AI Phone Answering's Biggest Merit is "24-Hour Availability," While "Difficulty with Detailed Consultations" Poses a Challenge | ieLabo Research

ieLabo GROUP Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Daisuke Iwana; hereinafter "ieLabo GROUP"), a leader in Real Estate DX and provider of industry-specific DX support services, conducted a survey on "AI Phone Answering" for real estate companies and end-users. The survey results, with 1,108 valid responses, are now announced.

Survey Background

In recent years, while corporate communication methods, including phone calls, have become more diverse, issues such as variations in response quality and increased response burden have been pointed out. Furthermore, as the need for operational efficiency and improved convenience grows, a re-evaluation of communication itself is required.

Against this backdrop, a "Survey on AI Phone Answering" was conducted targeting both real estate companies and end-users to clarify the reality and perceptions surrounding AI phone answering.

Survey Summary

1. The Merit of AI Phone Answering is "24-Hour Availability," the Challenge is "Difficulty with Detailed Consultations"

2. "Call Screening," Used by Approximately 80%, Requires Increased Awareness for Wider Adoption

3. For the Widespread Adoption of AI Phone Answering, Balancing "Convenience" and "Peace of Mind" is Key

1. The Merit of AI Phone Answering is "24-Hour Availability," the Challenge is "Difficulty with Detailed Consultations"

When end-users were asked, "How do you feel when you encounter AI (automated voice) answering when you call?", the results were: "I feel it's convenient" (21.3%), "I don't particularly mind" (37.1%), and "I feel anxious" (41.6%).

While nearly half of the responses were positive, such as "I feel it's convenient" and "I don't particularly mind," a certain number of "I feel anxious" responses were also observed, suggesting a tendency for perceptions of AI phone answering to be divided.

Next, when asked, "Have you ever encountered AI (automated voice) answering when you called?", the results were: "Yes" (60.8%), "No" (31.3%), and "I don't know" (7.9%).

Meanwhile, when real estate companies were asked, "How do you currently handle phone inquiries?", the results were: "Our own staff handle it" (80.6%), "We use a mix depending on the task and time of day" (11.9%), "We outsource to an external call center" (6.0%), and "Other" (1.5%).

While there is a certain number of end-users who have actually experienced AI phone answering, the reality is that human-based responses remain central for real estate companies.

End-users who have experienced AI phone answering (*) were asked, "What do you find to be the merits of AI phone answering?", and the most common response was "24-hour availability" at 59.7%, followed by "I can get a response without waiting" (40.4%) and "Simple inquiries can be resolved quickly" (32.4%).

Real estate companies were asked, "What functions do you expect from AI phone answering?", and the responses were: "24-hour availability" (46.8%), "Automatic recording of inquiry history" (38.7%), and "Automatic routing of inquiry content" (33.9%).

Both end-users and real estate companies place particular importance on "24-hour availability," indicating a common high demand for round-the-clock support.

On the other hand, regarding points of dissatisfaction, the most frequent responses were "Difficulty with detailed consultations" (61.5%) and "The conversation is not understood" (57.2%).

Specific comments included "I can't convey my request immediately," "The preliminary guidance is long, and I'm concerned about the call charges during that time," and "My intentions are not understood."

Thus, while AI phone answering offers convenience such as reduced waiting times and prompt initial responses, challenges are also apparent in complex consultations and nuanced interactions.

From these results, it can be inferred that while AI phone answering is appreciated for its convenience in terms of "efficiency" and "immediacy," gaps with human responses are recognized as challenges in terms of "flexible responsiveness" and "communication accuracy."

2. "Call Screening," Used by Approximately 80%, Requires Increased Awareness for Wider Adoption

When end-users were asked, "Do you use call screening?", the results were: "I use it" (16.4%), "I have used it in the past" (5.0%), and "I do not use it" (78.6%).

