I’ve analyzed over 500 different business voicemail greetings and heard some great ones and others that left me scratching my head. An amazing business voicemail greeting has a few essential parts. There are also some big no-no’s too. I’m about to give you ideas for th best real estate agent voicemail greeting script ever.
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For the longest time, I didn’t give my professional voicemail recording or greeting any thought. I think I recorded my first message in the middle of a busy shopping mall surrounded by people talking, laughing, and shouting. If you listened carefully you could probably hear some 80’s song in the background that was playing over the speakers. It wasn’t a great impression.
Honestly, I didn’t know a great voicemail greeting even existed. So I began some research.
First I needed some examples.
I knew I could get free voicemail scripts easily, so I decided to ask my colleagues if I could call them and just listen to their voicemail message. I told them that I would call them right now and to just let it go to voicemail. Let the machine answer it, you could say.
During this little experiment, I heard some great messages, and some that left me scratching my head. But I learned a lot!
Your voicemail greeting represents YOU, when you can't make it to the phone.
Where to Record your Voicemail Greeting
As odd as it sounds, where you record your greeting makes a difference.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you are listening to someone’s greeting.
Would it sound better to listen to
A) A message with a lot of background noise
B) A clear message that sounds like it is on the radio.
If you are like me, you chose B. It is the obvious choice.
Here are the 3 best locations to record your voicemail greeting
- A quiet room
- In your parked car (with the engine off)
- Your closet
A quiet room is a great setting to make a very good voicemail greeting. It doesn’t have any auditory distractions and isn’t hard to find. You could go into a spare bedroom, or an empty office for just a minute or two to make your real estate voicemail greeting.
The next best setting I’ve found to record is in my parked car on a quiet street. The acoustics in my car are pretty good, and it on;y takes a minute to record your greeting
Use a friendly, but professional tone of voice. You don’t want to talk too fast, or slow, and be sure each word is easy to understand, but still flows conversationally. Practice a few times and you will have a professional voicemail message.
Be sure to listen back to your message once you have recorded it to ensure it sounds professional.
How Often Should You Change Your Voicemail greeting?
Another mistake I made was that I think I had the same greeting for a while. Like 10 years or so. You never want your voicemail to be out of date.
I suggest you use a timeless voicemail recording – that is one that is generic enough that you don’t know when it was recorded.
However, if you are going to be out on vacation, or unable to answer the phone for a period of time, I recommend stating that in your message, as soon as possible as well as some additional information so your caller will know the next steps.
But be sure to change back your voicemail when you return. I set an alarm on my calendar so that I don’t forget.
There are some great examples of vacation scripts below.
Anatomy of a Good Voicemail Script
Of all the many real estate agents and agent voicemail greeting script I analyzed this was by far the most common. Here are the 7 elements in a great Realtor voicemail script:
- A greeting
- Your name
- A short explanation of why you didn’t answer
- A call to action
- Telling the person when you will return the call
- An alternative to leaving a voicemail
- Thank them, or say something similar like “have a wonderful day”
Let’s talk about all these elements that make the best realtor voicemail and estate agent voicemail greeting.
A Greeting – A simple “Hello” works best
Your Name – Identify yourself in a professional way “This is Eric”
Explanation – You don’t need to tell your life story here. Just a brief message that is sort of vague: “I’m unavailable to take your call at this moment”. I don’t like to say I’m busy today, because that may make your caller think you are too busy for them.
CTA – It’s a good Idea to ask them to leave a message “Please leave a message”. This will help you prepare for the return call and have the information needed.
Return – Set expectations by telling the caller when you will return the call. Make sure you do! “I will return your call within the next 12 hours”. If you plan on calling back during regular business hours, say that, or on the next business day do that.. Just be sure to do it at your earliest opportunity so you don’t lose the client.
Alternative – I like to give the caller an alternative to reach me if it is urgent – “Alternatively you can also text this number for a faster reply”. Giving some easy-to-remember contact information can be very helpful. I think it is OK to just leave your name number and email address, but only if it is easy to remember. Like the kind that are your first name @ company name dot com.
Thanks – And then end the message with a “Thank you for your call.”
Let’s put it all together.
The Very Best Real Estate Agent Voicemail Greeting Script
This is {your name}. I’m unable to take your call at this moment. . Please leave a message and I will return your call within the next 12 hours. Alternatively you can text this number for a faster reply. Thank you for your call.
Sharing your life story is great for cocktail parties, but when someone is calling you and you can’t pick up, it should be easy for them to leave a short message.
Sometimes someone will call and not leave a message – you can see the missed call in the log. Should I call someone back if they don’t leave a message you might be wondering? The answer is Yes.
Sample Short Real Estate Agent Voicemail Greeting Script
This is {your name}, I can’t answer the phone right now. Your call is important. Please leave a message, or for a faster response send me a text. Thank you.
