How Do Shared Mailboxes and Routing Work?

Shared mailboxes in Propel allow your entire team to collaborate on prospect inquiries. All team members can view and manage conversations from shared mailboxes, and you can route inquiries to specific team members using handoffs and automation rules. This guide explains how shared mailboxes work and how to set up effective routing.

What Are Shared Mailboxes?

In Propel, mailboxes are automatically shared within your organization:

• Organization-wide access - All team members can view engagements from any mailbox
• Collaborative management - Multiple people can review and manage conversations
• Unified view - All conversations appear in the Engagements page for all team members
• No separate setup - Mailboxes are shared by default - no additional configuration needed

Key Points:

• Not email accounts - Propel mailboxes are monitoring configurations, not separate email accounts
• Team visibility - All team members see all engagements from all mailboxes
• Permission-based - Only admins can create and configure mailboxes
• Multiple mailboxes - You can have multiple mailboxes for different purposes

Use Case Examples:

• Property Management: One mailbox for "Leasing Inbox" - all leasing team members can see and manage inquiries
• Real Estate: Multiple mailboxes (e.g., "Buyer Leads", "Seller Inquiries") - all agents can view all conversations
• Short-Term Rentals: Shared mailbox for booking inquiries - property managers and guest services can collaborate
• Commercial Real Estate: Territory-based mailboxes - team members can see inquiries across territories

Understanding Mailbox Sharing

How Sharing Works

When you create a mailbox:

1. Mailbox is created - Configured to monitor a specific email account
2. Automatically shared - All organization members can access engagements from it
3. Team visibility - Engagements appear in the Engagements page for all team members
4. Collaborative access - Any team member can view, approve, or manage conversations

Mailbox vs Email Account

It's important to understand the difference:

• Email account - Your actual Gmail or Microsoft 365 account (e.g., leasing@example.com)
• Mailbox - A Propel configuration that monitors an email account (e.g., "Leasing Inbox" mailbox monitors leasing@example.com)

Note: One email account can have multiple mailboxes monitoring different folders, but typically you'll have one mailbox per email account.

Team Member Access

All team members can:

• View engagements - See all conversations from all mailboxes
• Review responses - Approve or reject AI-generated responses
• Manage conversations - Add notes, update status, manage follow-ups
• View contacts - Access contact information and history

Only admins can:

• Create mailboxes - Set up new mailboxes
• Configure mailboxes - Modify mailbox settings and rules
• Delete mailboxes - Remove mailboxes

Routing Inquiries to Team Members

While mailboxes are shared, you can route inquiries to specific team members using several methods:

Method 1: Handoffs

Handoffs automatically CC team members when specific conditions are met:

1. Enable handoffs in mailbox settings
2. Set default handoff agents - Team members who should be CC'd
3. Configure handoff rules - Define when handoffs should occur
4. Team members receive emails - CC'd on responses when handoffs trigger

When to use:

• Important prospects that need human attention
• High-value inquiries that require team involvement
• Complex situations where AI needs human help
• Specific types of inquiries (e.g., luxury properties, commercial deals)

For detailed handoff setup, see Setting Up Handoffs.

Method 2: Approval Workflows

Approval workflows require team members to review responses before sending:

1. Enable approvals in mailbox settings
2. Team members review - Responses appear in Dashboard for approval
3. Approve or reject - Team members can approve, reject, or edit responses
4. Response sent - Only approved responses are sent

When to use:

• Initial setup when you want to review all responses
• Compliance requirements that need human review
• Quality control for important conversations
• Training period to understand AI behavior

For detailed approval setup, see Approval Workflows.

Method 3: Property Agent Assignments

Assigning agents to listings routes inquiries to specific agents:

1. Create property agents - Set up agents for your team members
2. Assign agents to listings - Link agents to specific properties
3. Propel references agents - Responses mention assigned agents
4. Inquiries routed - Prospects are directed to the assigned agent

When to use:

• Properties with dedicated agents
• Territory-based assignments
• Specialized property types (luxury, commercial)
• Agent-specific expertise areas

For agent setup, see Property Agents and Assignments.

Method 4: Automation Rules

Create rules that trigger specific actions based on inquiry characteristics:

1. Create rules in Settings > Rules
2. Define conditions - Set criteria for when rules trigger
3. Set actions - Configure handoffs, approvals, or other actions
4. Rules execute - Automatically route based on conditions

When to use:

• Complex routing logic
• Multiple routing scenarios
• Conditional handoffs based on inquiry content
• Territory or property type-based routing

For rule setup, see Creating Your First Rule and Rule Conditions and Triggers.

