Workflows

Workflows are multi-step sequences your AI agent runs automatically — follow-up messages, lead qualification, document collection, and more. You set them up once; the bot handles the timing and conversation.

How Workflows Work

A workflow starts — either you trigger it manually, a prospect scans a deep link, or an event fires (like a completed showing)
The bot executes steps in order — sending messages, waiting for replies, asking questions, branching based on responses
If the prospect replies mid-workflow, the bot pauses the workflow and handles the reply naturally, then resumes
The workflow ends when all steps complete, the prospect disengages, or you cancel it

Workflows run in the background. You can monitor progress, pause, resume, or cancel from the dashboard or through the management chat.

Built-In Workflows

Rentalot comes with 7 ready-to-use workflows. Enable them from Workflows in your dashboard.

Property Blast

Send a property listing to a contact with automatic follow-ups.

Sends an intro message with property details
Waits 24 hours, then follows up if no reply
Waits another 48 hours for a final nudge
Stops as soon as the prospect replies

Trigger: Manual — you pick the contact and property.

Lead Qualification

Screen new prospects before you invest time in a showing. The bot asks three questions:

Target move-in date
Monthly rent budget
Must-haves (parking, pets, laundry, etc.)

After collecting answers, the bot searches your listings for matches and recommends properties. You get a summary notification with all the structured data.

Trigger: Deep link — prospects self-enroll by scanning a QR code or clicking a link. You can also start it manually.

Showing Follow-Up

After a showing, the bot follows up to collect feedback and nudge toward application.

Waits 2 hours after the showing completes
Asks how the showing went
If no reply after 24 hours, sends a second check-in
Notifies you with the prospect’s feedback

Trigger: Automatic — fires when a showing status changes to “completed.”

Application Nudge

For prospects who said “yes” but haven’t submitted an application.

Sends a check-in message offering help with the process
Two follow-ups spaced 48 and 72 hours apart
Notifies you if the prospect remains unresponsive

Trigger: Manual.

Idle Re-Engagement

Reactivate contacts who went silent mid-conversation.

Sends a friendly check-in
Waits 72 hours
If still no reply, archives the contact with a polite closing message

Trigger: Automatic — fires when a contact has been idle for 7+ days.

Renewal Check-In

Remind tenants about upcoming lease renewals.

Sends a renewal inquiry 60 days before lease expiry
Two follow-ups if no response
Notifies you with the tenant’s decision

Trigger: Scheduled — based on lease expiry date.

Document Collection

Collect required documents (ID, pay stubs, references) step by step.

Asks for each document one at a time
Sends reminders if the prospect doesn’t respond within 48 hours
Notifies you as each document arrives and when collection is complete

Trigger: Manual — you enroll contacts after they agree to apply.

Starting a Workflow

From the Dashboard

Go to Workflows > Active Runs and click Start Workflow. Select a template, pick a contact, and optionally choose a property.

From Management Chat

Use natural language:

“Start lead qualification for John Smith”

“Send the property blast for 123 Oak St to Maria”

“Run document collection for the Johnsons”

The agent finds the right template and contact by name — no IDs needed.

Via Deep Link (Telegram)

Create a shareable link that auto-enrolls prospects when they tap “Start” in Telegram. This is the most powerful trigger for lead generation.

See Deep Links & QR Codes below.

Managing Active Workflows

Dashboard

The Workflows page shows two tabs:

Templates — all available workflows with enable/disable toggles
Active Runs — currently running, paused, or pending workflows

Each active run shows the template name, contact, current step progress, and action buttons to Pause, Resume, or Cancel.

Click a run to see the step timeline — a visual view of completed, current, and upcoming steps.

Management Chat

Ask your agent about workflows in plain language:

“How’s the Oak Street blast going?”

“Pause the workflow for Sarah Chen”

“Cancel all workflows for unresponsive contacts”

“What workflows are running right now?”

Deep Links & QR Codes

Deep links let prospects self-enroll into workflows by scanning a QR code or clicking a link. When they tap “Start” in Telegram, the bot knows exactly which property and workflow to use.

How It Works

You generate a link from the dashboard (e.g., t.me/YourBot?start=wf_qualify_p42)
Put it on a flyer, listing page, for-rent sign, business card — anywhere
A prospect scans the QR code or clicks the link
Telegram opens with your bot and a “Start” button
They tap Start, and the bot immediately begins the workflow with full property context

Where to Use Deep Links

Placement	What it triggers
For-rent sign on the lawn	Lead Qualification for that property
Online listing (Zillow, Craigslist)	Property Blast with follow-ups
Open house sign-in table	Showing Follow-Up (replaces paper sign-in)
Flyer or door hanger	Lead Qualification for your portfolio
Business card	General qualification
Email signature	General qualification — every email becomes a lead funnel
Social media bio	General qualification

Generating Links

From the dashboard:

Go to Properties > select a property > Share, or Workflows > select a template
Pick the workflow and property combination
Copy the link or download the QR code as PNG or PDF

How the Bot Understands Replies

Workflows aren’t just scripted message sequences. When the bot asks a question (like “What’s your budget?”), it uses AI to understand freeform replies.

If a prospect says “under 2k but flexible for the right place,” the bot extracts structured data — budget of $2,000, flexible — and moves to the next question. If the prospect asks an off-topic question mid-workflow (“actually, does that place have parking?”), the bot answers it and then returns to the workflow question.

If the prospect says they’re not interested, the bot detects the disengagement, sends a polite closing message, and ends the workflow early.

Stopping a Workflow

Prospects can reply /stop at any time to exit a workflow. You can also:

Pause — temporarily stop, resume later
Cancel — permanently end the workflow run
Cancel all — stop all active workflows for a contact

The bot always includes “Reply /stop to exit” at the bottom of workflow messages.

Limits

Messages per workflow: Default 5 (configurable per template) — prevents over-messaging
Timeout: Workflows auto-cancel after 30 days of inactivity
One active run per template: A contact can’t have two instances of the same workflow running simultaneously
Rate limiting: The bot spaces messages to comply with Telegram’s rate limits