There is enough information out there about mobile technology for the real estate industry to make your head spin. Unfortunately, a lot of it is misleading. Smarter Agent has been breaking down barriers to take the real estate industry mobile for over a decade. So, we’re going to play our own version of MythBusters—Mobile MythBusters—to hopefully help you understand mobile. We’ll debunk a few of the most common myths to help you realize how easy it is to use mobile technology (the right kind of mobile technology, that is!) as a truly successful marketing tool.
Myth #1: Just hop on the iPhone bandwagon and you’re covered.
No one can ignore the iPhone phenomenon. But did you know iPhone and iPod Touch users only account for about 7% of the 265 million mobile phone users in the U.S? So you should read that as less than 7% of homebuyers! Smarter Agent recently conducted a national online survey to find out more about consumers’ cell phone usage and habits. The most popular cell phones were:
- Motorola, 23%
- LG, 19%,
- Samsung, 17%
- Nokia, 16%
Let’s not neglect them! Our President, Eric Blumberg, is often quoted as saying, “Having only an iPhone app is like saying I’m only going to sell to people that pull up to my office in a Mercedes.” Both approaches severely limit your business. Why commit solely to an iPhone application when there are over 200 million other cell phone users in the U.S., many of whom are located in your local market.
Myth #2: You lose your brand in mobile.
Think about this: While you may have an iPhone, you can’t always be there for your prospects and customers when they’re out in a neighborhood and want information on demand. As Benn Rosales of Agent Genius put it, other than Smarter Agent’s mobile app, the only way to offer mobile to your customers “…is by pimping someone else’s brand.” That’s why Smarter Agent provides agents and brokers with their own branded mobile real estate application to give to clients and prospects. The application shows all the IDX MLS data and sends calls on every listing back to you, regardless of who listed the property. Plus, it works on 95% of cell phones across all carriers—smartphones and non-smartphones alike! Whether you’re a David or a Goliath in the industry, you can maintain your brand and compete in mobile.
Myth #3: Downloadable applications are too complex. Mobile Web is the way to go.
Sending clients to your web site that doesn’t come close to fitting within the confines of their cell phone screen is a frustrating experience for them. There have been more than one billion application downloads from Apple’s App Store—with Blackberry App World, Android, Windows Mobile and more application stores catching up. In a national survey we conducted online, the awareness of mobile applications was impressive—90% of respondents were aware that they can download apps to their cell phone. Also, the availability of a mobile real estate application was demonstrated to have a significant impact on loyalty and perception of a real estate agent or broker.
- 49% of respondents between the ages of 25-59 said they would be more inclined to use a real estate agent to list their home who offered a mobile application as part of a marketing plan to attract buyers.
- 39% of respondents between the ages of 25-59 respondents said they would choose a real estate agent who offered a mobile application to search for real estate for free.
Myth #4: You have to pick one platform (i.e. text, mobile web or downloadable applications).
Just because the companies making this statement aren’t available on every platform, doesn’t mean it can’t be done! Smarter Agent has spent millions of dollars to build a mobile solution that reaches users with the most comprehensive real estate information on every platform so that they can use whichever one they’re comfortable with—text messaging, a premium mobile web version or a fully downloadable application. No other company has made a mobile real estate search so accessible to everyone.
Myth #5: Text messaging is all you need to be "Mobile."
Let’s say you put a number on a sale sign that people can text for info. When a couple begins their property search, they see your sign-rider with a text code and they punch the digits on their cell. Then they see another property down the road with a text code, and they send the text—but this listing is not yours. Then they see another and another. By the end of the day they start getting calls from half-a-dozen different agents and will probably be pretty upset since they will feel their privacy has been violated by all the calls! After all, they sent a text and expected a text back with property information—not a very good way to achieve client loyalty.
Text messaging used properly is a great start for a comprehensive mobile strategy. Used on its own or used incorrectly, text messaging merely scratches the surface of mobile and will act as a deterrent. Smarter Agent allows you and your clients to use text as an entry point. It maintains your prospective clients’ privacy rights and gives them access to all publically viewable properties by allowing them to move into your branded mobile search that fully engages the user.
Learn More!
Smarter Agent is a mobile application made by real estate professionals for real estate professionals. We feel it’s important to clear up any confusion surrounding mobile technology in the real estate industry. So let us know if you hear of other myths, and we’ll set the record straight!
You can also see Smarter Agent’s application in action, and ask questions, during one of our FREE upcoming webinars. Click here to sign up!
Text RAIN to 87778 to download the national version of our application to your phone and see a sample of the data. Remember, in YOUR application, ALL the MLS listings will be included, and the application will have YOUR name and logo at the top. Smarter Agent works on 95% of cell phones and is live in more than 300 markets nationwide. If we aren’t yet live in your market, we will work with you and your MLS to take all listings mobile.
To learn more about getting your own branded application powered by Smarter Agent, click here, or call 888-486-7319. Use promo code RAIN to get your special pricing.
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