TL;DR
- Allo is best for solo agents and small real estate teams, because it's the only tool we tested with an unlimited AI receptionist included at a flat $18/user/month, no per-call fees or add-ons.
- Smith.ai is best for agents who refuse to let a warm lead hit voicemail, because it backs its AI with 24/7 human receptionists, though you pay a premium for the human touch.
- RingCentral and Nextiva are best for established brokerages already on an enterprise phone system, because they layer an AI receptionist onto infrastructure your office already runs.
Introduction
Two things have changed in the last few months, and together they reshaped this category:
- First, AI receptionists grew up. A year ago, I would have hesitated to put one in front of a seller. The voices were stiff, and the misunderstandings were frequent. Today, the good ones book appointments, qualify leads, answer questions about a listing, and route the urgent calls to a human. The error rate keeps dropping.
- Second, the legacy phone systems noticed. Incumbents like RingCentral and Nextiva now sell an AI receptionist as part of their platforms, alongside the standalone services that pioneered the idea.
The result is a crowded field. And the options do not just differ in price. They differ in how they charge you, which matters more than it sounds. Some meter every call, some cap the volume, and some bury the AI in an add-on.
In this article, I share our favorites for real estate, why we picked them, and who each one suits. We tested what we could and checked the reviews for the rest.
Our methodology
I want to be transparent about how we ranked these, because "best" means nothing without a method.
To avoid bias (after all, we feature our own product in this selection), we did two things:
- We tested each tool as much as we could get our hands on. One honest caveat: Smith.ai could not be tested directly, since it is a done-for-you service with a manual onboarding process, so our read on it leans on documentation and third-party reviews.
- We cross-checked every product against third-party reviews on G2, so our opinion is not the only voice in the room.
We weighed three things:
- Pricing. Not just the headline number, but the pricing model. There is a real difference between a flat, unlimited plan and a metered or add-on model. For a real estate line, call volume spikes when a listing goes live or an open house wraps. Metered models get expensive quietly, exactly when you are busiest.
- Integrations. An AI receptionist is only useful if the leads it captures land in the tools you already use. We looked at native CRM connections and where you have to lean on Zapier instead.
- Depth and features. How well the AI understands callers, how far you can customize it, whether it books appointments, and how gracefully it hands off to a human.
The sections below follow the same order as the table, cheapest first.
Quo, best for small brokerages that want a cheap all-in-one
What is Quo Sona?
Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is a lightweight business phone system with a built-in CRM. Its AI receptionist is called Sona. Sona answers inbound calls, takes messages, and can auto-respond, sitting on top of Quo's shared inbox and contact tools.
How good is Sona?
Sona is a capable entry-level receptionist. It scans your setup, greets callers, and captures the essentials. I found the wider Quo product genuinely easy to use, and the shared inbox suits a small brokerage where several people touch the same lead.
The catch is the metering. Quo's entry plan includes only 10 Sona calls per month, then charges $0.75 per call after that. For a quiet solo agent, that is fine. For an active listing agent, ten calls disappear in a morning.
On integrations, Quo connects natively to HubSpot and Salesforce, and reaches Follow Up Boss through Zapier rather than a native connector.
I would recommend Quo Sona to a small team with modest call volume that wants an affordable phone system and light CRM in one place. If your phone rings all day, look at the per-call math first.
Quo Sona pricing
$15/user/month billed annually, which includes 10 Sona calls, then $0.75 per call.
Quo reviews
Quo holds a strong 4.7/5 on G2 across 3,374 reviews.
Reviewers praise how intuitive it is, the responsive support, and the value.
On the downside, Quo blocks cold calling and can suspend accounts it suspects of it, the SMS registration can drag, and a few users report occasional bugs.
Allo, best value for mobile solo agents and small teams
What is the Allo AI Receptionist?
Allo is an AI and mobile-first phone system built for small teams and salespeople. Its AI Receptionist answers calls, gathers caller details, answers common questions, and routes or takes a message, all manageable from your phone.
How good is it?
Here is what genuinely sets Allo apart, and I do not say this lightly.
It is the only tool in this selection where the AI receptionist is unlimited and included in the base plan. No per-call fees. No interaction caps. No add-on line item.
For an agent fielding a surge of calls on a hot listing, that is the difference between a predictable $18 a month and a bill that balloons with every lead.
