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How to use WhatsApp to sell property
WhatsApp works well for property because buyers already use it and reply faster there than to email. Use it to answer leads, share two or three units, send a location pin for the site visit and remind buyers the day before. Get the buyer's permission first, and learn the 24-hour rule if you use the WhatsApp Business Platform.
The WhatsApp Business app or the WhatsApp Business Platform?
There are two ways to use WhatsApp for business, and they suit different teams.
- The WhatsApp Business app is free and runs on your phone. It has labels, quick replies, a catalogue and broadcast lists. It suits one agent or a very small team.
- The WhatsApp Business Platform (often called the API) lets several people work from one number, connect a CRM and automate replies. Meta charges for template messages, and the rules on when you can message are stricter.
Most brokerages start on the app and move to the Platform once leads are shared between salespeople.
Get permission first
Meta requires that people opt in before a business messages them on WhatsApp. In practice, a buyer who gives their number on a portal or your website form for this enquiry expects to hear from you. Say on the form that you will reply on WhatsApp. Never add numbers you bought or scraped. That is spam, and it is a quick way to get your number blocked.
The 24-hour rule
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, every message from a customer opens a 24-hour window. Inside it, you can reply with any message. Once it closes, you can only send pre-approved template messages until the customer writes again. That is why follow-ups sent days later need templates, and why it pays to reply while the buyer is still in the chat.
What to send on WhatsApp, and when
| Moment | What to send |
|---|---|
| New lead | Confirm the project they asked about and ask one question: budget, area or timeline. |
| Qualified | Two or three units that fit, with approved prices and a floor plan image. |
| Visit booked | Date, time, a location pin, and the name of the person who will meet them. |
| Day before | A reminder with the pin again, and a way to change the time. |
| After the visit | Thank them and answer anything they asked on site. |
| Quiet for a week | Something new: a unit, a video, an answer. See our follow-up plan. |
Tips that keep buyers replying
- Keep messages short. One point and one question.
- Send pictures, not just PDFs. A floor plan image gets looked at. A 30-page brochure gets saved for later.
- Use voice notes when it helps. A short voice note in the buyer's language feels personal.
- Label every chat by stage. New, qualified, visit booked, visited. It makes follow-up easy.
- Save quick replies for common questions: parking, maintenance charges, possession date.
What not to do
- Do not add buyers to a group without asking.
- Do not send your full price list to every lead.
- Do not keep messaging someone who asked you to stop.
- Do not promise a price or availability your team has not confirmed.
Broadcasts and updates
On the WhatsApp Business app, a broadcast list only reaches contacts who have saved your number. On the Platform, updates to people outside the 24-hour window go out as template messages. Either way, send updates only to people who asked for them, and make each one fit the buyer. Our guide to lead nurturing has ideas for what to send.
Where an AI agent helps
Socavi works on the WhatsApp Business Platform. The Enquiry Agent answers new leads in seconds, at any hour. The Property Match Agent shares approved units from your own inventory. The Site-Visit Agent books the visit, sends the location and the reminder. The Follow-up Agent follows up within WhatsApp's rules. Your team can take over any chat with one tap. See all the agents.