{"id":77,"date":"2021-11-05T15:36:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T15:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/s1.convers8ions.com\/convers8ions-blog\/?p=77"},"modified":"2021-11-05T15:36:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T15:36:10","slug":"3-clever-ways-to-use-text-messaging-for-your-real-estate-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/s1.convers8ions.com\/convers8ions-blog\/index.php\/2021\/11\/05\/3-clever-ways-to-use-text-messaging-for-your-real-estate-business\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Clever Ways To Use Text Messaging For Your Real Estate Business"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

Did you know that 40% of real estate clients prefer to communicate by text…but only 15% of agents do so?<\/p>\n

According to a\u00a0report prepared by the California Association of REALTORS<\/a>, the majority of real estate agents are not taking advantage of text messaging. Have you incorporated this into your process? If not, it\u2019s time to give texting a try!<\/p>\n

Read on to learn how to make texting an effective part of every step of your process, from lead follow-up and marketing to the client experience and your repeat\/referral strategy.<\/p>\n

\"infographic<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Text Messaging for Real Estate: The Basics<\/h2>\n

Really quick, here are a couple of basics to understand about using text messaging for your real estate business:<\/p>\n

First of all, you might hear texting referred to as SMS messaging. SMS stands for Short Message Service.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Second, the three tactics listed below involve sending automated text messages. That means you\u2019ll need some sort of tech tool to execute these ideas. We suggest using a real estate CRM that includes SMS functionality (like\u00a0Realvolve<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered those basics, let\u2019s get to the good stuff.<\/p>\n

3 Clever Text Messaging Tactics for Real Estate Agents<\/h2>\n

1) Create an auto-responder for online leads<\/h3>\n

One slightly alarming finding in the\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0by CAR is that 49% of buyers expect an instant response when they reach out to you. But what if a buyer is online at 2 AM searching for houses on your website and decides to fill out the form to shoot you an email? You\u2019re not going to see it until the morning. Meanwhile, the buyer has found another property on someone else\u2019s site, emailed that agent, and received a response just a few minutes later. BAM. You lost a potential client and future repeat business. All because you go to bed at 10 PM (which will now be followed by many sleepless nights).<\/p>\n

Text messaging to the rescue! To respond to online leads instantly, you can set up a text message to send the moment an online lead clicks \u201csubmit\u201d on your form. It should say something like, \u201cHi [name], thanks for your interest in the property at [address]! When could I give you a call?\u201d (Those brackets signify\u00a0merge fields<\/em>, which allows you to auto-populate your message with the lead\u2019s name and the property address.)<\/p>\n

Text messages as auto-responders are smart because they have a much higher open rate than emails\u2014in fact,\u00a098%<\/a>\u00a0of text messages are opened! That\u2019s hard to beat.<\/p>\n

2) Send reminders\/updates to clients<\/h3>\n

Text messages can be a great way to send important reminders to your current clients. In Realvolve, you can set up your workflows to send automated text messages to remind clients of any important dates you have entered into the system. One example is to set up an inspection reminder text message that will send two days prior to the inspection date.<\/p>\n

Before you do this, however, you should ask the client how they would like to hear from you. While millennials may prefer texts, older generations might prefer email or even a phone call. In Realvolve, you can use tags to set the client\u2019s preferred means of communication..<\/p>\n

Realvolve User Tip:
\n<\/strong>To avoid any breach of your mobile phone plan, you will be issued a separate phone number from which you can send text messages through Realvolve. Because this number will be different than the number you use for phone calls with clients, it\u2019s a good idea to give them a head\u2019s up. In your introduction email to the client, include a sentence to the effect of, \u201cYou will receive important reminders and updates from me occasionally. They will come from this number: [number here]. Please save this number in your phone contacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

3) Stay in touch with past clients<\/h3>\n

Automated text messages can also be a great way to stay in touch after closing. Here are a few examples of text templates you might set up:<\/p>\n