Real estate is a booming business in the US despite the increase in house rates and interests. Homebuyer power has increased by 21% in 2021. While some experts say it might go down a bit due to the 1% increase in the mortgage rate, the market is still favorable for real estate companies.
Gen X (born between 1965 and 1979) and senior citizens seem to occupy a large proportion of the market. While Gen X are the largest homebuyers and home sellers, senior citizens are the largest homeowners. Millennials (born between 1980 and 1989) are the second-largest set of homebuyers in the US.
So how can a real estate agency or an agent reach out to the potential candidates in today’s scenario, especially considering the target market? SMS marketing or Text message marketing is the right choice.
Text messaging is one of the most preferred forms of communication in today’s world. People prefer to send a simple text instead of calling or emailing another person. The same convenience has extended to businesses. People find it easier to read and respond to text messages as these are short, to the point, and non-intrusive.
A majority of Americans own a mobile phone. And since text messaging doesn’t require a smartphone or an internet connection, it is easy to reach out to a wider audience through this marketing method.
How can real estate businesses use text messages for marketing? Let’s find out.
Text Marketing Strategies
The biggest advantage of text message marketing is that it works with your existing strategies. You can continue SEO, PPC, SMM, etc., and simply add SMS/ text marketing to the list.
The following strategies are highly popular and have delivered proven results to real estate agencies.
● Schedule Appointments
Want to schedule a viewing appointment for a client? Send a text message to confirm the date, time, and venue. You can do the same through email or phone calls, but the client may not see the email on time. A phone call can be intrusive if they are busy. But a text message will sit in their message box, waiting for them to read it. Statistics show that Americans check their phones multiple times a day. You don’t have to worry about the message not being seen.
● Updates about Properties
Text messaging is an easy way to update the client about new listings. You don’t have to send the message to every client individually. TXT Impact offers affordable business texting software integrated with the contact database. You can segment your customers according to their preferences and send the same message in bulk to many customers. It is simple, easy, and hassle-free.
● Reminders
It’s good to remind customers about appointment and meetings to avoid last-minute changes and cancellations. A simple text message will do the job. You can remind them of the appointment without making it seem like you are pressurizing them.
● Two-Way Communication
Make sure to set up a two-way communication SMS channel so that customers can reply to your message or text you a new message when they have a query. The conversations will be saved on your side for you to refer to previous messages in case the need arises.
● Short Code for Easy Identification
A shortcode is a five or six-digit phone number. It is easy to remember and print on promotional material. It will also help improve brand recognition as people can associate the number with your real estate business.
● MMS Marketing
You can send pictures and short videos through MMS to provide more information to your customers. Your clients will have a clear picture of the property when they can see a picture of it before agreeing to view the listing.
Best Practices When Sending Text Messages
Why do some real estate businesses get more returns from their text marketing strategies? That’s because they follow the best practices to align the marketing strategy with their business goals.
Pay attention to the tone and content of the message. People can interpret a text in many ways if it is not clear.
Keep it short and crisp. Adhere to the character limit. Unless necessary, don’t send a series of text messages to the clients.
Don’t use real estate jargon with customers when texting them. Keep the language simple and straightforward.
The message should have a purpose and intent. End it with a clear direction. What do you want the customer to do?
Conclusion
TXT Impact is the largest provider of business texting services and software in the US. We work with the small, medium, and large businesses from all industries, ranging from real estate to educational, nonprofit, governmental, and more. Our text marketing software is cost-effective and effective in delivering the expected returns.
