The New Way to Generate the ‘Holy Grail’ of Real Estate – Inbound Leads
It is the ultimate goal of every real estate sales professional to generate more inbound than outbound leads when prospecting for new business.
After all, an inbound lead beats a cold call or door-knocking a stranger any day!
Virtual SMS Numbers
That is precisely the new reality for those working with SMS Marketing – also known as ‘auto content delivery’. Whatever you wish to call it, SMS Marketing is opening new lead channels all over the country for the growing number of real estate sales professionals using it.
While virtual numbers have been around for some time, their use in the real estate industry has only recently started to gain traction.
Justin Cardillo, the Sales and Marketing Manager at Intelli Messaging – the Australian owned and operated SMS solutions provider that developed a real estate specific version of their SMS marketing system – said partnering with Real Estate Academy has allowed agents to learn the many benefits that this powerful yet very simple to use technology delivers.
No Download Required
There are no apps to download, no QR codes to confuse people, no contracts involved and no cost to the consumer. It’s simply a matter of prospective buyers and sellers texting a keyword or short phrase to a dedicated virtual number to receive free relevant information (such as a buyer booklet or suburb report) to their mobile phone within seconds.
Generating Quality Inbound Leads & Uncovering ‘Invisible’ Buyers
There’s no question that inbound data equals premium data, which can be your next hot lead. For a small monthly fee to rent your dedicated virtual number Intelli Messaging’s SMS marketing opens new lead channels and uncovers ‘invisible’ buyers (those not currently on your database).
Justin said, “Just about everyone has a mobile phone and it’s always with them so it makes sense to connect with them in this way. Research also tells us that almost all SMS messages are read within minutes of being received.”
SMS – the Facts
- 90 – 95% of all SMS messages are read within the first 10 minutes of them being received.
- Only 5% of messages sent by email are read.
- Using SMS for appointment reminders reduces no-shows by up to 15%.
- Smartphone ownership is Australia is now up to 85%.
- 77% of consumers access websites on their mobile phones.
Principal of QMT Realty in Brisbane, Qey Early has been using SMS marketing for the past four months. First promoting the virtual number on bus stop signs with a view to attracting homeowners and potential appraisal leads, Qey has since learned that the system has far wider reaching benefits.
She observed, “Sellers and buyers love it because it’s easy and it’s instant. From a seller’s perspective, they love it because the system directs all enquiries to their property and to us as their agent, meaning we now have their details. The system captures people in that early buying stage when you normally don’t get that privilege.”
QEV is now achieving the greatest success by keeping signboards simple, featuring little more than the property address and the SMS marketing prompt.
“This allows prospective buyers to receive detailed information about the property of interest (in the form of a digital buyer booklet) any time of the day or night that they happen to be driving by. That’s why we now always put the address on our signboards and keep them deliberately simple,” said Qey.
Lateral Thinking Real Estate Agents
Justin said the feedback he has received from some “lateral-thinking agents” is that they are no longer just using the system as an inbound lead source but also as a pre-listing conversion tool.
This is particularly true for those who have invested in the complete package of SMS marketing together with Real Estate Academy’s multimedia web books feature, enabling them to link the two together.
According to Justin, this “match made in Heaven” has opened the doors for agents to instantly send powerful mobile friendly digital brochures, booklets, guides and presentations creating an instant wow factor reaction.
See Justin’s article in a WebBook format: http://utm.io/259210
REIQ Residential Salesperson of the Year 2015
One such sales professional is REIQ Residential Salesperson of the Year in 2015 and four time finalist, Brett Andreassen from Doug Disher Real Estate.
Brett, who has been using SMS marketing together with web books for more than 6 months, said he uses the system as a powerful listing and conversion tool.
“I send the proposal in web book format to prospective vendors via SMS before we meet,” said Brett. “Then in the middle of my presentation, I ask my clients to take out their mobile phones and text ‘Buyer Booklet’ to my virtual number. Instantly they receive the Buyer Booklet, which allows them to see the quality of the marketing that prospective buyers for their home will receive and how they will receive it. Many clients will sign up on the spot once they see that.”
While you don’t need to purchase the full package (including the web books feature) to use SMS marketing, Justin Cardillo said he is finding that about half of all agents so far are, and that percentage is increasing.
Not reserved just for buyers and current prospective vendors, web books sent via SMS marketing are a powerful and unique way to show those you connect with (including past clients) that you are an agent who cares.
For instance, imagine how a past client (who you know is interested in investing in property) would feel if you were to SMS them a stunning digital brochure on how to purchase property with a Self Managed Super Fund while expecting nothing in return? This is just one of many examples of web books that can be sent via SMS marketing.
So versatile is SMS Marketing combined with web books that Lee Woodward has featured it in his latest book, FRAMEWORKS – Foundations & Systems for Success in Real Estate Sales.
This is an industry first (and potentially a world-first) use of this type of technology within a hard copy book.
To order a copy of Lee’s latest book, text ‘frameworks’ to 0416 906 800.
For further information on SMS marketing,
text ‘virtual’ to 0416 907 770 or call Justin Cardillo on 1300 015 103.
See his web book article here: http://utm.io/259210
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