Benefits of Automated Text Messaging & SMS Marketing for Real Estate

Transform more leads into customers by maximising interest and creating demand – instantly

The Australian real estate market has been on the upswing, despite COVID-19’s widespread economic impact. With businesses pivoting their operations, more people adapting to working from home, and many seeking a seachange, CoreLogic data reported a 1.5% rise in the nation’s median property price, with all capital cities except for Darwin seeing the big increases. While supply is constrained, demand continues to grow strong during this housing market boom, with Commonwealth Bank forecasting that house prices will rise another 16% over the next two years.  

So, what’s fueling the rising prices and competitive demand? The pandemic introduced multiple financial-driven incentives such as generous stamp duty concessions and lower mortgage rates, while many have also allowed emotions to influence their spontaneous decision-making. One could say that the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) had played a strong hand in this housing market surge.

House pricing aside, COVID-19 has also brought in new changes surrounding relief for tenants and landlords, as well as service updates and restrictions. Ensuring the public’s health and wellbeing, open houses and inspections now require contact tracing and limits on attendance. Many real estate agencies have also responded by organising virtual walkthroughs and innovating other measures to maintain interest levels.

With technology dynamically counteracting the ever-changing landscape, mobile marketing and communications have been an imperative game-changer for the real estate industry. Keeping customers and prospective parties informed on the latest updates, the instantaneous nature of text messaging helps real estate specialists to stay on the front foot, turning enquiries and cold leads into sales.

How you can save time and money with an automated SMS messaging strategy

Cutting through the noise of intrusive phone calls and inbox clutter, the SMS open rate for Australians is 94% compared to an average open rate of 18.7% for email marketing. 40% of customers check their text notifications within 5 minutes. Compared to email marketing platforms, a bulk SMS campaign promises instant impact and long-term affordability to meet your KPIs.

As part of an omnichannel strategy, there are many ways you can use automated text messaging to effectively boost your presence, communicate updates, and convert potential leads. This can be intuitively personalised according to your target audience, separating buyers from sellers, hot leads from cold leads, current clients from past clients, and so on. 

Here are 5 examples of SMS strategies to benefit real estate specialists

1) Create auto-responders for online enquiries

Your lead response times have a huge impact on the success of your conversion rates. With 5 minutes being the best-case response time, surveys have shown that 88% of leads expect businesses to respond to their emails and other communications within 60 minutes of delivery.

Considering prospective buyers and tenants could be searching for their next dream house at any hour of the day, while your inbox may be unattended, a delayed email response simply won’t cut the mustard. In that time, you’ve given them the chance to find another property on a competitor’s site, risking them receiving a quicker response that ticks all the boxes – yet another missed opportunity. 

By using Esendex’s automated SMS capabilities, you can respond to online leads instantly, proactively setting up the next step before they lose interest.

2) Send automatic reminders and updates to customers

From last-minute work meetings to must-do grocery runs, life often gets in the way of our plans, despite best intentions. Whether it’s for an open house appointment or rescheduling an inspection, you can send out bulk SMS reminders and updates to your customers and contacts. 

By sending out reminders a few days before the scheduled appointment, you can drive up interest for the potential sale while minimising any time wasted from ‘no shows’. And with COVID-19 restrictions around headcounts, you can also quickly fill up available spots should someone else cancel their appointment.

3) Instant document delivery and fulfilment requests

No one likes endless piles of paperwork, reminding us of our outstanding tasks and dreaded follow-ups. Esendex can help you to integrate automated mobile messaging for the signing of documents as well as reminding buyers of any remaining requirements that you’re waiting on. 

Rather than back-and-forth emails or playing a reluctant game of phone tag, sending a quick SMS can effectively eliminate any potential confusion or miscommunication. In the long run, these smooth workflows can help boost your customers’ satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, your bottom line.

4) Deliver a 5-star after-sales experience

We all know that the customer experience doesn’t end once the contract is signed. To keep building customer rapport and accumulating those 5-star reviews, you need to deliver an exceptional after-sales experience. While the classic ‘thank you’ card and bottle of champagne is always a lovely gesture, you can also use automated text messages to maintain contact after closing.

Whether it’s checking in on how everything is going or congratulating them on their home anniversary, the smallest touch can leave the greatest impact, encouraging loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing. 

5) Hassle-free communications with staff and contractors

When you work in real estate, there are lots of moving parts to manage, keeping everything running smoothly and under control. From scheduling inspections to booking handymen for plumbing mishaps and coordinating contractors to install/ remove ‘for sale’ signs, your day-to-day responsibilities are never the same. 

Rather than getting stuck on the phone, you can use Esendex’s messaging service to manage all staff communications and company updates, ensuring everyone feels empowered to carry out their tasks.

Real estate is already using mobile marketing – let’s make sure yours is brilliant

Well-timed mobile messaging can score your real estate business big wins, quickly. Striking while the iron’s hot, keeping your name front of mind, many businesses are expanding the SMS marketing budgets in response to changing demands and expectations. Whether you’re completely new to mobile marketing or looking to invest in a profitable omnichannel strategy, Esendex can help you achieve your goals and maximise customer satisfaction.

Our cutting-edge, mobile-led communication solutions have supported over 45,000 clients worldwide to reach their KPIs. Maximising your ROI and saving you time, our team can tailor an intuitive mobile comms strategy to best suit your unique requirements. Backed by detailed reports and data-driven analytics, we’re here to deliver real, impactful results. 

We have more information about using Mobile-led solutions for Real Estate, or alternatively, you can contact us on 1300 764 946 or email [email protected].