Why Mobile Marketing Is A Must For Real Estate Professionals
The use of mobile devices and of smart phones in particular is leading many industries to devote more of their marketing focus to be more mobile centric. There are currently nearly 323 million mobile subscriptions in the United States which represents over 102 percent of the population, a telling statistic of mobile usage which should scream “target mobile” to any business. Anywhere you look you will see people using their mobile device to surf the web, buy movie tickets, download videos and more. Perhaps no industry at this time can benefit more from focusing on mobile marketing than the Real Estate industry.
According to a recent survey conducted by The Real Estate Book the use of their mobile device in the home search process was considered a “valuable tool” with over 46 percent saying that it was essential. This only makes sense when one considers that many potential homebuyers cruise neighborhoods that they would like to live in looking for homes with mobile device in hand, with over 68% stating that they contacted an agent to see a home based on their mobile search it should be obvious how crucial the use of instant information provided via mobile can be in the competitive real estate market.
Real Estate agents themselves tend to be first movers when it comes to embracing new technology and what needs to happen now is that they must also take this approach when it comes to marketing to potential clients. This doesn’t mean stopping conventional marketing methods entirely but it is obvious that more attention needs to be paid to a mobile marketing strategy in the coming years as the numbers of potential home buyers using mobile search will only continue to increase.
The implementation of mobile marketing in real estate is a relatively straight forward approach and unlike some other businesses doesn’t require that much of a change in the way business is done. With the real estate industry the signage and advertising is already in place so the main issue is the development of a mobile website or application which features all of your properties and then making sure that the potential client for your listed homes is able to easily access or download your information.
The ideal method of implementing mobile marketing in your real estate advertising strategy would be to integrate the use of SMS/Text messaging, QR Codes and mobile applications to cover all your bases. Text messaging campaigns can be used to collect and manage leads just as email is used and many people today prefer texting over email. You simply add a “code” to your signage and advertising that asks the home searcher to enter the code and send to a particular number for more information and now YOU have access to send communications to them instantly to their handheld device. With text messaging you don’t have to worry about SPAM issues and you know that your message has a much higher chance of being seen since virtually everyone views a text message as soon as they receive it. Drip marketing messages can be added to your text marketing campaign just as with email and there is a myriad of info you can give to the client via text message including more detailed property information, walk through videos, the link to download your mobile app or link to your mobile website and more.
QR Codes may be used to give instant download access to mobile apps and websites and may be placed on virtually any surface including signage, publications, and even on the window of the home itself!
Mobile marketing gives the agent the ability to be in instant communication with a potential client and creates a much more interactive environment by giving you access directly to the potential home buyer on their mobile device. Imagine how much more effective your communication can be when you are reaching the client nearly 100% of the time by delivering the information straight to their smart phone.
Drew Meyers
Posted at 10:51h, 11 JanuaryI don’t think anyone disputes the importance of mobile marketing. What I want to know is this:
What is your specific strategy? What have you tried that worked? What have you tried that failed? What data can you share from your own efforts?
Agent 360Training
Posted at 23:14h, 22 JanuaryI do think anyone can be an insurance
agent as long as he really wants to be one. This means improving his skills and undergoing a specialized insurance agent training are part of his plans. And that
training I’m sure can help him develop the qualities you’ve mentioned an
insurance agents must possess
Otimo
Posted at 13:32h, 21 JanuaryHi,
My name is Vin Messina. I am the founder of Otimo Sales and Marketing.
We provide a mobile marketing service to agents that centers around an all-in-one mobile marketing software that includes a mobile site template, sms text codes and QR Codes. One would think that the fish were jumping in the boat. I can tell you that the fish are not jumping into the boat.
It is a mystery that troubles me to the depth of my soul. The value to an agent is such a no brainer that it makes creating marketing collateral nearly impossible. All that needs to be said is that folks search from their mobile device so you may want to consider a mobile search or location presence. AND, folks want to learn about a property when they are standing on the property, so you may want to consider an SMS or QR Code. Further, the text option allows you to configure the system to actually start the selling process for you. My thoughts thus far:
1 Agents don’t want to give up “control” by providing a text code on a sign and eliminate the need for a prospect to call them.
2 Agents don’t have time to devote to learning something new, no matter the value.
3 Property owners haven’t caught on to the fact that home brochures and books don’t get read anymore and that they should be requesting a defined mobile marketing strategy from their agents instead of asking them to spend their profits placing home listings in print catalogs.
Agent success starts with the agent, then their online presence and next in line is their yard sign. To me, making your yard sign a beacon of information for the prospect does 2 things:
1 Makes it easy for the agent to give shoppers information
2 Makes it easy for shoppers to get information they need to make buying decisions.
We are living in an information age. Buyers of all types, shapes and sizes want information that helps them make buying decisions well before they engage a human who will help them buy. The agents who will succeed will be the agents who stop withholding information, start facilitating a buying cycle and open their eyes up to the need to serve vs sell. Mobile is perfectly positioned to help the best agents achieve this.
As for results, it depends on where you are located and the nature of your client base. City agents have seen upwards of 130 leads on ONE property sign. More rural agents receive much less but they DO receive them. Our experience tells us that if you put the option out there, people will text in. Once they do, you can begin your interaction and buyer qualification cycle. As for investments in Apps and mobile search or location ads, I would love to here anyone help me understand how a mobile search ad is going to affect someone that is not searching for a property. If they are already searching, then why do you need a search ad. All you need is a fully optimized presence on either an aggregation site OR an optimized site of your own. Either way, relationships are still the best source of your revenue stream. Anything you do with technology should be with the interest of better serving your client and/or the property buyer.
Would love to hear a counter argument as a contrarian point of view might help my soul.
mlbroadcast
Posted at 15:34h, 21 JanuaryVin. The problem of adoption of technology in the RE industry isn’t a matter of whether or not the technology is sound, or the product being provided has any value. It’s a matter of market size. The RE industry does not work based on the same standards as others. It’s not an 80/20 rule. The vast majority of your prospects have little if any business acumen. They work at the behest and control of brokers and trade associations. The average income of the vast majority leaves a scant few to attempt to market to. Trust me, it doesn’t matter how great your idea is, it’s hardly worth the effort to consider a mass marketing effort. A few have been able to manage the mine field but the odds are stacked against you. Im not belly-aching here. I no longer have a dog in the hunt. I do have a considerable amount of experience to draw from. For what it’s worth.
Otimo
Posted at 06:57h, 22 JanuaryI am not offended by your remarks AT ALL!!! I agree 100% with what you are saying. Aside from a few clients we currently serve, we do not invest much time or money in presenting a logical case anymore. You could not be more on target when you say it doesn’t matter if the the idea or technology is sound. There are other forces at play that make a sound and logical case for change completely irrelevant. What is sad is that mobile marketing not only helps to generate “leads”, but also works to make the work week of an agent a bit less chaotic.