Rivo AI launches WhatsApp assistant as study finds Singapore property agents take over two hours on average to reply

New service handles property enquiries and books viewings around the clock, as field test of 394 agents reveals delays and unanswered messages.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 27 October 2026 - Rivo AI has launched a WhatsApp-based service that helps Singapore property agents respond to buyer and tenant enquiries in seconds, qualify prospective clients and arrange property viewings, even when agents are unavailable. The announcement comes alongside findings from Rivo's field test of 394 Singapore property agents, which found that those who personally replied took an average of two hours and 14 minutes to respond to enquiries.

A Rivo AI field test involving 394 Singapore property agents found that agents who replied personally took an average of two hours and 14 minutes to respond to WhatsApp enquiries. Nearly one in three took over an hour, while the longest recorded wait was 27 hours.

Conducted between 16 and 19 October 2026, the test found that nearly one in three personal replies (29%) took more than an hour, while 19% took over four hours. The longest recorded wait was 27 hours. Even during the day, about one in five enquiries went unanswered, based on an average of the no-response rates for Singapore and overseas phone numbers.

These delays point to a gap in how property enquiries are managed, particularly when agents are occupied with viewings, handling multiple conversations or attending to clients. For prospective buyers and tenants, a simple question about a property's availability can mean hours of waiting. For agents, every unanswered message represents a potential missed opportunity.

The findings come amid continued activity in Singapore's housing market. According to the Housing & Development Board, HDB resale transactions rose 19.5% quarter-on-quarter to 7,645 in the third quarter of 2026. With 36,816 registered property agents operating in Singapore as at January 2026, the ability to manage enquiries promptly remains an important part of serving prospective customers.

Rivo's service addresses this through two AI-powered assistants. The Viewing Agent operates through an agent's existing WhatsApp Business number, responding to enquiries in under five seconds, according to the company. It gathers information such as budget, property preferences and purchase timeline before scheduling viewings through Google Calendar. A separate Agent Assistant provides daily briefings, booking alerts and conversation updates, allowing agents to step in when personal attention is required.

"Buyers expect an answer in minutes, not hours. Agents aren't ignoring them on purpose; they are juggling hundreds of conversations on their own," said Raja Ahmed Shuja, Founder & CEO of Rivo AI.

The service has already been tested in a live property campaign at Lentor Gardens. According to Rivo's pilot results, its system managed more than 200 buyer conversations, identified 79 qualified leads and booked four property viewings without human involvement. The company's wider field test also found that only half of agents contacted from overseas numbers replied personally, highlighting another potential challenge for overseas buyers and tenants. The non-random study provides a snapshot of response patterns rather than a representative estimate for Singapore's entire property industry.

Rivo's Viewing Agent and Agent Assistant are now available to Singapore property agents, with a 30-day free trial and no setup fee or lock-in period. For more information, visit rivoai.co.
Hashtag: #RivoAI

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About Rivo AI

Rivo AI is a Singapore-based technology company developing WhatsApp-based AI assistants for property agents. Its Viewing Agent handles incoming property enquiries, assesses prospective buyers' requirements and books viewings through agents' existing WhatsApp Business numbers. Its Agent Assistant keeps agents informed through daily briefings, booking alerts and conversation updates. In a live Lentor Gardens pilot, Rivo reports handling more than 200 buyer conversations and booking four property viewings without human intervention. The company aims to help property agents manage enquiries more efficiently while maintaining personal relationships with their clients. Visit rivoai.co to learn more.

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 October 2026 – The 2026 Fortune China 500 Forum was held in Chengdu on the evening of October 22. Under the theme of "Renewing Competitiveness," this year's forum brought together business leaders and experts. Huitongda Network (9878.HK) was includedin the Fortune China 500 list for the fifth consecutive year, ranking 303rd.

Huitongda recently released its interim results. In the first half of 2026 (1H26), the company recorded revenue of RMB23.58 billion and net profit attributable to parent company of RMB153 million, up 10.5% year on year (YoY). Gross profit margin increased by 0.5 percentage points YoY to 5.1%, while gross profit margin, net profit margin and net profit margin attributable to shareholders of the parent company all reached record highs. Net operating cash flow stood at RMB367 million, marking the eighth consecutive year of positive cash inflow.

While maintaining stable business operations and continuously improving operational quality, Huitongda is accelerating strategic transformation. Leveraging its expertise in smart supply chains and digital technologies in lower-tier markets, the company is expanding into innovative business segments, including AI technology and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) retail chains.

In its AI business, Huitongda generated AI-related revenue of RMB78.91 million in 1H26, up 32.3% YoY. The company has established an AI product portfolio centred on its self-developed "Qiancheng Cloud AI Large Model", comprising three AI agents: "Qiancheng AI Super Store Manager", "LeapoAI" and "Dabi AI". These solutions provide AI products and services tailored to the specific needs of physical retail stores, supply chain participants and e-commerce merchants.

In its FMCG retail chain business, Huitongda has established strategic partnerships with "Snack Select", "Juzi Huakai" and "Kehao Convenience Store", expanding its network to nearly 5,000 stores across formats including discount snack stores, community convenience stores and discount supermarkets. Working with upstream and downstream partners, the company is actively exploring an innovative "snacks + convenience" store format to tap into high-frequency daily consumption demand across urban and rural markets.

Huitongda's inclusion in the Fortune China 500 list for five consecutive years, together with its eight consecutive years on the China's Top 500 Private Enterprises list released by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) in September, reflects the company's continued focus on lower-tier markets and its core retail business. By leveraging innovative technologies and new consumption scenarios to serve customers across the industrial chain, supply chain and retail sector, Huitongda has gradually established competitive advantages in technology, data, supply chain capabilities and distribution network operations, demonstrating its ability to generate long-term value through economic cycles.

Hashtag: #huitongda#AI#business

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