This is very similar to the best script I have identifie above. I think this sounds a little bit more gentle and might be a better way to give temporary greetings to potential customers when they reach out to you.
Sample Vacation Script
I like to give two extra bits of information when I’m on vacation in my greeting. Alternatively, this script works well when you have to be away from the phone for a longer than usual time.
If you are on vacation, it is also a good idea to share the name and number of an alternative person to talk to. Give the number of the person covering for you, but be sure to get their permission first.
Hello, you’ve reached {your name}. I’ll be out of the office from {start date} to {end date}. Please leave a message and I’ll return your call upon my return. Alternatively, you can email me at {email address} or call {name} at {phone number} for immediate assistance. Thanks for calling!
Hi, you’ve reached {your name}. I’m currently out of the office and will return on {date}. If your call requires urgent attention, please call {name} at {phone number} and they’ll be happy to assist you. If not, leave a message and I’ll return your call when I get back.
Also, I never say where I am, or where I am vacationing. That would be giving too much information. Leave a little mystery! It is a great opportunity to continue the conversation when you return the call, and allows the caller to ask you other inquiries about where you went or if you had a good vacation. It would be up to you on how to answer. Just be sure you do it in a professional manner.
Professional Voicemail Script
Here are 5 professional voicemail greeting scripts you can use in your business today.
You have reached {your name}. I’m busy at the moment, but I always make time to get back to my clients. Please leave me a message along with your name and phone number, and I will return your call within 24 hours.
Thank you for calling {first name} with {brokerage name}. Right now I am busy, however, I’m looking forward to helping you, too! Please leave a detailed message and the best way to reach you, and I will call you back within the hour. Have a great day.
You have reached {name} with {brokerage}. I understand how important your call is and want to provide you with all of the answers to your questions. Leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I will get back to you shortly.
Thanks for contacting the offices of [brokerage]. Our hours are 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. We are closed on weekends. If you reached this recording during office hours, we are busy helping other customers, but you are also important. We will contact you by the close of business today. If you are calling outside of business hours, we will contact you the next business day. Please leave a detailed message with the best way to contact you, and we will call you back as soon as we can.
You have reached {your name} at {brokerage name}. I am either on the phone or away from my desk at the moment. Please leave your message and contact information, and I will get back to you promptly.
What is a good professional voicemail greeting?
The best voicemail greetings are short and to the point. Here are my favorite example scripts that will give a good and positive first impression.
Hi, you’ve reached {your name}’s voicemail box. I can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave your contact information I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
What should my voicemail greeting say?
Here are some less formal voicemail greetings. They can be used to connect with potential clients and new leads. Use these sample voicemail greetings scripts to create a positive impression.
This is {your name}. I’m are all probably in at a showing, having a strategy session, or doing other work-related stuff. However, when I get your message, I will give you a call right back, so leave your name and number. Cheers!
You have reached {your name} at {brokerage name}. I am definitely interested in what you have to say; however I’m just busy right now. Leave a message, and I will get back to you ASAP.
Hey, friend! You have reached {your name} the Realtor. If you are calling during office hours, I’m are probably just busy with another client, but I still want to help you out. So, leave your details, and I will get back to you in a few. Have a great day.
Thank you for calling {brokerage}. We’re finding our customers the perfect home right now, and we’d love to do the same for you. Leave a message with your name and phone number, and we’ll call you back as soon as we can.
Personal voicemail greeting scripts
Hi, you have reached {your name}’s voice message. I appreciate your call. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I will get back to you right away.
This is {your name}. I’m not available to answer your call right now, but please leave a message. You can also send me a text at this number, and I’ll get back to you within a few hours at most. Have a great day!
This is the voicemail box for {your name}. I am not available right now, but your call is important to me. Please leave me a message, including your direct contact information, and I will call you back as soon as I can.
Hello, this is {your name}. Unfortunately, I cannot answer your call right now. Please leave a message with your name and phone number, and I will return your call as soon as possible. If you prefer to text, I can be reached on this same number. Thank you.
How long should my voicemail greeting be?
A long time ago we used to be charged by the minute for using our cell phones. I think some plans still use this method.
I was taught the best practice is to make sure my voicemail greeting is less than 60 seconds.
This is so you won’t be charged for 2 minutes of phone use.
Also, I think people like a short message if you aren’t there, so I encourage you to get to the point quickly.
Final Thoughts
Follow up these examples and you will have a professional voicemail greeting that is the beginning of an amazing customer experience.
No need to apologize for not being there. Phrases like “I’m sorry I missed your call” can be replaced with: “I’m not available right now.
You don’t need to tell the caller what you are doing either. However, it is a great idea to let the caller know approximately when you will be returning the call. Perhaps you are on a call with someone else, or maybe you are on the beach sipping a cocktail.
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