Real estate agents know that building connections is vital in their line of work. Fostering strong ties with both buyers and sellers paves the way for a sale. A central skill in building connections is communication. Agents know that good communication skills and tools are crucial to succeed in their jobs. To get ahead, many successful agents turn to text messaging to build their network, nurture leads, and engage with buyers and sellers.
If you are a real estate agent, here are 5 benefits to text message marketing you should consider.
1. Your message will be seen. People are more likely to read a marketing text versus a marketing email. Surveys showed that 82% of people look at a text message within five minutes of receiving it, while only 1 in 4 emails is opened. A text message has a 98% open rate, the highest of any communication channel. People prefer to receive marketing texts in place of emails. Data from SMS company TextMagic shows that consumers are happy to opt-in to text message notifications
2. Response rates are faster on both ends. This is crucial in a business that relies on quick responses to inquiries. Agents do this by using an SMS software service to set up a campaign with an assigned keyword for a property. They put the keyword on a sign rider on their sale sign at the property, informing passersby that they can text the keyword to a local number to get more information. When they do, texters get an auto-generated reply with more information about the property and the agent’s contact details. The agent in turn gets the contact details of the texter and they can now communicate with each other via text.
Quick replies like this are great for making clients feel that they have been attended to right away, even outside business hours. It also helps agents save time by automating general inquiries and collating leads. For more information about real estate SMS marketing software check out https://www.proagentsolutions.com/real-estate-sms-marketing-software/
1. Text messaging is more personal. Millennials are now transitioning into their prime earning years and increasingly will be looking to buy and sell property. Email can often feel a little too stiff for younger generations that prefer the friendliness of text messaging. Young people are more comfortable starting conversations over text. It can be much easier for both sides to scroll back on the discussion and find relevant information. Relaxed discussions can work to the advantage of an agent as the speed and more casual manner of text means agents can build connections, foster relationships, and let their personality shine through more naturally.
2. Set appointments and reminders with ease. Missed appointments can make or break closing a sale. To avoid this, you can set up automated text messages to remind your clients about upcoming appointments. It works for agents with a busy schedule too. You simply sync your calendar to your automated SMS service and get a reminder text for upcoming meetings and appointments with buyers and sellers. This frees up time that you can spend preparing for the meeting or working on other tasks.
3. It’s an affordable way to communicate and market yourself and your real estate portfolio. Text message software services are generally cheaper than traditional print advertisements or email marketing services. It’s the norm in SMS marketing to charge based on the number of messages sent. If you are on a tight budget you can adjust accordingly and reduce the number of messages you send but still be able to reach potential leads. Additionally, your SMS campaigns can be more targeted and allow you to control demographics you wish to send your communications to. SMS marketing has also been shown to have a higher return rate. People are more likely to read an ad and text a quick keyword to a number to get an instant response versus composing an email.
Communicating via SMS marketing is an indispensable tool for agents and can really be the difference in making a sale. Virtually everyone has a mobile phone a foot away from them, and in all likelihood will read the text you send. Use this to your advantage. Reach out to younger consumers, build relationships, automate and speed up your replies to achieve even more success.