Property managers have four ways to get leasing calls answered when nobody is at the desk. They differ less in price than in what they actually cover: a message taken is not a showing booked.
This page is published by LeaseOwl, which sells an AI leasing agent, and our own prices are in the table. Every other price comes from the vendor’s public pricing page as seen on September 23, 2026. Prices change, so check the linked pages before you decide.
What are the options?
- Human answering service. A call center answers in your name and takes messages. Some book appointments.
- Showing tool with a leasing call center. Showing software whose top tier adds people who answer leasing calls.
- AI receptionist. A general-purpose AI that answers calls for any kind of business.
- AI leasing agent. An AI built for rentals that answers calls, texts and listing inquiries, knows your units and books showings.
How much does each cost?
| Option | Example | Published price | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human answering service | Smith.ai receptionists | $300 a month for 30 calls; about $7 to $10 per call on plans, $11.50 overage | Calls |
| Human answering service | Ruby | $250 for 50 minutes to $1,725 for 500 minutes ($3.45 to $5.00 per minute) | Calls |
| Showing tool with call center | ShowMojo Ultra | $2.70 per unit per month, annual | Calls through its live answering service, showing scheduling |
| Showing tool with call center | Tenant Turner Ultra | From $2.43 per unit per month | Calls through its leasing call center, showing scheduling |
| AI receptionist | Smith.ai AI receptionist | $1.67 to $3.00 per call | Calls |
| AI receptionist | Goodcall | From $79 a month for 100 unique callers | Calls |
| AI leasing agent | Showdigs Plus | $2.00 per unit per month, $200 minimum | Calls and messages, 24/7 |
| AI leasing agent | Leasey.AI All Modules | From $499 a month | Includes an AI phone agent |
| AI leasing agent | LetHub | About $1 per unit, $199 minimum, 12-month term; voice from $49 a month extra | Email, text, chat; voice as an add-on |
| AI leasing agent | LeaseOwl Pro | $2.99 per door per month billed annually for the first 200 doors, $2.49 for doors 201 to 1,000, $1.99 after that; $199 minimum; no setup fee | Calls, texts, emails and listing inquiries, 24/7 |
Enterprise AI leasing platforms such as EliseAI do not publish prices.
What does each option actually cover?
Answering services are good at picking up the phone and bad at leasing. Unless you train them on every listing, most after-hours calls end with “someone will call you back”, and texts and listing-site emails are not covered at all.
Showing tools with call centers are built for leasing and schedule showings well. The call center is people, so coverage and quality depend on staffing, and the per-unit price applies to your whole portfolio.
AI receptionists answer every call instantly and cost little per call. They are general tools, so you teach them your units and connect booking yourself.
AI leasing agents are built for rentals: they know each unit’s rent, availability and pet policy, answer calls, texts and listing emails, and book into your calendar. Check that the one you choose says it is an AI at the start of every conversation and lets your team take over when you want.
How do you compare them fairly?
Price the cost per showing booked, not per call answered. Take one month of your inquiries, estimate how many each option would turn into booked showings, and divide the monthly cost by that number. An option that answers every call but books nothing is expensive at any price.
Also ask each vendor:
- Does it answer texts and listing-site emails, or only calls?
- Does it book into my calendar, or send me a message to call back?
- Does it tell callers it is an AI or a third party?
- What happens to spam and robocalls on a per-call or per-minute plan?
- Is there a setup fee or a minimum term?