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Smartphone Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Get the 411

Smartphone Marketing for Real Estate Agents: Get the 411

If you're in the realty business, you'd probably be lost without your smartphone. You use it for scheduling appointments, checking your email, sending texts and even taking photos. And since you probably spend a lot of time out viewing and presenting properties it also helps you to stay connected with your office and clients. But did you know that your smartphone can also be a great marketing tool? Here are some great ways to use your smartphone to enhance your online marketing presence.

Text Tips

Are you sending text messages to your clients? If not, you should because it's a great way to keep in touch when you're in the field. Also, try adding text messaging information to your sales signs. Keep it simple: a message like "Text House to 55555 for more information" will allow smartphone users to contact you, and allow you to start building a mobile list of potential buyers. If you run an email marketing campaign, consider supplementing it with selective text messaging. The "open rate" for text messages is much higher than that for emails. Estimates vary, but it may be as high as 80%. Use text messaging wisely, though. Don't send texts so often that you look like you're spamming. You can send a link with a text message, linking people to your website or to a video you've posted. Personalize the message to make it sound enticing: a message with a subject like "Secrets of Selling Houses in the Bay Area" has a better chance of being opened.

Really Smart Phone Apps

There are several apps available for both iPhone and Android users that can help real estate agents with online marketing on the go:

• LiveChatInc: Do you have a live chat option on your website? It's a great way of "talking" to clients in real time. The LiveChatInc app lets you continue to operate the Chat while you're in the field, giving you push notifications to inform you about incoming chats.
• Facebook Pages Manager: As of 2012 more than half of Facebook users check into Facebook on their mobile devices. If you want to make sure that your page's fans have fresh content to look at you can keep your Facebook page updated even while you're out all day in the field by using the Facebook Pages Manager app. The Pages Manager app allows you to post, comment, share photos of new listings, and update your status ("I'm at the Johnson Open House in Santa Clara.") in real time.
• Facebook Messenger: If you use Facebook to send and receive messages and would like to do it throughout the day, the Facebook Messenger App allows you to do this easily on your mobile device.
• There are some useful third-party Facebook apps for real estate agents. For instance, Realtor.com offers a Social Connections app designed to help agents with Realtor.com accounts to display listings, provide local information etc. And if (like most realtors) your business thrives on referrals, an app like Recommendations from Oodle will help you display recommendations on your page.
• Tweetcaster: There are several apps available for Twitter (known as "Twitter clients.") For instance, Tweetcaster is an app that lets you manage your Twitter account when you're on the go, allowing you to schedule your tweets in advance, access your Twitter lists, add captions to photo links, and manage multiple Twitter accounts.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is probably not something you feel you need to update every few hours. But if you'll be offline for an extended period, the LinkedIn mobile app allows you to stay in touch with your professional realtor networks.
• Realtor Apps: The Open Home Pro for iPhone allows real estate agents to post pictures and details about their open houses on the web. Open House Trader is a similar app for Android users. The Trulia For Agents iPhone app allows realtors to check into homes that they're touring, view listing information, and get leads sent to their phones.

Banner Ads

You'll notice that many of the apps used on mobile devices come with banner ads. In some cases, ad-free versions of the apps are available at a low monthly rate. But many people prefer free apps—and they click on the banner ads they see there. Estimates of the click-through rates vary but most agree that, at the moment, the click-through rate for ads viewed in mobile apps is higher than when people view the ads from their desktops. So if you have an AdWords campaign, think about placing a banner ad in a popular app, perhaps the app for the local news station. The higher click rates may not last forever, so now's the time to drive traffic to your website or get your listings out there on the smartphones of your potential clients.

And a Word of Warning

Your iPhone or Android is not just a phone. Your phone is a computer that you carry around with you and you need to take the same precautions you would with a laptop or desktop.

• Program your phone with a password or access code—it's the best protection if your phone is lost or stolen.
• Install operating system updates when they're available; outdated operating systems are much more vulnerable to security breaches.
• Install whatever malware and virus protection software is recommended for your smartphone—yes, they can get viruses, just like computers.
• Only download apps from trusted sources like the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. Apps from unauthorized sources could breach the security of your phone.
• And if you're browsing from your phone, be careful what websites you visit, exactly as you would when using your home computer.
• Don't store passwords or other sensitive material in your phone.
• Observe caution if you're performing financial transactions over the phone; credit card numbers have been swiped from users in public locations.

With these tips and precautions, using your smartphone will not only keep you connected but it will improve your online presence and save you time so you can focus on your business and your clients.