GRT Realty is an independent real estate brokerage serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Founded in 2012 by Craig Grove, the company has grown into one of the region’s largest independent brokerages. What sets them apart is their emphasis on building warm personal connections, local expertise, and technology that better supports their agents to serve clients. Craig has been working with AnswerConnect for almost 10 years now, and sat down to talk to us about his experience so far.
When Craig founded GRT Realty in South Texas, he tried answering every phone call himself, but as the brokerage grew, so did the demands on his time. His phone was constantly ringing, he was missing leads, and incessant interruptions meant no quality time for himself or his family.
After trying an automated AI answering service that led callers to hang up, Craig realized, ‘people want to talk to a person,’ and looked for a human answering solution. He partnered with AnswerConnect in 2017, and almost a decade later, every call is answered by live virtual receptionists within one ring, 24 hours a day. Craig credits AnswerConnect with playing a part in helping his business grow from 6 to more than 70 agents at its peak, while giving him back his evenings, weekends, and peace of mind.
Why I fired my AI answering service
When Craig started his independent brokerage firm, he was answering calls at all hours, during family dinners, date nights, and weekends. There was no relief. He knew he needed help, but his first attempt at outsourcing phone calls only made things worse.
An automated answering service was costing him leads, and the reason was surprisingly simple: callers wanted to speak to a real person.
In this video, Craig shares the moment he realized automation wasn’t the answer and why choosing live virtual receptionists transformed the way his business handled new inquiries.
How live virtual receptionists helped GRT Realty grow
First impressions with prospects and customers matter. They set the tone for your ongoing relationship. With a 24/7 real human front desk, Craig has peace of mind that every caller will receive a warm, professional welcome, day or night, and every inquiry will reach the right person in his business.
AnswerConnect also integrates directly with GRT Realty’s CRM, allowing new leads to trigger immediate follow-up emails and text messages, even outside office hours. That faster response time has helped Craig and his team engage prospects sooner while freeing him from being tied to his phone. And as anyone in the industry knows, speed to lead in real estate matters.
As Craig puts it, AnswerConnect has become one of the most valuable additions to his technology stack, and one he couldn’t imagine running his business without.
Personal & responsive: the key to a strong relationship
Technology is only part of the story. For Craig, the biggest difference has been the relationship he’s built with the AnswerConnect team.
From helping configure complex CRM integrations during onboarding to making changes whenever his business evolves, Craig says the support has always been personal and responsive. Rather than being passed between departments, he works with people who take ownership and solve problems quickly.
Continuing to grow, a decade later
Since partnering with AnswerConnect, GRT Realty has:
- Grown from 6 agents to more than 70 at its peak
- Ensured every call is answered by a real person within one ring, 24/7
- Reduced speed to lead through CRM integration and automated follow-up
- Understood his business better with detailed call notes, recordings and tracking
- Ensured no opportunity is missed, day or night
- Helped Craig reclaim evenings, weekends and family time
- Built a trusted partnership that continues to last almost a decade later
Discover more
Want to follow in Craig’s footsteps? Book an appointment with our team to discuss how we can help your business grow with our live answering service for real estate agents.
Frequently asked questions:
Many real estate businesses operate within standard hours of Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but clients are looking to buy and sell at all hours of the day, including weekends. On top of this, Google ranks businesses that are ‘open 24 hours’ higher in local search results. With a live virtual receptionist service supporting your business 24/7, 365 days a year, you can ensure you capture more opportunities around the clock and grow your real estate business faster.
Yes, and at no extra cost. Our team of human receptionists can answer calls day and night, 365 days a year – without the stress or overhead of managing an in-house team.
Our team of 5-star rated receptionists is ready to take calls simultaneously. Even during call spikes, you can rest assured that no caller will be put on hold or go to voicemail. We will always deliver fast, high-quality, human service that your clients expect and deserve – no matter if it’s the first call of the day or the 300th.
Yes, absolutely. AnswerConnect integrates with thousands of business tools for free. We can connect to the calendar you already use, or you can enjoy access to our free, award-winning scheduling tool, Setmore.
You can give our receptionists a range of frequently asked questions, so they are ready to answer the common queries your clients tend to ask. If there’s a question they cannot answer, they can take a detailed message for you to follow up on later, or you can set up call routing to the right person on your team.
We can start taking calls for your business immediately; all you need to do is forward your lines to us. We also arrange an onboarding appointment to learn more about your business and set up any customization you like, from bespoke scripting to appointment setting, CRM integrations, and smart call routing.
With AnswerConnect’s virtual receptionist pricing, there are no hidden costs or surprise fees. Plans are flexible around your call volume. You can scale your minutes up or down as your business needs change month to month. We never lock you into contracts, either, so you can cancel at any time. Let real people who care answer your calls around the clock, and start growing today. View our plans & pricing, call us at 800-700-8888 or book a free consultation to learn more.