Call screening is a function that allows AI to check the caller's name and reason for calling before answering, convey the information to the recipient, and then decide whether to respond. It reduces the burden of handling unwanted sales calls and enables prompt responses to important calls.

Looking at age groups, while the usage rate exceeded 20% for those in their 20s to 40s, it remained at 9.0% for those in their 50s and 6.9% for those in their 60s, suggesting that awareness of the function itself may not be sufficiently widespread.

Since call screening also applies to calls from unregistered numbers, important calls from places like hospitals or delivery services may also be subject to screening. Therefore, the ringtone may not sound until the caller states their purpose, potentially causing a delay in response. On the other hand, it offers benefits such as blocking unwanted or fraudulent calls in advance, and its convenience can vary greatly depending on how it is used.

3. For the Widespread Adoption of AI Phone Answering, Balancing "Convenience" and "Peace of Mind" is Key

When asked, "Do you think AI phone answering will become widespread in the future?", the results were: "I think it will become widespread" (70.4%), "I don't think it will become widespread" (6.2%), and "I don't know" (23.4%).

Furthermore, when real estate companies were asked about the challenges they face with phone answering, "Takes too much time to respond" was the most common answer at 53.7%, indicating a high demand for AI utilization from the perspective of reducing operational burden.

On the other hand, while there is convenience, anxieties and challenges are also observed, and improving usability and increasing awareness are considered important for AI phone answering to be widely accepted.

In the future, it is expected that efforts will be made to create an environment where AI phone answering is more naturally accepted, while balancing convenience and peace of mind.

Comment from Kenichi Niwayama, Managing Director, ieLabo GROUP

This survey revealed the reality of end-users' high interest in AI phone answering, along with a coexistence of expectations for convenience and anxieties. In particular, while the convenience of 24-hour availability and reduced waiting times is appreciated, challenges in detailed consultation support and communication are also recognized.

Furthermore, awareness and usage of call screening are not yet widespread, and promoting understanding of the function is considered important for future adoption.

ieLabo GROUP will contribute to further streamlining real estate operations and promoting DX through service provision that considers the perspectives of both real estate companies and end-users.

Survey Details

Survey Period: May 25, 2026 - June 8, 2026

Survey Organization: ieLabo GROUP Inc.

Survey Target: [End-Users] Readers of "ieLabo Column," followers of our SNS, etc. [Real Estate Companies] Employees of real estate companies using "ieLabo CLOUD," etc.

Valid Responses: [Real Estate Companies] 67, [End-Users] 1,041

Survey Method: Internet questionnaire survey

* End-users who have experienced AI phone answering: n=633

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About ieLabo GROUP

ieLabo GROUP aims to create a future where everyone can choose a home with peace of mind, based on the mission statement "Choose a good home, ieLabo."

The vertical SaaS "ieLabo CLOUD" and "ieLabo BB" for the real estate industry are used by over 50,000 companies nationwide, promoting DX for user companies.

To deliver valuable information and services from a neutral standpoint, we will continue to refrain from entering the real estate brokerage business and aim to realize a fair real estate platform.

Company Name: ieLabo GROUP Inc.

Representative: Representative Director Daisuke Iwana

Established: January 2008

Capital: 38.25 million yen

Location: Shinjuku Sumitomo Building 50F, 2-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Corporate Site: https://www.ielove-group.jp/

Service Introduction Site for Real Estate Businesses: https://ielove-cloud.jp/

Real Estate Portal Site: https://www.ielove.co.jp/

* Group companies also offer a wide range of business support services such as "Rent Guarantee," "Utility Arrangement," "Parking Lot Operation and Management," "SNS/Video Marketing," "Rental Management BPO," and "AI Floor Plan."

▼ For media inquiries regarding this release, please contact us via the following form:

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ieLabo GROUP Inc. Public Relations Department

Contact: Kodama, Akihoshi

TEL: 03-6911-3955

Email: pr@ielove-group.jp