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Augmented Reality: Interactive Business Cards and Postcards

By
Real Estate Agent with Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group NMLS# 1990881 SL# 3516742

In today's competitive marketplace, it is increasingly difficult to set your real estate services apart from that of other real estate agents without making heavy use of technology to market your business. Letting potential sellers know that you use cutting-edge technology can certainly help you get that next listing. Using high-tech tools can help attract more buyers and may significantly reduce time on market for your listings. But how do you set yourself apart from the competition with technology?

When meeting potential clients for the first time, your business card is your first impression of professionalism and use of technology. Imagine if it showcased your tech-savvy and won you more listings all by itself!

 

Enter a Different Type of AR for AR members - the Interactive Business Card!

By leveraging the power of augmented reality, Active Rain members can now leverage the use of Interactive Business Cards. Show potential buyers and sellers why you are the best in your profession by handing them a card that they won't just toss aside. 

>>> See an example by scanning the image below with the FREE Layar app for iPhone and Android devices. (Click on the links to iTunes or Google Play - depending on your device)

business card example

 

ActiveRain members get $10 off their Interactive Business Card by using the promo code activerain at checkout by 9/30/2016.

The use of augmented reality doesn't stop at your business card!

If you have been in the real estate industry for any amount of time, you already know that direct mail marketing is one of the most useful forms of farming your target neighborhoods. Well, imagine your response rate when your postcards are also INTERACTIVE!

 

Send Interactive Postcards with Augmented Reality Technology!

 

Rather than simply explain this with words... check out the image below with the FREE Layar app for iPhone and Android devices!

example postcard

As you can see with augmented reality, the interactive postcard offers a video, an image slideshow (max 12 images), a link to the listing on your website, and a click-to-call button. You can also include a button that adds your contact information to the client's phone contacts.

Not only will interactive postcards increase your response rate on your direct mail campaigns, but potential sellers will instantly see the benefit of listing their home with you rather than with another real estate agent.

ActiveRain members can save $50 off their first interactive postcard before 9/30/2016 by using the promo code activerain50

 

Interactive Print: Magazines, Brochures, and Marketing Presentations

Use augmented reality for your magazine ads, brochures, marketing presentations, and almost every other marketing collateral you currently use to market your real estate business. Your imagination is the limit with augmented reality. Just check out the image below to see how a boring magazine cover is brought to life with augmented reality.

 

You can use augmented reality in both color and black/white advertising. Interactive ads extend the marketing message by allowing you to add videos, additional images, virtual tours, links to websites, and even audio clips to describe listings or introduce yourself to readers. 

To discuss larger projects and marketing campaigns, visit the SIMC website and contact us. Let me know what you think of using augmented reality to market your real estate listings in the comments section below. 

Posted by

 

 

as seen onCheryl Carradini, MBA | Marketing Strategist |  GoSIMC

Cheryl Carradini, BSB/MKT, MBA, is a Marketing Strategist for highly successful real estate professionals. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing and a Master’s of Business Administration. She is currently a Ph.D. student working on her Doctor of Philosophy with a concentration in Marketing. She is a US Navy Veteran and the president and founder of GoSIMC Inc. Her marketing firm specializes in providing website & IDX solutions for busy real estate professionals that want to dominate the search engines.  She has authored several books, Internet courses, and direct marketing manuals for small businesses and real estate agents around the world.   

Quote: "If you do not have a marketing strategy in place, then all you are doing is spending money on marketing that ‘might work’. Marketing is the single most important function in your business and you CANNOT afford to use guesswork as a strategy.

 

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Comments(5)

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William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

I live in a more traditional area and I do not believe this would go over very well

Sep 24, 2016 01:41 PM
Cheryl Waller, MBA

Hi William! Thank you for the feedback. Can you clarify your meaning of traditional? I thought maybe you meant that your area does not have a high concentration of cell phone owners (which can happen in remote locations) I took a quick look at your website to get a better idea of your target market and I did see that you have a mobile version of your site. Augmented reality enhances the mobile experience by adding additional content to traditional marketing. Traditional marketing includes print, postcards, and business cards. Augmented reality allows you to bridge print to a mobile experience. In fact, current research shows that 51% of buyers and 69% of first-time buyers use their cell phone when searching for a home. The use of an interactive experience adds to traditional print advertising. It allows users to scan your print advertising and interact with the additional content. If someone is not comfortable downloading an app from Google or Apple, then they just do not receive the extra content. You still receive the benefit of the print advertising as you always would have. 

Sep 25, 2016 10:53 AM
MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900
Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA
Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

These are intriguing ideas. Do you have references from clients who've found these products got them actual new business?

Sep 24, 2016 03:14 PM
Cheryl Waller, MBA

Hi Michelle, Thank you for commenting and requesting references. We have many testimonials available on our website and also on LinkedIn. I am also in the process of working on a case study involving the adaption of augmented reality advertising to the integrated marketing strategies of real estate agents in both high and medium concentration population density locations. The results of the study will be posted on our website with our other available case studies. 

Sep 25, 2016 11:08 AM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Interesting idea, was hoping that clicking on the images would take me to an actual interactive card.

Sep 24, 2016 05:32 PM
Cheryl Waller, MBA

Hi Bob, Thank you for commenting and requesting information on how the images work. Clicking on the pictures will not create the desired effect. The images can be scanned with the free Layar app available from both Apple and Google. Once you have the app on your phone, just scan the images above to see the additional interactive content. This process works the same way with print advertising delivered by hand or by mail. 

Sep 25, 2016 11:12 AM
Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI
HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA
Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

I don't see this as a major success at this time due to the measures involved in just passing a conventional business card, versus fumbling with a cell phone, opening the app, then scanning the card, checking to make sure it loaded, then reading it............ Perhaps in the future.

Sep 24, 2016 09:42 PM
Cheryl Waller, MBA
Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group - Vero Beach, FL
Florida REALTOR® & Mortgage Loan Originator

Hi Sandy, Thank you for commenting and sharing this view. I do understand your concern and would not ask anyone to scan the card right in front of you (or to immediately scan the card at all). It is a seed planted for later interaction. When they scan the card at a later time, they are brought back to your website or can watch a video of you introducing your services. The nuance of the technology is what makes it more alluring at present.  It is essentially the same with the postcards. It gives you that further interaction, a few more seconds of the potential clients time, to make that amazing impression. Remember QR codes? They were all the rage at one time; then they died down. People still continue to use them, but they only perform one function at a time. That's what makes augmented reality different. Rather than just a link, or just adding contact information, or just sending someone to one listing URL, it provides options. You can include all of these and allow the client to choose the direction of the interaction. 

Sep 25, 2016 11:22 AM