Business Platform
Midland Realty
Engaging customers with faster, personalized service to improve leads and increase sales
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Midland Realty builds a communications channel in WhatsApp that connects customers with agents in minutes, enhancing the speed and quality of service while enabling agents to respond more proactively to leads and generate greater online sales.
50%
of online sales attributable to WhatsApp in less than a year
80%
of leads coming through WhatsApp addressed within one minute
97%
customer satisfaction scores for WhatsApp
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
Their Story
Guiding customers to the right property
For over 50 years, Midland Reality has helped customers across Hong Kong, Macau, and the People’s Republic of China find and sell properties, from commercial spaces to dream homes. One of the largest real estate agencies in Hong Kong, Midland Realty is a fully owned subsidiary of Midland Holdings and has over 300 branches.
Their Goal
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Opening the doors to better service
Navigating a highly competitive Hong Kong housing market, Midland Realty needed a faster, more effective way of responding to customer inquiries and developing sales leads. To keep customers engaged in the process of finding a new home, the company looked for a streamlined communications channel that enabled a personal, consultative approach.
Their Solution
Agent performance is measured by customer reviews after each WhatsApp
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A fast, versatile communications channel
For over 50 years, Midland Realty has guided customers through the competitive Hong Kong housing market. Known for excellent service, the realtor has helped customers move quickly from viewing a listing to getting keys in hand.
Traditionally, customers would meet in-person with Midland Realty agents to discuss their needs. When pandemic-related lockdowns closed offices, the company focused on connecting with customers digitally. Agents responded to customer inquiries about properties via live chat on the website – however, addressing large volumes of customers sometimes resulted in a delayed response. With properties going quickly, customers might turn to competitors to ensure that they could close on their dream homes.
The company needed a powerful communications channel to keep customers engaged while enabling its network of over 4,000 dispersed agents to work faster and more efficiently. Understanding that WhatsApp is widely popular throughout Hong Kong, Midland Realty partnered with Sanuker, a messaging solutions consultancy, to develop a channel over WhatsApp Business Platform.
When a customer finds their ideal flat on the website, clicking an icon in the digital listing opens a WhatsApp chat with the agent associated with that property. If that agent can’t respond within one minute, the chat is routed to an available agent in the office who can help manage the sale.
Customers wanting additional information can access a chatbot through WhatsApp that will present menu options based on whether they want to rent or buy, features such as size and number of rooms, location, and pricing, before they’re routed directly to an agent. If a customer finds an interesting property on the website, they can connect directly to the agents' WhatsApp through the WhatsApp API integration while allowing Midland to keep track of agents' performance (i.e. response time) and provide support when needed.
“Using WhatsApp, we respond to customers in a way that maps to the information they want and how they want to engage, with agents addressing 80 percent of leads coming through WhatsApp within one minute,” says Lawrence Chau, Head of Marketing, Marketing Communications, Midland Realty. “Even if chats go to a second agent, we still respond to 94 percent of WhatsApp leads within two minutes, enabling us to retrieve nearly 83 percent of leads that might have otherwise been lost.”
“Using WhatsApp, we respond to customers in a way that maps to the information they want and how they want to engage, with agents addressing 80 percent of leads coming through WhatsApp within one minute. Even if chats go to a second agent, we still respond to 94 percent of WhatsApp leads within two minutes, enabling us to retrieve nearly 83 percent of leads that might have otherwise been lost.”
Lawrence Chau
Head of Marketing, Marketing Communications, Midland Realty
As agents review WhatsApp messages that come in through individual listings or the chatbot, they have the information they need to steer more productive conversations with customers right at their fingertips. When conversations extend beyond a single session, agents can always resume their chat with customers right where they left off, without needing to request the same information again.
“The ease of using WhatsApp allowed Midland Realty to train agents in delivering more efficient, one-on-one customer service in only a few weeks,” says Cynthia Ng, Marketing Manager, Sanuker.
To continually improve the speed and quality of responses to customers, Midland Realty monitors each agent’s performance – specifically, how quickly they respond to incoming messages. After every interaction, the realtor sends satisfaction surveys to customers via push notifications in WhatsApp, asking for input on their experience.
“Customers appreciate the immediate, consultative experience we provide over WhatsApp, giving an overall 97 percent satisfaction rating. With agents more knowledgeable about a customer’s preferences, we’ve seen over 50 percent of our online sales come from WhatsApp in less than a year,” says Lawrence Chau, Head of Marketing, Marketing Communications, Midland Realty.
The process of searching for a home often requires sharing personal and financial information. To build greater trust with customers, Midland Realty successfully obtained Green Tick Verification. This distinction assures customers that they’re interacting with the official Midland Realty account.
In addition to smoother customer service, Midland Realty is also incorporating WhatsApp to create more efficient internal processes, including a channel for HR teams. The company created an IT service request system through WhatsApp, enabling IT teams to reach thousands of employees more easily.
“Through WhatsApp, we’re engaging customers and acting on leads while advancing our company-wide goals for digital transformation,” says Chau.
Their Success
More leads and online sales
Midland Realty builds a communications channel over WhatsApp Business Platform to engage customers with faster service while improving the quality of leads and increasing online sales.
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Adding a reliable channel
- 50% of online sales attributable to WhatsApp in less than a year
- 80% of leads coming through WhatsApp addressed within one minute
- 83% of leads that might have been lost saved through WhatsApp
- 97% customer satisfaction scores for WhatsApp
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
“Customers appreciate the immediate, consultative experience we provide over WhatsApp, giving an overall 97 percent satisfaction rating. With agents more knowledgeable about a customer’s preferences, we’ve seen over 50 percent of our online sales come from WhatsApp in less than a year.”
Lawrence Chau
Head of Marketing, Marketing Communications, Midland Realty
Get started with a partner
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