Mobile technology and communication can help almost any industry, and the housing and property management industries are no exception. Finding qualified leads, and converting those leads to buyers and renter’s are the number one goal for any Realtor.
SMS mobile marketing and even QR barcoding can be an effective tool in marketing a property. CellAHouse was created to fulfill the need for Realtors to expand their marketing efforts, and to boost their lead-generation to real-time.
Using text-in keywords to a shortcode, and a call-to-action placed on custom yard-signs located at the property, a user can simply send an SMS, and instantly receive a wealth of information about that property, including photos and contact information. The user is returned an SMS with a short description of the property, as well as a WAP link to a custom property-specific mobile site. This allows much more content than trying to stuff a large amount of media into one SMS message.
The key feature, in my opinion, is the lead-generation capabilities. When a user texts-in about a property, the Realtor is instantly sent an SMS and email with the lead’s cell phone number, while they’re still in front of the property. With flyers and brochures, you never know who took one, and whether they’re truly interested in the property. You definitely don’t get any contact information. CellAHouse also features online reporting of all your leads, and the SMS activity from your properties to help you better understand your leads, and keep track of them.
Pricing is a monthly fee depending on how many property codes, yard signs, and leads you choose. You can purchase a “single” package that includes 1 property code, 1 yard signs, and 100 leads for only $19 per month. This is perfect for one-time home sellers or for-sale-by-owner properties. The top level “power” package for $99 per month gives you 10 property codes, 10 yard signs, and an unlimited number of leads.
This is a good example of a niche SMS-based system that does one thing very well. There’s a number of platforms out there that allow you setup a similar service, but few tailored specifically for the housing market. The same type of service could be carried over into other lead-based sales environments like auto sales as well. When a visitor to a dealer decides to get some more information about a vehicle on the lot, they can send an SMS, and be returned specific pricing information, contact information, detailed photos, options, etc. and the dealer receives a real-time lead when they otherwise would have never known they had a visit to the lot.
