Key facts
- 79% of Realtors work individually rather than as part of a team.
- 32% of members haven’t used AI or other client-facing digital tools in their business.
- Only 20% of members use AI or other client-facing digital tools daily.
Individual real estate agents often miss out on potential clients due to slow response times, a problem that significantly impacts their sales volume compared to agents working in teams. A study found that companies averaged 14.5 hours to respond to phone inquiries, with only 31% calling back within five minutes. Email responses were similarly slow, averaging close to 12 hours. This delay means agents who are not available to answer immediately risk losing leads to competitors who can respond faster.
According to NAR data, individual agents reported a median of nine transaction sides and $2.7 million in sales volume in 2025, while team-based agents handled 32 sides and $17.5 million. While team structures allow for more people to manage caseloads, a key factor is simply having someone available to pick up the phone and schedule a showing when a client is ready to act.
To address this, agents can leverage AI-driven answering tools and pre-set question scripts to capture caller information and qualify leads even when they are unavailable. Tools that integrate with scheduling systems can directly book showings, closing the gap between a client's readiness and the agent's availability. Understanding which marketing channels generate valuable calls through tracking numbers or source tags can also help agents focus their efforts and budget on what truly generates conversations and showings.