REALTORS: Harness the Power of Texting
According to the California Association of REALTORS, 40% of homebuyers strongly prefer texting as their main form of communication. Yet, only about 15% of real estate agents are using texting actively.
What’s more, text messages have a 98% open rate – a number much higher than that of emails. This makes complete sense. Just think about the number of emails that you receive and never open, or even see, because they get buried under other emails that you won’t open either.
You might be asking, “Why not just call them John?”
Well you can – and should – if they expressed initial interest in your services or a property, but most people will screen their calls and not answer unknown numbers. So a pre-phone call text is wise. This let’s them know that you are about to call. Even a post phone-call text is a smart move when they don’t answer. You should let them know that you just tried to call them and ask when a better time for a call would be.
It’s not just texting that is key here. Mobile is taking over in general. The real estate website Zillow reports that 70% of its traffic is now coming from mobile users (another reason that your site better be mobile responsive!). So if people are interested in your home listing and they are on their mobile device, you can communicate faster via text. They are already on their device anyway.
Also, don’t feel like texting is too pushy, because it works. It also is a surefire way to get your messages read – even if it’s a message to a soft buyer or seller lead. Don’t forget that if someone texts you, they are typically expecting a response within 5 minutes. If you can’t get them the answer they are looking for in that window of time, then be sure to at least acknowledge their text and let them know that you will be getting back to them soon.
Of course, if the buyer or seller indicated to you that they do not want texting as the primary method of communication – then you should respect that. Otherwise, the numbers are certainly in favor of texting.
Finally, remember that as fun as emoticons are, you shouldn’t use them with clients unless you know them well enough. It may come off as unprofessional.
Thank you for reading my latest blog. For a free real estate marketing consultation from us here at Social NetworX, give us a call at 909-786-2107. We’d love to help you grow your business!