by Rich Schiffer, REALTOR, e-PRO

(This article is part of a training series presented for real estate professionals, whether new to the industry or experienced, to help them discover, understand, and benefit from the tools that are available on-line.  For access to the full series, join the ActiveRain Technology Toolkit Training group.  If you have not yet joined the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, you may do so here.)

Everyone seems to be familiar with the image of teens texting each other across the table.  Advertisments now regularly depict people using text messages.  Faster than email, this method of communication has become accepted and adopted into the mainstream.

But "texting" is not just for awkward teens that lack the self-confidence to talk face-to-face.  Business and industry are quickly incorporating text messaging into their corporate communications bag of tricks.

CTIA-The Wireless Association® released their Wireless Industry Survey Results back in April. 

Some highlights of the survey include:

• Text messaging is enormously popular:  more than 48 billion messages were reported for the month of December 2007 alone.  That's 1.6 billion messages per day!  (an increse of over 150% over last December.)
• Factoring in the number of phones in use, that breaks down to about 190 text messages per user, per month!

It doesn't take a statistician to tell that this means that your clients and (prospective clients) are probably using text messages to some degree, and to keep pace with them, you may need to, as well.

There are two affordable ways that a real estate professional can tap into the power of text messaging -- not just as a communication tool, but also as a tool to market your listings and increase your business.

1. Texting Lead Circulars by Real-Closer.com  For a one-time setup fee of $20, an agent can set up auto-responders for up to 10 Listings for 6 months.  After the 6-month trial period, it costs only $60 per year, for an unlimited number of auto-responders.  When a potential buyer requests additional info, the information the agent has set up is automatically sent to them via text message, and the system forwards the prospective buyers's cellphone number to the listing agent.
   
2. Teleflip.com  Perhaps you are working at your desk, and get poor cell signal while indoors.  You can use your email to send a text message to someone.  Each carrier has established the equivalent of an email address for each cell phone number.  All you really need to know is the phone number.  To send an email that will be received as a text message, use the phone number as the email address -- like this:  6105062663@teleflip.com
   The handy, free service from teleflip.com will rout the message to the appropriate carrier.  Replies will go to your email inbox.
   
3. If you use an email drip campaign manager like InterSend, you can combine it with the teleflip service, and set up an "email" campaign specific for text message users.  Keep the messages brief, like "Want to see some houses this weekend?" or "Are you still thinking of Selling your home?" or "Let's schedule a time to review what's happening in the local market." 

Rich Schiffer is a Licensed Real Estate Agent, a REALTOR, a certified e-PRO, and a private consultant for real estate agents that need help catching up with today's technology.  Additional Technology ToolKit Training is also available in an Active Rain Group by that name.  Check it out.