{"id":15113,"date":"2026-08-18T12:20:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T12:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/?p=15113"},"modified":"2026-08-24T08:24:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T08:24:18","slug":"grt-realty-24-7-live-receptionists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/client-stories\/grt-realty-24-7-live-receptionists\/","title":{"rendered":"“It gave me my life back”: How GRT Realty uses 24\/7 live virtual receptionists to never miss a lead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GRT Realty<\/em><\/a> 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\u2019s 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. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After trying an automated AI answering service that led callers to hang up, Craig realized, \u2018people want to talk to a person<\/a>,\u2019<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why I fired my AI answering service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An automated answering service was costing him leads, and the reason was surprisingly simple: callers wanted to speak to a real person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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