Mobile Marketing Tips for Realtors

Home buyers and sellers are becoming increasingly mobile, especially with the introduction of real estate apps like Zillow and Realtor. Studies show that 44% of smart phone owners use their device to look up real estate listings, and the "digital house hunt" is only expected to grow.

Simply put, if you aren't directing part of your marketing strategy to mobile, you're missing a substantial piece of your audience. Use these X mobile marketing tips for real estate agents to join your prospects wherever they are:

Invest in SMS text messaging

One of the biggest shifts in the real estate industry has been the buying cycle entry point. As many as 51% of clients find properties online before scheduling an in-person showing, which means some of the "selling" is already done for you.

While this does have its own drawbacks and limitations, you can embrace this new form of "pre selling" by allowing prospects to text message a number to get more information about a property. This helps pre-qualify buyers without using your valuable time, plus it can keep them updated of any changes in a property's status without any intervention on your part.

Some companies worth checking out are GoomZee, TextMarks, and DriveBuy Technologies. Pricing can vary greatly between providers, so shop around and take a test drive before you commit your marketing dollars.

Optimize your website for mobile users

Mobile internet usage surpassed traditional desktop usage in 2014 for the first time, and there's no going back. That said, your website shouldn't just be mobile friendly, it should be crafted with the mobile user in mind.

Mobile responsive website design has come a long way since smart phones first emerged. Easy DIY website hosts like Weebly, Wix, and Squarespace offer high-quality templates that can detect what type of device your user has, and will adjust accordingly. But that's just not enough if you want the best possible online experience.

Designing for a mobile-first mentality means understanding what your mobile users are most likely to want when they visit your website. In addition, you need to recognize the challenges mobile users experience on their small touchscreen devices. Prospects who have to pinch their screens to zoom in and out or endure excessive scrolling to find information aren't likely to remain on your website for long.

In fact, studies show that people are fives times as likely to leave a website if it doesn't deliver a good mobile experience, while 57% of people will not recommend a business who has a failing mobile design.

Consider these 3 key points that can enhance your mobile website experience:

• Place your phone number or other contact information near the top of the page and again at the bottom.
• Space your buttons and links far enough apart so the user can tap the right one the first time without zooming in.
• Keep web pages and lead forms short and to the point to avoid excessive scrolling.

Leverage the listing power of popular real estate apps

According to NARS, 68% of new home buyers used mobile apps at some point in their buying journey.  But before you invest a small fortune in developing your own app, leverage the listing power of popular apps that have done all the hard work for you.

Zillow, the most popular real estate app, gets two-thirds of its traffic from mobile users. You can also include Trulia, Realtor.com, and Xome in your app strategy to expand your reach.

Wrap Up

Mobile marketing for real estate agents isn't just a good idea - it's becoming a necessity. The sooner you start building on your mobile marketing, the longer you can enjoy its benefits.