Setting Up Effective Routing

Step 1: Identify Routing Needs

Determine how you want to route inquiries:

• By property type - Different agents for different property types
• By territory - Geographic routing for real estate teams
• By inquiry value - Route high-value inquiries to senior agents
• By expertise - Route specialized inquiries to experts
• By availability - Route to available agents

Step 2: Set Up Agents

Create property agents for team members who will handle inquiries:

1. Go to Settings > Property Agents
2. Create agents for your team members
3. Assign agents to listings as needed
4. Set up agent availability and fallbacks

Step 3: Configure Mailbox Settings

Set up mailbox-level routing:

1. Go to Settings > Mailboxes
2. Open the mailbox you want to configure
3. Enable handoffs - Set up default handoff agents
4. Configure response rules - Set up rules for routing
5. Set approvals - If you want review before sending

Step 4: Create Routing Rules

Set up automation rules for complex routing:

1. Go to Settings > Rules
2. Create rules for different routing scenarios
3. Set conditions (property type, inquiry content, etc.)
4. Configure actions (handoffs, agent assignments, etc.)
5. Test rules to ensure they work correctly

Step 5: Monitor and Adjust

Review routing effectiveness:

1. Monitor engagements - Check how inquiries are being routed
2. Review handoffs - See which inquiries trigger handoffs
3. Check agent assignments - Verify agents are assigned correctly
4. Adjust as needed - Modify rules and settings based on results

Routing Strategies

Strategy 1: Property-Based Routing

Route inquiries based on the property being inquired about:

1. Assign agents to listings - Link agents to specific properties
2. Propel uses assignments - Responses reference assigned agents
3. Inquiries routed - Prospects directed to property-specific agents

Best for:

• Property management with dedicated leasing agents
• Real estate with listing-specific agents
• Properties with specialized requirements

Strategy 2: Territory-Based Routing

Route inquiries based on geographic territory:

1. Create territory-based rules - Rules based on location keywords
2. Assign agents to territories - Link agents to geographic areas
3. Route by location - Inquiries routed based on property location

Best for:

• Real estate teams with territory assignments
• Commercial real estate with regional teams
• Large property management companies

Strategy 3: Value-Based Routing

Route high-value inquiries to senior team members:

1. Create value-based rules - Rules that identify high-value inquiries
2. Set handoff conditions - Route high-value inquiries to senior agents
3. Configure approvals - Require review for high-value inquiries

Best for:

• Luxury property inquiries
• High-value commercial deals
• VIP client inquiries

Strategy 4: Expertise-Based Routing

Route specialized inquiries to experts:

1. Identify expertise areas - Define specialized inquiry types
2. Create expertise-based rules - Rules that identify specialized inquiries
3. Route to experts - Hand off to team members with relevant expertise

Best for:

• Commercial real estate with specialized asset types
• Property management with different property types
• Real estate with specialized services

Best Practices

Mailbox Organization

• Use descriptive names - Name mailboxes clearly (e.g., "Leasing Inbox", "Buyer Leads")
• One purpose per mailbox - Keep mailboxes focused on specific functions
• Multiple mailboxes - Create separate mailboxes for different inquiry types
• Regular review - Periodically review mailbox configuration

Routing Configuration

• Start simple - Begin with basic handoffs, add complexity gradually
• Test thoroughly - Test routing rules before relying on them
• Document routing - Keep notes on how routing works
• Monitor effectiveness - Review routing results regularly

Team Collaboration

• Communicate routing - Let team members know how routing works
• Set expectations - Explain when team members will be involved
• Provide training - Help team members understand the system
• Gather feedback - Ask team members for routing improvement suggestions

Agent Management

• Keep agents updated - Maintain accurate agent information
• Balance assignments - Distribute listings evenly across agents
• Manage availability - Set up time off and fallback agents
• Review assignments - Periodically review agent-to-listing assignments

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Property Management Team

Setup:

1. Create one mailbox: "Leasing Inbox"
2. Create agents for each leasing agent
3. Assign agents to their properties
4. Enable handoffs for manager review
5. All team members can see all inquiries

Result: Inquiries are automatically routed to property-specific agents, with manager oversight via handoffs.

Scenario 2: Real Estate Team with Territories

Setup:

1. Create mailboxes by territory: "North Territory", "South Territory"
2. Create agents for each territory
3. Assign agents to territory-specific listings
4. Create rules for territory-based routing
5. Team members can see inquiries across all territories

Result: Inquiries are routed to territory-specific agents while maintaining team visibility.

Scenario 3: Luxury Property Team

Setup:

1. Create mailbox: "Luxury Inquiries"
2. Create rules to identify luxury inquiries
3. Set handoffs to senior agents for luxury inquiries
4. Enable approvals for all luxury responses
5. Assign luxury specialists as agents

Result: Luxury inquiries are routed to senior agents with approval workflows for quality control.

Troubleshooting

Team Members Cannot See Engagements

• Check organization - Verify team members are in the correct organization
• Verify permissions - Ensure team members have access
• Check mailbox status - Make sure mailboxes are enabled
• Refresh page - Try refreshing the Engagements page

Routing Not Working

• Check rules - Verify routing rules are configured correctly
• Test rules - Use rule testing tools to verify rules work
• Review conditions - Ensure rule conditions match inquiries
• Check agent assignments - Verify agents are assigned to listings

Handoffs Not Triggering

• Verify handoffs enabled - Check that handoffs are enabled in mailbox settings
• Check handoff agents - Ensure default handoff agents are set
• Review handoff rules - Verify handoff conditions are met
• Check email addresses - Ensure handoff agent emails are correct

Related Articles

• Setting Up Your Team - Learn how to add team members who can access shared mailboxes
• Property Agents and Assignments - Understand how to assign agents for routing
• Setting Up Handoffs - Configure automatic handoffs to team members
• Approval Workflows - Set up approval workflows for team review
• Creating Your First Rule - Learn how to create routing rules