I had a very interesting email and text message this morning. An out of state buyer contacted me via email and text message regarding a ranch I have listed in eastern Oregon. I returned his email and text message and found out he is a very strong buyer and a potential for future business.
This buyer represents an investment group and is a very busy man. He insists on initially communicating Realtors via text messaging and email and does not like phone conversations until he has made his initial connection via text and email.
In his email the buyer said his group has been purchasing real estate in 5 different western states and may work with 1 out of 12 Realtors he contacts! He said the reason being is that most Realtors don't have their direct email address on their home page and many don't have text messaging. He also stated in his email that I was the first Realtor to respond immediately to both the text message and email he sent. He also told me he prefers direct email vs. the "Contact Me" tabs where one enters their name, email address and message. He says these also are rarely answered and he just does not like them. He likes to email agents directly and text message them direclty.
I now have an appointment with this buyer to see my eastern Oregon ranch in two weeks. He said he will text message me in a week and follow up with a phone call.
With Active Rain's technical problems yesterday and today I went to a members profile and clicked on the link to her website and could not find a direct email address anywhere on her site. I will now have to wait till Monday to call her and obtain her direct email address to send her some important SEO information.
About two years ago Broker Agent News wrote a very interesting article about text messaging. The article basically said that the new generation of buyers will be using text messaging almost exclusively and will use it as their main means of communication. The article showed how one can create a slide show on any cell phone that takes photos and how this can be text messaged to clients. The article says this is the future and if Realtors do not embrass it they will loose business.
I have had Palm phones for several years and love the ease of text messaging. I currently have a new Sprint Palm Treo 755p and I send and receive 15-20 text messages a day and can create a text message with one hand.
This buyer today refuses to use the phone initially and if I did not return his text message within a reasonable time and did not have my DIRECT EMAIL posted on my home page he would have passed me by. So make sure to have your direct email address on your home page and make sure you not only have text messaging on your cell phone but that you embrace it and use it often.
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Posted By: George Tallabas - Boise Idaho Real Estate Agent - Associate Broker
with RE/MAX Advantage, Canyon Counties #1 Brokerage in sales and listings
specializing in Boise Idaho Real Estate and Southwest Idaho Real Estate.
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