A recent article by Cori Lamont in Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine points out the hidden risks involved in texting real estate clients.
The article addresses the following points:
- Texting or sending emails while operating a motor vehicle is illegal in Wisconsin and most (if not all) other states.
- Texting someone without permission may have consequences.
- Avoid texting confidential information.
- Do not negotiate terms of a real estate transaction in a text message.
- Fair Housing laws and CAN-SPAM laws, as well as the Realtor Code of Ethics, apply to text messages, as well as to email messages.
- Keeping records of a conversation can be especially difficult with text messages.
We're noticing more and more clients who seem to prefer communicating by text message. Text messaging is convenient and fast. But real estate professionals need to be aware of the challenges and pitfalls.
I deal with the record keeping problem by forwarding client text messages to my Gmail account. I archive these messages by client. And I keep my texting correspondence to a minimum, dealing mostly with things like verifying appointments or suggesting a Web link.
I love text messaging, but I understand its limitations and liabilities. How do you handle these issues in your office?
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