Live coverage, not automation. Real estate agents and buyers expect to reach a human. Automated text replies signal that the inspector is closed for business, which prompts the lead to dial the next name. The most effective after-hours setup is a trained live answering service that takes the call, gathers inspection details, quotes pricing on add-ons, and books the appointment directly into your scheduling system. Saturday mornings and weekday evenings are the highest-volume windows for real estate inquiry calls, and they are also when most solo inspectors are unreachable.