Text Messaging for Real Estate Investors

A reader just sent me a question regarding using text messaging for generating buyer leads on a house for sale.

Apparently he had just read an article/post on a real estate website from a writer explaining how to do exactly that. So far, so good. However, and here’s where I had to smack myself in the head, the author said it it sounded like it could work well, but he had never done it himself (nor did he know anybody who had).

Then why in the heck (that’s outraged cussing for a Midwesterner) would you teach other people to do it?

Anyway, her question was if I had tried it, and whether it was a good tool to add to the lead generation toolbox.

Quick answer… YES, I have used it, and NO it did not work for me.

Quick answer… YES, I have used it, and NO it did not work for me.

I really did want to like it. I love tech tools, and I love leads flowing in electronically. Besides, it seems that everybody (other than me) is texting all the time (including 2 of my boys, ages 8 and 10, who text from their iTouches).

The problem seemed to be that people like texting their friends and family, not for sale signs.

I used a company that created custom numbers for me, set up an online tool to manage listings, then sent me riders to use with my signs.

The system seemed great:

1. Buyer sees one of my houses for sale
2. The sign rider directs them to text a short number to get listing details and photos – this sounded VERY cool to me
3. They send the text and immediately get a text message from me with the details and photos
4. I get their contact info emailed to me (including their phone number, since they texted from their phone) – again, this sounded awesome

The problem… nobody used the service. So… no benefit to the buyer, no leads for me, just a zero ROI on my marketing plan (remember, this is NOT overhead like a phone service, this is marketing for buyers).

A better solution for real estate investors… the old-fashioned version has always worked for me, and it’s cheaper, though not as cool or hands-free:

They aren’t as technically sophisticated, but people grab the brochures and call. We mount them to the post of the sign, though you can get stakes too. A couple tips:

• Avoid the round “tubes” – the brochures get trashed easier, and the brochure is a reflection on the property and you
• Keep them stocked – not too many though… my boxes leak when it rains heavily, and they get soaked

I buy mine from a local store, but here’s a cheap source online (less than $10) that I’ve bought from before:

http://www.sanzospecialties.com/index.cfm?action=cat.prodInfo&productID=340&categoryID=104

Hope this helps, and everything here has been tested in the real world!

What do you think? Have you had success with the text messaging or another method of buyer lead generation?

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