In the fast-paced world of land investing, every potential seller matters. You spend real money on marketing just to get someone to call.

But what happens when they finally do and you miss the call?

Here’s a tough truth for land investors: 

"Up to 85% of callers will never call back if their first call is missed."
Retell AI, 2023

The Problem with Old Ways of Handling Calls

For too long, land investors have relied on outdated ways to manage incoming calls:

• Virtual Property Intake Managers: Virtual team members might seem like a flexible option, but they often require someone fluent in English with a Western accent, which can be expensive. Even full-time VAs are only available for a set number of hours each day. They need training, take breaks, and can leave with little notice. When that happens, missed calls often lead to missed deals.

• Call Answering Services: These offer 24/7 coverage, but they can be costly and feel impersonal. Agents usually follow scripts (and sometimes go off script!) and have limited context about your business. Services like PATLive (starting around $235/month) and AnswerFirst (base fee plus $1.50 to $1.85 per minute) use U.S.-based receptionists, but the cost adds up and callers may still feel like they’re speaking to a third party.

• Voicemail This is often the most painful. Whether you're busy with another client, driving, or just away from your phone, every missed call means a missed chance. Only about 20% of callers leave a voicemail message, and most do not try again. A lead that reaches voicemail is likely a lead that quietly moves on.

“Only 20% of callers leave a voicemail, and less than 5% ever call back.” — Retell AI, 2023

The AI Advantage: Always On, Always Perfect

It is not always possible to answer every call but an AI agent who answers calls helps bridge that gap by picking up right away, collecting the basics, scheduling a followup  and making sure leads are not left hanging.

This isn't science fiction; it's what AI Agent call answering does.

Only about 20% of callers leave a voicemail, based on insights from Retell AI. Most do not call back again, which means that missed call is often a missed deal.This changes everything for land investors. Here's why AI is quickly becoming the better choice:

• Always On, Answers Right Away: AI never sleeps, never takes a holiday, and never gets sick. Your potential customers get an immediate response, which makes them more interested and helps you close more deals.

• Collects Info Clearly Every Time: No more messy notes or forgotten details. AI is set up to ask the same key questions on every call, which means you collect the right information in the same order each time. That consistency makes it easier to spot patterns, compare leads, and avoid missing anything important. It also brings more predictability to your process since you always know what data is coming in and how it will be organized.

• No Training, No Days Off, No Quitting: Say goodbye to endless hiring, training, and managing people. AI is ready to go from day one.

• Faster Deal Closing: Quick answers and smart information gathering mean you can check out and follow up on leads much faster, leading to deals closing more quickly.

How Pebble Intelligence’s (PI) AI intake agent  Changes Land Investing Calls

While other AI tools are out there, many are either separate or don't understand the specific needs of land investing.

Pebble’s AI call answering agent isn't just a fancy phone system; it's a smart, built-in tool made specifically for generating land deals.

How Pebble’s AI Call Answering Works

Every time a seller calls your business line, Pebble’s AI guides the conversation from start to finish. Here’s how the process unfolds:

1. It Picks Up and Greets the Seller - The AI answers the call right away using your business name. It speaks clearly and naturally, making the caller feel at ease. There are no menus or hold times, just a professional, human-like greeting that sets the right tone.

2. It Lets the Caller Know About the Cash Offer - After the greeting, the AI briefly explains that your business makes cash offers on land. It tells the seller that it will ask a few short questions to get the information needed to evaluate their property. This helps the caller know what to expect and why it matters.

3. It Collects Key Property and Seller Info - The AI gathers details like the seller’s name, phone number, parcel number, and reason for selling. If a mailer code is mentioned, it matches it to your campaign and pulls the related property details. Everything is captured in a consistent format, with no missing pieces or sloppy notes.

4. It Creates a Deal in Your CRM - Once the call ends, the AI automatically creates a new deal inside Pebble using the collected information. You don’t have to enter anything manually. The deal includes property data, seller motivation, and a summary of the conversation.

5. It Notifies You Right Away - You’re notified immediately after the call. This lets you review the lead quickly and follow up while interest is still high. With everything already logged and organized, you can act fast and keep your momentum strong.

Why We Built Pebble Intelligence.

Missed calls are a regular part of land investing. Whether someone is out walking a property, on another call, or simply unavailable, it's easy for a first contact from a seller to go unanswered. In many cases, that first call is the only one they make.

Tools like ringless voicemail and delayed callbacks became common workarounds. While useful in some situations, they often lack context, feel impersonal, and do not always lead to real conversations.

Pebble Intelligence was created to fill that gap. The idea was to build something that could handle those calls in real time, collect the right information, and reduce the chance of leads falling through without adding another system to manage.

It started with AI call answering and continues to evolve as we look for better ways to support the moments when sellers first reach out.