Sorimo handles a large volume of rental activity in Brussels. Every month, the agency receives around 800 to 900 requests for property visits and manages approximately 500 appointments.
That volume created pressure at every stage of the process. The team had to answer enquiries, organise callbacks, confirm appointments, deal with cancellations, manage rental applications and follow up after every visit.
For rental properties, no-shows were especially costly. Calling every visitor was not realistic. Agents sometimes travelled to a property without knowing whether the client would actually arrive.
The result was a frustrating combination of full inboxes, manual administration and wasted time.
In brief
- ≈ 80 hours of manual follow-up capacity recovered each month.
- 300 appointments confirmed or changed in 30 days, with 45–60 cancellations communicated in advance.
- One WhatsApp workflow from the first enquiry to the completed rental application.
Based on Sorimo’s current activity volumes, the agency estimates that automated follow-up saves its team around 80 hours every month.
Incoming enquiries: turning every request into a clear next step
Sorimo receives enquiries through several channels. Some people discover a property online. Others see a Sorimo sales board or billboard and want more information.
Previously, QR codes were difficult to manage. Each board required its own code, which made the process complicated and easy to lose track of.
With Alia, Sorimo’s QR codes send people directly to a WhatsApp conversation. The same assistant is also available through a widget on the website.
- Identify the property and answer initial questions
- Understand what the client is looking for and qualify the request
- Help the client book a visit through the online booking system
- Identify whether a callback is needed
Using the current activity model, Sorimo receives approximately 850 requests per month, including around 150 requests directly through WhatsApp. That means roughly 18% of monthly enquiries arrive through WhatsApp, close to one in five requests.
“We had tried QR codes before, but managing a different code for every board was complicated. Now people reach us directly on WhatsApp. The traffic is becoming comparable to what we would expect from a secondary property portal.”
Not every request should become a visit. Sometimes a property is already under option in Sorimo’s database but is still visible on a property portal. Alia can immediately explain the situation and, if the person remains interested, Sorimo can follow up later.
For requests that do require a call, Alia also collects the client’s callback preference. In the current model, 392 requests—around 56%—include a preferred callback moment.
“Sometimes people used to call me and say, ‘I’m standing in front of this house, next to this supermarket.’ I couldn’t always help them immediately, and those calls took time. Now they can ask their questions on WhatsApp. If there is real interest, it comes into my mailbox and I know it needs attention.”
Appointments: fewer no-shows and better information for agents
Sorimo’s office in BrusselsSorimo’s rental activity made appointment reliability particularly important. The agency had close to 35% no-shows. Clients sometimes did not arrive, while agents had already travelled to the property and reserved the time in their agenda.
“We had close to 35% no-shows—almost one in three appointments. Sometimes an agent would arrive and the first client simply wouldn’t come. That could already cost half an hour.”
Alia changed that process by contacting clients through WhatsApp before the appointment. Clients can confirm, cancel or communicate a change. The calendar is updated, and the responsible agent receives the relevant information.
30-day activity snapshot
At first, seeing more cancellations in the calendar felt strange. Then the benefit became clear: a cancellation communicated in advance is much better than an appointment that looks confirmed but ends in a no-show.
“At first, seeing more cancellations in the calendar felt strange. Then we realised this was much better. People who previously didn’t dare to cancel were now telling us in advance, so the agent had more time.”
“It’s useful because even when a client is late and sends a message on WhatsApp, I receive it on my WhatsApp too. The assistant transfers it to me immediately.”
After the appointment: applications arrive directly with the agent
Previously, rental applications were handled manually. An agent would bring paper forms to the appointment, hand them to the candidate and wait for the completed documents to return.
Now, Alia sends the next step through WhatsApp. The candidate can complete the application immediately. Once it is submitted, the responsible agent receives the information by email.
“Before, I had to bring a folder to the visit, give the papers to the candidate and wait for everything to come back. Now the candidate can complete the application directly through WhatsApp, and I receive the full file. It saves me a huge amount of time.”
In the current model, around 250 responses are collected after approximately 500 visits. The client receives a clear next step. The agent receives better information. The office no longer has to coordinate every piece of paper manually.
“Clients tell us that the process feels very professional and organised. They know what to do next, and we receive the information we need.”
The time saved across the full journey
≈ 80 hours recovered every month
| Stage | Activity handled by Alia | Monthly volume | Estimated time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiries | Callback preferences | 392 | 10.6 hours |
| Enquiries | Answering and closing requests without a next step | 140 | 3.7 hours |
| Appointments | Confirmations and changes | 300 | 24.4 hours |
| Appointments | Cancellations and rescheduling | 45–60 | 14.2 hours |
| After the appointment | Interest and next-step follow-up | ≈250 | 27.1 hours |
| Total | ≈ 80 hours | ||
Hours per activity are allocated proportionally using the original model, for an estimated total of 80 hours per month. This is a capacity estimate: it represents manual follow-up work that the team no longer needs to perform in the same way.
More time for the team. A better experience for clients.
Michael, CEO at SorimoFor Sorimo, the change is visible across the whole office. Matthieu has more structured incoming requests. Agents receive appointment updates directly. Candidates can complete applications without waiting for paper forms. Clients receive quicker answers and clearer next steps.
Sorimo also reports that customer reviews have increased by close to 30% since introducing Alia.
“The team is gaining time, but the clients notice the difference too. The process feels faster, more organised and more professional.”
Alia gives Sorimo’s agents better information, earlier warnings and more complete files, so they can spend their time where human attention matters most.
From the first enquiry to the completed application, Sorimo now has one structured follow-up process.
See how Alia could work with your agency