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HomeHawk is a Facebook Messenger bot for real estate search.
Platforms: Facebook Messenger, browser and apps
Ideal for: Tech-savvy agents at all levels seeking warm leads; agents interested in chatbot technologies
Top selling points
- Robust knowledge base
- Heavily promotes Realtor brand
- Friendly, image-driven chat interface
- Refers users to local agents and mortgage pros
Top concerns
- Agents who remain cynical of bot tools will have little interest in HomeHawk
What you should know
The chatbot revolution continues.
HomeHawk is the most comprehensive real estate chatbot I’ve demoed.
Like most of its competitors, HomeHawk resides on Facebook Messenger. Getting started was as easy as typing, “hi,” and “get started.”
The chat track offers a broad line of questioning to prospective clients that appeals to all levels of potential buyers.
Through a horizontal scroll accompanied by related illustrations, a user can “choose their home adventure” from a series of categorized topics:
Buying A Home
- Buy vs. Rent
- Home Research
- First Steps
Selling Your Home
- Getting Top Dollar
- Seller Disclosures
- Contact A Realtor
Financing Questions
- Loan Programs
- Interest Rates
- Closing Costs
Connect With A Professional
- Top Questions
- Contact a Realtor
- Get Pre-Qualified
For the answers to some topics, HomeHawk refers to creditable news articles and content.
The Buy Vs. Rent choice referred me to a New York Times article and calculator on the matter.
I thought the Seller Disclosures topic would be a suitable test of the bot’s intelligence; it returned:
The seller’s disclosure is the sharing of information about the property being sold. Each state is different as to what is disclosed. The disclosure statement may cover:
• Problems with major systems or appliances
• Property renovations/modifications
• Possible easements
• Neighborhood problems
• Other material facts
When you complete the disclosure, be honest, and truthful. Don’t try to hide any defects.
Because HomeHawk is designed to drive users to an agent, I find that response an adequate level of introduction on the matter. Again, this bot is trying to take anything out of the hands of the agent. This is a lead warm-up engine, something an agent should recognize as useful.
I didn’t go too far down the routes to contact a local agent or mortgage pro to avoid wasting their time. Here’s how that went:
What I didn’t think worked too well was HomeHawk’s ability to veer from one conversation to the next.
It burped when I didn’t provide a phone number and instead asked for information on closing costs.
Essentially, HomeHawk took its ball and went home:
“You didn’t answer, so I’ll go away for now.”
Well. OK.
However, it appears that the above line, as pouty as it sounds, serves as the cut-line for that topic’s conversation. My second attempt to know about closing costs worked.
I was given an informative few lines of information on what they are, the common “2-5 percent” formula for calculating them, and a series of mortgage topics to explore.
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For agents who want to find a source of new leads and be part of what is clearly a form of business-to-consumer communication on the rise, I recommend reaching out to HomeHawk to inquire about markets covered and referral partnerships.
It’s a comprehensive bot that I’m sure will only grow more helpful with each customer conversation.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe
