Text messaging offers innovative way to reach prospective property buyers
Innovative real estate agencies are jumping on board the bulk SMS messaging bandwagon and offering prospective property buyers in South Africa an easy way to access information. The local property market is in an interesting place right now for those with some money in the bank and for those first time buyers who thought they would never get a look in to this inflationary market.
Standard Bank’s recent announcement that South African residential property had put in its worst performance in 12 years is a result of a number of factors. The South African economy is under pressure with the trend of the last few years of increasing interest rates, the difficulties in accessing debt money because of the Credit Act and the radical increases in the cost of food and other lifestyle products. Property owners who have overextended themselves are now feeling the pinch and as the global recession begins to impact on South Africa, we should see further stagnation of the property market.
This is not all doom and gloom news though as lower property prices might see more first time buyers entering the market and for those with some cash in hand and manageable bonds, mid-2009 could be a good time to invest in a second property. What it does mean for real estate agencies is that they need to concentrate more on their core business, which is service related and look for ways in which to make the process of finding and viewing properties much simpler for the man on the street. Bulk SMS messaging is a tool that is being used with great success in the real estate market and its applications can be further expanded upon to deliver great service to potential buyers.
SMS text messaging is a cost-effective way in which to communicate with prospective buyers. Some South African real estate agencies such as Cyberproperty are already utilising the power of bulk SMS messaging to notify clients when a matching property is found and Jawitz allows clients to directly contact agents through SMS text messages.
Text messages can be sent to the owner or real estate agency asking for more information about a specific property seen advertised in print publications or on the Internet. The owner or property agent can then follow up, answer the relevant questions and take it further to schedule a showing. Likewise agencies that have a list of mobile subscribers can send SMS text messages to prospective clients as soon as something comes on the market that fits the clients’ pre-determined criteria.
Even advertising the property along with a SMS shortcode attracts potential clients who might not have bothered to phone if they felt they would be locked into a viewing. They can now simply send a SMS text message enquiry with the stipulated code and receive all the relevant information about the property. WAP-enabled phones will also allow for photograph downloads and or even a video walk through of the property.
A brilliant, cost-effective marketing and communication tool, SMS text messaging can help streamline enquiry processes, reach a new market of buyers and make the process simple and quick for them. Two-way SMS capability allows interactivity between agents and prospective buyers. With bulk SMS text messaging the emphasis returns to the quality of service; it is also a highly effective customer relationship management tool allowing confirmation of appointments, thank you and greeting messages to be sent non-intrusively to clients.
Given the already competitive nature of the real estate market in South Africa and the negative economic situation, any tool that can be used to really add value to what estate agencies can offer clients needs to be utilised. There is every reason to incorporate bulk SMS text messaging into the property marketer’s arsenal.
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Tags: bulk SMS, bulk SMS messaging, bulk text messaging, Clickatell South Africa, Global SMS, mobile marketing, SMS, SMS gateway, SMS shortcode, SMS text messages, SMS text messaging, SMS tool, Text messaging, two-way SMS
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One Comment On This Post
I have found your Blog (article) on Google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
If you want, you are more then welcome to visit my website by Googling (Mortgage Plus cc) “a website aimed at helping the youth in South Africa find good financial advice with regards to bonds, home loans and mortgages. This is also aimed at building awareness to those in South Africa especially with our current escalation in property prices“.
Ps: Keep up the good work. !!!!
Yours truly,
Morne Prinsloo