How the conversation runs
Here is the flow for a property enquiry. The same shape fits a school, a dealership or a services marketplace, with different questions.
- The enquiry arrivesThe buyer taps the WhatsApp link on a listing, a QR code on a board, or a Click-to-WhatsApp ad. WhatsApp links and QR codes can pre-fill a message with the listing reference, so unless the buyer edits it, the chat knows which property they mean from the first message.
- An instant answerWithin seconds the chat sends what the buyer asked for: the price, photos, the brochure as a PDF, and whether the property is still available. Those details come from your listings system or CRM through its API, so they're current.
- A few qualifying questionsBudget, timeline, and whether their finance is pre-approved, applying or cash. We use reply buttons and lists for quick answers, or a WhatsApp Flow (a short form inside the chat) when there are more than two or three questions.
- Free text and voice notesIf the buyer types "about 2.3 mil, still waiting on the bank" or sends a voice note, Claude reads it (the voice note is transcribed first) and pulls out the budget and finance status. The chat confirms what it understood before it moves on.
- A next stepThe buyer picks a viewing slot, asks for a call back, or asks to speak to someone now. Live slots can be read from your calendar or CRM if it has an API.
- The lead lands in your CRMWe create or update the contact by phone number, and add the deal or lead with every answer, the listing reference and the slot. For a smaller team it can be a new row in a Google Sheet instead.
- A person takes overThe conversation is in our shared WhatsApp inbox with its full history. When someone on your team replies, the automation in that chat pauses, so the buyer never gets a bot message in the middle of a human conversation.
- Follow-upIf the buyer goes quiet, the chat can send one reminder later. After 24 hours without a message from them, that has to be a Meta-approved template.
Systems connected
The WhatsApp side runs on our platform. The conversation logic and the CRM calls are written by our engineers for your business.
| Part | What it does | How |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation logic | Replies, questions, branching, reminders | A Program on our platform, written for your questions (build) |
| Buttons and lists | One-tap answers to qualifying questions | WhatsApp interactive messages |
| WhatsApp Flows | Longer forms in the chat, with live data such as available slots | A Flow built for you, with an endpoint that reads from your system (build) |
| Claude | Reads free text and voice notes, pulls out details, drafts replies | Called from the Program. It doesn't answer from a knowledge base; facts come from your system or the script we write |
| Your CRM | Creates the contact and lead with the answers | An HTTPS call to the CRM's API: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho or your own system (build) |
| Google Sheets | One row per lead | A call to a Google Apps Script web app on your sheet (build) |
| Shared inbox | Your team reads the history and replies | Runs on our platform; a staff reply pauses automation in that chat |
We don't sell pre-built CRM connectors: each CRM link is built through that CRM's API. Our inbox doesn't assign chats to named agents, so who owns a lead is decided in your CRM, by its assignment rules or a field we fill such as branch or listing agent. A "call me back" request lands in the inbox and your person phones from their own line, because the platform doesn't place WhatsApp calls. The number runs on the API only, not in the WhatsApp Business app at the same time.
Which messages Meta charges for
Messages customers send you are free. Most of a lead conversation happens while the customer's 24-hour customer service window is open, so your replies are service messages. A follow-up after the window closes must be a template, priced by category.
| Message | Meta category | Meta rate to SA numbers (from 1 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| The customer's enquiry and answers | Inbound | Free |
| Your replies, questions and viewing confirmation while the chat is open | Service | 1,000 free per number per month, then US$0.0095 |
| Viewing reminder, or a marketplace "New request" alert to a provider, outside the window | Utility template | US$0.0095 |
| "Still looking? Here are similar homes" after the window | Marketing template | US$0.0379 |
Meta decides a template's category when it reviews it. Business-initiated messages also need the person's opt-in, which the chat can ask for and record in your CRM.
Sources: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (Meta, updated 30 September 2026) · Customer service windows · WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy
Leads from Click-to-WhatsApp ads
People who tap a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on their phone land in the same conversation. When you reply within the customer service window, Meta opens a free messaging window of at least 72 hours, in which it doesn't charge for your messages. You create and run the ads in Meta's own ads tools; we build what happens once the chat starts. See the free messaging window explained.