FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything NYC rental agents need to know before getting started.
Who is this for?
AgentResponder is built specifically for NYC rental agents who receive inquiries through Zillow and StreetEasy. If you manage rental listings, you know the drill: an inquiry comes in, you open your notes, copy your template, paste it into an email, swap in the renter's name, send it — then do the same thing again for the text, add them as a contact in your phone, and start the whole process over for the next inquiry. It's tedious, repetitive work that pulls you away from everything else. And you still have to be fast, because if another agent replies first, the lead is gone. AgentResponder handles all of it automatically — the email reply, the text, and saves the contact — the moment an inquiry hits your inbox, every time, without you lifting a finger.
How does the free trial work?
When you sign up, you get 30 days of full access completely free — up to 10 listings, no credit card, and no plan to choose yet. You'll receive email reminders as your trial winds down. When it ends, you pick a plan and enter a card to keep going; if you don't, nothing happens and you're never charged.
Do I need any technical experience to set this up?
None at all. When you sign up, you connect your Gmail account with one click — just like logging into any app with Google. From there, you add your listings and customize your reply templates right on your dashboard. The whole setup takes about 5 minutes.
Will the responses sound like me or like a robot?
Like you. Every reply uses the renter's first name and your own custom message that you write. We don't generate responses with AI — you write your templates once per listing, and the system sends them automatically. Your voice, your tone, your words. The renter has no idea it was automated.
Why does it reply within minutes instead of instantly?
This is intentional. An instant reply, within seconds of an inquiry, can actually feel robotic and tip off leads that it's automated. A reply that arrives a few minutes later reads like a real person who was on their phone and replied quickly. By default AgentResponder replies within 5 minutes, which is fast enough to beat every other agent and human enough to feel genuine. You can slow it down to 10, 15 or 30 minutes if you prefer.
How fast does it actually respond to inquiries?
Within 5 minutes by default, around the clock: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. If you'd rather replies land a little later, you can set it to 10, 15 or 30 minutes in your dashboard. You can also limit replies to certain days and hours with your schedule. In the rental market, that speed is the difference between booking a showing and losing it to another agent.
What happens if I have more listings than my bundle allows?
On Pay-As-You-Go there's no hard limit — add as many listings as you need, and you're only billed for the ones actually in use. On a bundle (5, 10, or Unlimited listings), trying to add past your bundle's cap will prompt you to switch to a bigger bundle or to Pay-As-You-Go — it takes one click and kicks in immediately.
How does Pay-As-You-Go billing actually work?
You're billed for the number of listing slots you've used at any point in your current billing cycle — not the number you happen to have live today. So if you rent out a listing and delete it, that slot stays paid for the rest of the month, and adding a new listing to replace it is completely free until your next bill. You're only charged for an additional slot when you go above the highest number of listings you've had at once this cycle. In short: swap listings in and out of a slot you've already paid for as often as you want at no extra cost — you only pay more when you actually grow past your current slot count.
Is my billing cycle based on the calendar month, or when I signed up?
Your billing cycle runs on your own schedule, not the calendar month — it renews every 30 days starting from when your free trial ends (or from the day you subscribe, if you skip the trial). So there's no partial first month to prorate. The one place proration does kick in: if you add a listing mid-cycle that pushes you past the highest slot count you've paid for so far, you're only charged for the remaining days left in that cycle for the new slot — then it bills at the full rate starting your next renewal.
Can I change my templates anytime?
Yes — any time, as many times as you want. Just log into your dashboard, edit your templates, and the changes go live instantly. No need to contact us or restart anything.
Does it work with Zillow and StreetEasy only?
Right now, yes — AgentResponder is built specifically for Zillow and StreetEasy rental inquiries, which are the two primary lead sources for NYC rental agents. The product is designed around the rental market where speed matters most and every listing gets the same high-volume of inquiries. Support for additional platforms may be added in the future.
Which texting apps does it work with?
