Oriana › What to ask an AI agent vendor to handle your rental enquiries
What to ask an AI agent vendor to handle your rental enquiries
Short answer (citable block)
Before hiring an AI agent for rental enquiries, check six things: that it says it is an AI, that the candidate can speak to a person, what it does when it doesn't know, what data it collects and under what agreement, what it really costs (including WhatsApp messaging) and how you measure whether it works. A good vendor answers with facts and admits what it doesn't do yet.
How to use this list
Ask every vendor the same questions, Oriana included. Write the answers down. Ask them to show you a real conversation (in your own case, with your rules), not a generic demo. Vague answers are an answer.
A. Transparency and treatment of the candidate
| # | Question | A good answer | Red flag | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is it a person or an AI, and does it say so? | "It is an AI and says so when asked", with examples | "It sounds human" as the selling point | It is an AI assistant and says so whenever anyone asks |
| 2 | Can the candidate ask to speak to a person at any time? | Yes, with a clear, tested mechanism | "Normally it isn't needed" | Yes: anyone can ask to speak to your team |
| 3 | What does it do when it doesn't know an answer? | Admits it, doesn't make things up and passes you the question with the history | "It always answers" | It says it will check and passes you the question with the conversation attached |
| 4 | How is it different from a menu chatbot? | With an example of a free-text message and how it interprets it | "State-of-the-art AI" with no example | It understands renting flats and rooms and asks what matters |
| 5 | What happens with a message it doesn't understand (audio, photo)? | Says it doesn't understand, or passes it to a person | Ignores it or misreads it | We don't claim this today |
B. What it knows and what it decides
| # | Question | A good answer | Red flag | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Which filter criteria can I define myself? | A concrete list (dates, stay, budget, house rules), with examples | "It learns by itself" | It screens with the questions that matter; we explain the detailed set-up in the demo |
| 7 | How does it decide who goes to a person? | Explainable, adjustable rules | Black box | It hands to a person when needed, with the full conversation |
| 8 | How does it avoid discrimination? | Objective criteria defined by the operator; no personal characteristics | Hasn't thought about it | We don't claim this today (agreed with each operator) |
| 9 | What does it do with an urgent enquiry, a complaint or a possible fraud? | Hands them to a person with priority | Treats them like any other | We don't claim this today |
| 10 | Can I see and correct its answers? | Yes: history and adjustment | No | We don't claim this today |
C. Channel and WhatsApp rules
| # | Question | A good answer | Red flag | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Does it use the official WhatsApp Business route? | Yes, and explains it | Unofficial solutions | Yes: through the official WhatsApp Business route |
| 12 | Do I have to change my number? | Explains the options and consequences | "You have to give us a new one", full stop | No: we work with your number through the official route, or with a new one if you prefer |
| 13 | What happens after 24 hours with no reply from the candidate? | Explains templates, cost and who triggers them | Doesn't know | We don't claim this today |
| 14 | How much does WhatsApp messaging cost, and who pays? | A breakdown: vendor + Meta per message | "All inclusive" with no breakdown | Explained in the demo, with a fixed quote |
| 15 | What happens if Meta changes terms or prices? | A clear clause or criterion | "Nothing changes" | We don't claim this today |
D. Data and security
| # | Question | A good answer | Red flag | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | What data does it collect and what for? | A short list, only what is necessary | "Everything" | Only what is necessary to qualify the enquiry |
| 17 | What data-processing agreement is there and when is it signed? | A contract before starting | "Later" | The terms of processing are agreed before the pilot starts |
| 18 | Where are conversations stored and for how long? | A concrete answer | Doesn't know | We don't claim this today |
E. Cost and commitment
| # | Question | A good answer | Red flag | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | How much does it cost, what does it depend on and what is included? | What it depends on (properties, volume) and a fixed quote | "It depends" with no criteria | Depends on the number of properties and the volume; fixed quote in the demo |
| 20 | Can I try it with my real enquiries and leave without penalty? | Yes, in writing | Lock-in or a high set-up fee | A one-month trial with your real enquiries, no lock-in |
Features worth asking about separately
Each vendor mentions them under a different name. Ask them to demonstrate them, not describe them.
| Feature | What to ask | Oriana today |
|---|---|---|
| Calls | Does it answer and return calls? In which languages? | We don't claim this today |
| Calendar | Does it book into my calendar and confirm? | We don't claim this today |
| Portals and CRM | Which ones does it integrate with, and how? | We don't claim this today |
| Scoring | Does it score candidates against criteria I define? | We don't claim this today |
| Reports | What does it measure and how often? | We don't claim this today |
| Languages | Which languages does it reply in and how does it detect them? | We don't claim this today |
"We don't claim this today" means we have not verified it as available for publication. It does not mean it doesn't exist or never will.
How to score (to decide)
For each vendor, mark:
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Meets | A concrete, verifiable answer |
| Partial | An answer with caveats or pending verification |
| Fails / doesn't know | Vague, or contradicts WhatsApp's policy |
Deal-breakers (don't negotiate with anyone who fails one):
- Doesn't say it is an AI, or prevents talking to a person.
- Uses an unofficial WhatsApp channel.
- Makes up answers when it doesn't know.
- Refuses to sign a data-processing agreement before starting.
How to check it yourself
When you get a demo, put it through these situations:
- Ask "are you a person?".
- Write something in your message that isn't in its rules.
- Ask to speak to a person.
- Write "I need to move in tomorrow".
- Send a voice note.
- Write a budget below the minimum.
(For a fuller test, use the open bank of 45 enquiries (in Spanish).)