Many real estate agents and brokers are familiar with the toll-free listing information hotline services. They've been very effective in providing immediate listing information to the buyer prospect via a prerecorded message or a fax. Two drawbacks of the services are the cost per minute and the fact that some will not call for fear of reaching a salesperson.
Real estate text messaging provides another listing information tool for the drive-by prospect. Several services are free, and the prospect is more likely to use it without fear of a sales contact. Here's how they work:
Prospect in front of a home sees a sign rider offering more information via text message
They text the listing code on the sign to a numeric or text address such as 4info or 44636
Usually within seconds, the drive-by prospect receives a text message with the details of the listing such as bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage etc..
With a huge percentage of the population carrying cell phones, and text messaging becoming the preferred method of communication, these listing text information services are an excellent marketing tool. For a basic free open-source service, take a look at 4info.net.
