AI tool revives dead property leads directly on WhatsApp

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Shailesh Gupta and Runding Wang initially built supply chain software after meeting at Antler, an early-stage accelerator in Singapore. Real estate agents started reaching out regarding their AI work, so the duo pivoted to launch SobelAI after uncovering severe communication bottlenecks.

😟 Problem

Singapore real estate agents juggle hundreds of client interactions exclusively on WhatsApp. The messaging app lacks standard customer relationship management features. Agents at firms like PropNex lose commissions when delayed responses cause expensive leads to go cold.

💡 Solution

SobelAI connects directly to an agent’s existing WhatsApp number to function as an automated assistant. The platform provides several core capabilities, including:

• Lead classification, where the software automatically tags contacts by buyer, seller, or tenant status and exports records to Google Sheets.
• The AI replies to new inquiries immediately and qualifies prospects based on budget and timeline criteria.
• The tool reads past chat histories to draft highly personalized re-engagement messages using recent market updates.
• The system communicates fluidly in English, Malay, Mandarin, and Singlish.

Image credit: SobelAI

📊 Market size

Singapore hosts over 30,000 licensed real estate agents. The startup targets a serviceable segment of roughly 5,000 high-activity agents who actively spend on digital ads. This specific group represents roughly S$9 million (US$6.9 million) in potential lifetime value.

🤝 Team

• Shailesh Gupta. Co-founder. He spent nearly a decade in commercial roles at tech startups.
• Runding Wang. Co-founder. He previously worked at TikTok and has built specialized AI solutions for WhatsApp.

🚀 Traction

• Over 10 agents from PropNex and ERA actively use the platform.
• The startup maintains an active sales pipeline of roughly 130 leads.
• The team achieves a 24% conversion rate from product demonstration to closed sale.
• One early user successfully re-engaged 15% of leads that had remained dormant for over six months.

🏆 Competition

Existing tools like Privyr focus on basic lead management and reminders. SobelAI differentiates itself by actively qualifying prospects and following up autonomously. The platform uses real conversation history to ensure automated messages feel genuinely personal.

💰 Financials

The company charges a flat subscription of S$99 (US$77) a month per agent for each WhatsApp number. Optional broadcast messages cost roughly 9 cents each. Early-stage VC firm Iterative has invested US$225,000 into the company.

🚩 Risks

• SobelAI’s upside depends on a narrow local segment becoming large enough to matter. The article’s roughly 5,000 high-activity agents and S$9 million lifetime-value estimate leave little room for missed adoption. Public-register and transaction analysis shows Singapore activity is concentrated, with the busiest agents handling most deals, which reinforces the risk that the addressable market is structurally bounded unless expansion works.
• The product asks agents to let automation respond inside WhatsApp, where slow replies can cost commissions but poor replies can damage expensive leads. That creates a trust barrier. Research on customer aversion to service chatbots links adoption friction to imperfect automation, escalation needs, and higher-stakes interactions.