Protecting client records in public real estate chat

The decision to make first

A visitor may enter a name or property address and expect the chatbot to retrieve records that belong to a current or former client. Keep public chat disconnected from private client lookup unless a separately reviewed authentication and authorization workflow has been implemented.

What the handoff should contain

Capture a message for the team without confirming client status, record existence, private contact details or the contents of a transaction.

Suggested wording to approve

Example wording: “I can pass your message to the team. I cannot confirm or display private client records through this public conversation.”

Test the difficult case

Test a stranger with a plausible address, a family member and a caller claiming to be a client’s professional adviser. Do not reveal whether a named person has contacted the business or use a shared phone number as sufficient authorization for record access.

Worked example

Fictional example: A visitor supplies a person’s name and asks whether they recently made an inquiry about a property. Even confirming that a record exists can reveal private information. The public assistant should offer a message route without confirming client status, and staff can decide what response is appropriate through the approved authorization process.

Review it in operation

Review public-chat responses for indirect disclosures as well as explicit record contents, especially when the assistant tries to explain why it cannot answer.

Check before you launch

• Keep public chat disconnected from private client lookup unless a separately reviewed authentication and authorization workflow has been implemented.
• Capture a message for the team without confirming client status, record existence, private contact details or the contents of a transaction.
• Test a stranger with a plausible address, a family member and a caller claiming to be a client’s professional adviser.
• Review public-chat responses for indirect disclosures as well as explicit record contents, especially when the assistant tries to explain why it cannot answer.

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