- Allo: $18, flat and unlimited.
- Goodcall: roughly $166 (100 customers included, then $0.50 each).
- Quo Sona: roughly $232 (10 calls included, then $0.75 each).
- Nextiva XBert: roughly $312 ($99 per 100 interactions).
- Smith.ai: roughly $800 (300 calls lands in its top tier).
- RingCentral AIR: $69 plus overage once you pass 100 included minutes.
The metering units differ (calls, unique customers, interactions, minutes), so treat the figures as directional.
None of this makes Allo a stripped-down product. It is priced accessibly, but it is the full receptionist. It speaks English, French, and Spanish. Furthermore, it is mobile-first, so you manage it between showings. And it syncs natively to HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Attio, and Zoho, writing call recordings and transcripts straight back into the contact record. For Follow Up Boss specifically, you would bridge it through Zapier, the same as its rivals. That combination of real depth and flat pricing is why Allo is our best-value pick.
I recommend Allo to solo agents and small teams who live on their phone and want the AI receptionist bundled, not billed by the call.
Allo AI Receptionist pricing
$18/user/month billed annually, with the AI Receptionist unlimited and included. One local or toll-free number is included; extra numbers are $5/month.
Allo reviews
Allo earns 4.7/5 on G2 across 209 reviews.
Reviewers highlight the native CRM sync, the transparent pricing with no add-ons, and the AI receptionist itself. The main cautions are that it is a newer product, and that the deeper integrations sit on the Business plan.
Goodcall, best for lead-capture-focused solo agents
What is the Goodcall AI Receptionist?
Goodcall is a standalone AI answering service. There is no cute sub-brand; the product is simply the Goodcall AI Receptionist. It is built to book appointments, answer FAQs, and capture lead details, with the explicit goal of reducing how many calls you handle yourself.
How good is it?
Goodcall is one of the more polished standalone receptionists I tried. The interface is friendly, and letting callers book or leave their details during the call is well executed.
Two things temper it for real estate. First, it does not provide a phone system, so you run it alongside one. Second, every integration goes through Zapier, including Follow Up Boss, which adds a setup step and a moving part.
Its pricing meters "unique customers," not calls, which is a subtle distinction worth understanding before you commit.
I recommend Goodcall to an agent whose main goal is deflecting and booking calls, and who is comfortable pairing it with a separate phone line.
Goodcall AI receptionist pricing
$66/agent/month billed annually, including 100 unique customers per month, then $0.50 per customer above that.
Goodcall reviews
Goodcall's G2 presence is thin: 3.5/5 from a single review, so I would not read too much into the score. Trustpilot reviewers raise billing complaints, including charges after cancellation. Treat this as a "test it yourself" pick rather than one backed by a deep review base.
RingCentral, best for established brokerages on enterprise UCaaS
What is RingCentral AIR?
RingCentral is a mature, everywhere-at-once phone system. Its AI receptionist is AIR (RingCentral AI Receptionist). It answers calls, handles routine requests, and routes callers, bolted onto the wider RingCentral platform.
How good is AIR?
AIR is a competent receptionist attached to a genuinely reliable phone system. If your office already runs RingCentral, adding it is straightforward, and the platform's uptime is a real strength.
The friction is cost and fit. AIR is an add-on, not an included feature, and RingCentral as a whole leans enterprise. There is no native Follow Up Boss connector; the community has even filed a request for one, so Zapier is the path today.
I recommend RingCentral AIR to established brokerages already invested in RingCentral, or to teams that need enterprise-grade reliability and coverage. For a solo agent, it is more system than you need.
RingCentral AIR pricing
$69/month all-in for a single seat: $20/user/month for the RingEx Core plan billed annually, plus the $49/month AIR add-on with 100 minutes included. Overage applies past that.
RingCentral reviews
RingCentral holds 4.2/5 on G2 across 1,402 reviews. Reviewers value the all-in-one platform, the reliability, and the support. The recurring complaints are that it gets pricey once add-ons stack up, and that cancellation is famously painful.
This cancellation and pricing frictions are reflected in their 1.8 Trustpilot score, the lowest in this selection.
Smith.ai, best for relationship-driven agents who want human backup
What is the Smith.ai AI Receptionist?
