, but they’re expensive and inherently limited by time and capacity. Many forward-thinking real estate teams are even combining approaches: using Voice AI for initial outreach and routine follow-ups, and leveraging human agents for high-value conversations and closings. This hybrid approach still saves money and ensures no lead is left unattended.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Real Estate Lead Management

Internal ISAs and virtual assistants have been invaluable for real estate growth, but Voice AI Agents are quickly proving to be the best of both worlds – providing consistent, round-the-clock lead engagement at a fraction of the cost. In an industry where a missed call could mean a lost listing or buyer, an always-on AI agent offers an insurance policy for your lead funnel and a boost to your bottom line.

Ready to boost your ROI and never miss another lead? Vocaly’s Voice AI Agent can help you capture and convert more real estate leads while significantly cutting costs.

Don’t get left behind in the AI revolution – contact us at info@vocaly.ca to schedule a demo and see how a Voice AI Agent can elevate your real estate business.