Twilio Integration
Communication & Follow-UpWhat It Does
Twilio is a cloud communications platform that enables real estate professionals to send and receive SMS messages, make phone calls, and send multimedia messages (MMS) programmatically via API. Unlike email, which averages a 20% open rate, text messages have a 98% open rate and are read within 3 minutes on average. Twilio powers the instant, high-urgency communication that wins deals in competitive markets where the first responder captures 78% of leads.
Why Real Estate Professionals Use It
Real estate is a speed-to-lead business. Studies show that calling a lead within 5 minutes of inquiry makes you 100x more likely to qualify them compared to waiting 30 minutes. But agents can't be glued to their phones 24/7. Twilio solves this by enabling instant automated responses that acknowledge the lead, set expectations, and keep them engaged until an agent can personally follow up.
AI Solutions for Communication
Key Features for Real Estate
Discover how Twilio powers real estate automation workflows
Two-Way SMS Conversations
Send and receive text messages from a dedicated Twilio phone number. Clients reply to messages, and responses are captured by n8n workflows or forwarded to agents.
Buyers text your business number with questions about a listing ('Is 123 Main St still available?'). Twilio captures the message, checks your CRM for listing status, and auto-replies or routes to the listing agent if follow-up is needed.
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Automation Workflows
Ready-to-deploy workflows powered by Twilio + NextAutomation
Instant Lead Response via SMS
When a new lead submits a form from any source (website, Facebook ad, Zillow inquiry), this workflow sends an automated SMS within 60 seconds acknowledging receipt, confirming their property interest, and setting expectations for agent follow-up. If the lead replies, the agent receives a Slack notification to call immediately.
1New lead captured in HubSpot or CRM
2n8n retrieves lead data: name, phone, property interest, lead source
3AI (OpenAI node) generates personalized SMS: 'Hi [Name], thanks for your interest in [Property/Area]. I'm [Agent], your local expert. I'll call you within 2 hours. In the meantime, here are similar listings: [link]'
4Twilio sends SMS to lead's phone number
Leads receive instant acknowledgment, reducing anxiety and preventing them from reaching out to competitors. First-response time drops from hours to under 60 seconds. Conversion rate on web leads increases by 35% compared to email-only follow-up.
Triggers & Actions
Connect Twilio to your workflows with powerful triggers and actions
Triggers
Incoming SMS
Fires when a text message is received by your Twilio phone number.
Buyer texts 'Is 123 Oak St still available?' to your business number. Trigger workflow that checks listing status in CRM and auto-replies with current availability.
Incoming Call
Fires when a phone call is received by your Twilio number. Can capture caller ID and route calls based on rules.
Lead calls your business line. Trigger workflow that looks up caller in CRM, routes to their assigned agent if exists, or routes to on-call agent if new lead.
Message Delivered
Fires when a sent SMS is successfully delivered to the recipient's phone.
After sending 'Showing confirmed' SMS, log delivery status in CRM so you know the buyer received the message.
Message Failed
Fires when an SMS fails to send (invalid number, carrier blocked, phone off).
If showing reminder SMS fails to deliver, trigger Slack alert to agent: 'Could not reach [Buyer] via text—call to confirm showing.'
Actions
Send SMS
Sends a text message to a specified phone number.
When new lead captured from website form, send SMS: 'Hi [Name], thanks for your interest! I'll call you within 2 hours. -[Agent]'
Send MMS
Sends a multimedia message with image, PDF, or other media attachment.
When property matching buyer's criteria is listed, send MMS with listing photo and details: 'New 3BR in Riverside: $425k. [Photo]. Book showing: [link]'
Make Call
Initiates an outbound phone call from your Twilio number to a recipient.
When high-value lead is detected (scored 80+ in CRM), trigger automated call that connects lead to agent when they answer.
Send WhatsApp Message
Sends a message via WhatsApp Business API using Twilio.
For international luxury buyers, send property updates via WhatsApp instead of SMS: 'New waterfront listing: $2.5M. Video tour: [link]'
Forward Call
Routes an incoming call to another number (agent's mobile, office line, voicemail).