Smith.ai is closer to a hybrid service than a pure AI tool. Its AI Receptionist handles the routine calls, and live North America-based agents step in for the complex ones. It is built for businesses that want 24/7 coverage without going fully hands-off.
How good is it?
I could not test Smith.ai directly, since it requires a manual onboarding, so I am leaning on its documentation and its reviews here.
The appeal for real estate is obvious. When a warm seller calls, a human can pick up the thread in a way no AI quite matches yet. Smith.ai also has the most direct Follow Up Boss connection of the group: you can forward FUB leads into its outbound campaigns, with call logging back through Zapier.
The tradeoffs are cost and speed. It is the most expensive option here per call, and onboarding the human agents to your guidelines can take weeks.
I recommend Smith.ai to relationship-driven agents who never want a warm lead to reach voicemail, and who will pay for a human safety net.
Smith.ai AI receptionist pricing
$95/month for 50 calls on the Starter plan, billed monthly. There is no annual plan and no free trial, and pricing scales by call volume from there.
Smith.ai reviews
Smith.ai has the highest score in our lineup: 4.9/5 on G2 across 73 reviews. Reviewers praise the quality of the human agents and the 24/7 coverage. The cautions are the price, the multi-week onboarding, and reports about agent working conditions that could affect consistency.
Nextiva, best for larger, support-heavy offices
What is Nextiva XBert?
Nextiva is a full communications platform aimed at larger and support-heavy teams. Its AI receptionist is XBert, a voice and text agent that handles inbound conversations across phone, SMS, web chat, and messaging apps.
How good is XBert?
XBert is a capable, multi-channel agent, and Nextiva's reliability is well regarded. If your office standardizes on one platform for voice, chat, and light ticketing, XBert fits into that picture cleanly.
The problem for most agents is cost. XBert is an expensive add-on, and the AI-heavy features sit on Nextiva's pricier tiers. Native CRM connections cover Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho, with Follow Up Boss again reached through Zapier. Nextiva is also US-focused on numbers.
I recommend Nextiva XBert to bigger brokerages already building on Nextiva. For a solo agent or small team, the AI receptionist math is hard to justify.
Nextiva XBert pricing
$114/month all-in for a single seat: $15/user/month for the Core plan billed annually, plus the XBert AI Receptionist at $99/month per 100 interactions, then $0.99 per interaction after.
Nextiva reviews
Nextiva earns 4.5/5 on G2 across 3,567 reviews. Reviewers cite the reliability, the all-in-one platform, and the support. The main complaints are a steep learning curve, US-only coverage, and how much the AI features cost.
Conclusion
If you skimmed to the bottom, here is who each tool suits best.
- Allo is the best value by a clear distance. It is the only unlimited AI receptionist at a flat, predictable price, and it does not sacrifice depth to get there. Best for mobile solo agents and small teams.
- Quo is the cheapest entry point if your call volume is genuinely low. Watch the per-call meter.
- Goodcall is a booking-first standalone for agents happy to run it beside a separate phone line.
- RingCentral makes sense if you already live on it or need enterprise reliability.
- Smith.ai is the premium, high-touch pick, AI plus real humans, for agents who will pay to never miss a warm lead.
- Nextiva fits larger offices standardizing on one all-in-one CX platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI Receptionists
[[faq-blog]]
Can I integrate an AI receptionist with the rest of my stack?
Usually yes, but check how. Most of these tools connect natively to mainstream CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho. For a real estate CRM like Follow Up Boss, though, nearly every option here relies on Zapier rather than a native connector, so plan for a Zap or two.
What's the best AI receptionist for real estate?
For most agents and small teams, Allo offers the best balance of capability and price, largely because its AI receptionist is unlimited and included rather than metered. Smith.ai is the stronger choice if you specifically want human agents backing up the AI, and RingCentral or Nextiva suit larger offices already committed to those platforms.
How much does a real estate AI receptionist cost?
It ranges widely, from about $15 (Quo Sona, for 10 calls) to $114 a month (Nextiva for 10 calls) §and up, but the pricing model matters more than the headline number. Flat, unlimited plans like Allo's ($18/user/month) stay predictable no matter how many calls come in. Metered and add-on models (Quo, Goodcall, RingCentral, Nextiva) start lower but climb with call volume, and human-backed services like Smith.ai cost the most per call. Estimate your monthly call volume before you compare.
