Most agents we talk to ask the same eight or ten questions before they're willing to point real calls at an AI. This post answers them in the order they usually come up, without sales fluff.
Does it actually sound like a person?
Yes — close enough that callers almost never realise mid-call, and we tell our voice agents to identify themselves as an assistant on the first line so the question doesn't come up later. Modern voice models from ElevenLabs and OpenAI handle pacing, breath sounds, and back-channel words like "mm-hm" naturally. The giveaway is usually pauses that are too short, not anything robotic-sounding.
What if a caller asks "are you a real person"?
The assistant is configured to answer honestly: "I'm an AI assistant working with [Agent Name]. I can answer questions about her listings and pass your details to her — would you like that?" That single line solves 95% of the awkwardness. Callers who care now know; callers who don't simply keep going.
What happens after hours? Most of my leads call between 6pm and 10pm.
That's exactly the slot voice AI is built for. The assistant picks up the same way at 9pm Sunday as it does at 11am Wednesday. Lead details get captured into your dashboard and you get an email — most agents reply first thing the next morning and the lead is still warm because they got an immediate human-sounding response the night before.
Can it answer questions about my listings?
Yes, within reason. The assistant is given a context block with each active listing — address, price, beds/baths, square footage, key features, school district, and anything else you add. When a caller asks "how big is the lot at 4612 Oak Ridge?" the assistant pulls from that block and answers.
Where it won't pretend: anything not in the listing data. If someone asks "is the seller willing to negotiate?" or "have there been any offers?", the assistant says it doesn't have that info and offers to have you call back. That's the right behaviour — guessing would cost you trust.
What about emotional or sensitive callers?
Two scenarios come up: divorces and deaths. The assistant doesn't try to handle them. The prompt explicitly says: if a caller mentions a separation, a death in the family, or anything that sounds like they need a human, gather contact info gently and end the call. You'll see a flagged note in your dashboard and you can call back personally. Buyers in a hurry want speed; sellers in grief want a person — different jobs.
What does it cost me per call?
On the $300/mo CallRelayHQ plan, your first 300 minutes are included. That covers roughly 100 calls of average length (about 3 minutes each). Above that, overage is $0.15/min — about a quarter of what a human virtual receptionist would charge. Most agents stay inside the included minutes.
Can callers reach me directly if they want to?
Yes. The assistant can transfer to your real number on request ("Yes, hold one moment, I'll connect you with [Agent Name]") or schedule a callback for a specific time. Both are configured in your dashboard. If you're not available, the call falls back to voice mail with a transcript instead of a missed-call notification.
Will it work with my CRM?
Today, CallRelayHQ ships captured leads to email and your in-app dashboard. CRM integrations (Follow Up Boss, KvCore, Sierra Interactive) are on the roadmap and most are achievable via Zapier today using the email-to-CRM forwarding rules each of those platforms exposes.
What if it answers a call wrong?
Every call generates a transcript. You can read what was said, flag anything that came out wrong, and the system uses that to tune the prompt over time. The first month is the highest-correction period; after that, the assistant settles into your style and you stop reading every transcript.
Can I cancel?
Month-to-month, no annual contract. Stripe handles billing; cancellation is one button in your dashboard. Phone number stays active through the end of the paid period, then releases.