Texting is optional. Email replies work on their own. To also send a text, connect a business texting app. We recommend Quo (also known as OpenPhone), a business phone app that gives you a dedicated number for calls and texts, with plans starting around $15/mo. AgentResponder also works with Twilio, Salesmsg, TextMagic, Vonage, Telnyx, JustCall and Podium. Quo, JustCall, Salesmsg and TextMagic also save the renter as a contact automatically.
Is my Gmail account safe to connect? Can you see my other emails?
Yes, it's safe, and no — we can't see your other emails. We connect using Google's official OAuth system, the same secure login you use when you sign into any app with Google, and we never see or store your Gmail password. To be specific about what the connection is actually used for: AgentResponder only ever searches for and reads emails sent from Zillow and StreetEasy — nothing else in your inbox is ever read, browsed, or stored, by us or by the product. From a matched inquiry, we save the renter's name, email, and phone number (so we can reply to them) and a reference ID for that specific email (so we never process the same inquiry twice) — never the full content of any email, and never anything from an email that isn't a Zillow or StreetEasy inquiry. You can revoke access at any time directly from your Google account settings.
Can I control when the system is active?
Yes — your dashboard includes a full Schedule & Availability section. You can set a weekly schedule (for example, active Monday through Friday only), block out specific dates like holidays or personal days, and set custom active hours. The system will only send replies during the windows you choose.
What if I'm out of the office or on vacation?
There's a built-in Out of Office mode. Turn it on, set your return date, and write a custom note. Every auto-reply sent during that period will include your message — something like "I'm currently out of the office and will be back on July 6th. I'll follow up personally as soon as I return." It works for both email and text replies so leads are never left wondering why they haven't heard from you.
Can I block specific holidays or days off?
Yes. In addition to your weekly schedule, you can add specific blackout dates — July 4th, Thanksgiving, a personal day, whatever you need. The system skips those dates entirely and resumes automatically when the blackout period ends.
Do you have a referral program?
Yes! Once you're on an active paid plan, you'll find your unique referral link in your dashboard. Share it with other agents: they sign up with the standard 30-day free trial, and once they complete their first full paid month, you automatically receive $25 in account credit applied to your next bill. You can earn up to $150 in total credit (6 referrals max). Note: referral links are only available to active paying clients. Trial users do not have access to the referral program.
How do I know it's actually working?
Your dashboard includes a Recent Replies section that shows every inquiry AgentResponder has replied to: the renter's name, email and phone, the listing and platform they came from (StreetEasy or Zillow), whether the email and text went out, and when. It shows the last 30 days by default, and you can switch to 60 days, 90 days or all time. On listings with Follow-Up turned on, it also shows whether the renter wrote back and after which follow-up. You can filter by listing, platform, status, date, neighborhood, bedrooms and bathrooms, and export the list to a spreadsheet. Each listing also has its own page with lead counts and a day-by-day chart.
Can I reach out to past renters about a new listing?
Yes. Every inquiry keeps the details of the listing the renter asked about (neighborhood, bedrooms, bathrooms and price), even after that listing is removed. In Recent Replies, choose All time, filter by date, neighborhood and bedrooms (for example, everyone who asked about a 2-bedroom in Williamsburg last August), select them, and send your new listing with Bulk Contact. Each person gets their own individual email or text.
What if the renter doesn't include a phone number?
No problem — AgentResponder will still send the email reply automatically. The SMS is only sent when a phone number is detected in the inquiry. If there's no number, the system skips the text and moves on. You won't miss the lead.
Will it reply to the same renter twice for the same listing?
No — if the same renter inquires about the same listing again within 5 days, AgentResponder recognizes them by email and phone number and won't send a second reply. If they reach out again after that 5-day window, it's treated as a fresh, genuine inquiry and gets a normal reply.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
Your listings, templates, and reply history are retained for 30 days after cancellation in case you change your mind. After that, everything is permanently deleted from our system. You can also request immediate deletion at any time by emailing us at office@agent-responder.com.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel anytime from your dashboard with no penalties and no hoops to jump through. If you cancel mid-cycle, your access stays active through the end of the period you already paid for.
Still have questions?
Reach out — we're happy to help.
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