During business hours, forward all calls to main office line. After hours, forward to on-call agent's mobile with caller ID display showing lead source.
Record Call
Records a phone call and stores the audio file for later playback or compliance.
Record all calls with sellers discussing listing agreements. Store recordings in Google Drive and link in CRM for compliance and training.
Setup Guide
Get started in approximately 30 minutes for full setup including two-way SMS configuration
Prerequisites
- Twilio account (free trial includes $15 credit)
- Twilio phone number (costs ~$1-2/month depending on country)
- Twilio Account SID and Auth Token (from Twilio Console)
- n8n instance with Twilio node available
- Understanding of TCPA compliance for SMS marketing (US) or local regulations
Create Twilio Account and Purchase Phone Number
Sign up at twilio.com. After email verification, go to Phone Numbers → Buy a Number. Select your country, search for a local area code that matches your business location, and purchase a number with SMS and Voice capabilities (~$1/month).
Choose a local area code for your market (e.g., 512 for Austin) rather than a toll-free number. Buyers are more likely to respond to local numbers.
Retrieve API Credentials
In Twilio Console, go to Account Dashboard. Copy your 'Account SID' (starts with AC...) and 'Auth Token' (click to reveal). These are your API credentials for connecting n8n to Twilio.
Treat Auth Token like a password—don't share it. If exposed, regenerate it immediately in Twilio Console under API Credentials → Auth Tokens.
Connect Twilio to n8n
In n8n, create a workflow and add a Twilio node. Click 'Create New Credentials', paste Account SID and Auth Token. Test by sending a message to your own phone number with a simple 'Test message from n8n' text.
Save credentials as 'Twilio - Production' to reuse across workflows. If testing, create separate 'Twilio - Test' credentials with a different number to avoid accidentally spamming real clients.
Configure Webhook for Incoming Messages (Two-Way SMS)
In n8n, create a workflow starting with a Webhook node set to 'POST' method. Copy the webhook URL. In Twilio Console, go to your phone number settings, scroll to 'Messaging', and paste the webhook URL under 'A MESSAGE COMES IN'. Set HTTP method to POST. Now incoming texts will trigger your n8n workflow.
Test by texting your Twilio number from your phone. Check n8n execution log to see the incoming message data. Twilio sends sender number and message body—extract these to build auto-reply logic.
Create SMS Message Templates for Common Scenarios
Draft message templates for: lead confirmation ('Thanks for reaching out!'), showing reminder ('Reminder: Showing tomorrow at...'), price drop alert ('Price reduced on [Address]'), and feedback request ('What did you think of the property?'). Store templates in n8n workflows or a Google Sheet for easy editing.
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible (1 SMS segment = $0.0075). Longer messages are split into multiple segments and cost more. Use link shorteners for URLs to save characters.
Set Up Rate Limiting and Compliance
In n8n, add delays between bulk messages (at least 1 second per message) to avoid carrier spam filters. Include opt-out instructions in your first message to each contact: 'Reply STOP to unsubscribe'. Maintain an opt-out list in your CRM and filter it before sending messages.
US agents: familiarize yourself with TCPA rules (requires consent before sending marketing texts). Add a checkbox to your forms: 'I consent to receive SMS updates' and log consent in CRM.
Build Your First Workflow: Lead Response Automation
Create an n8n workflow: CRM Trigger (new contact created) → Check if phone number exists → Twilio Send SMS ('Hi [Name], thanks for your interest...') → Log in CRM. Test by creating a sample lead in your CRM and verifying they receive the SMS.
Start with a simple confirmation message. Once working, layer in AI personalization (OpenAI node generates custom message based on lead source and property interest).
Monitor Usage and Costs
Twilio charges per message sent (~$0.0075/SMS in US, varies by country). In Twilio Console, monitor your usage under 'Monitor → Logs → Messages'. Set up usage alerts (Settings → Notifications) to get emailed if your spending exceeds a threshold.
Average real estate team sending 500 SMS/month pays ~$3.75 + $1 number rental = $5/month. This is negligible compared to the ROI of instant lead response. Track cost per lead to prove ROI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Twilio integration
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