Why Mortgage Brokers And Realtors Are Missing Out By Not Using SMS (Text Message) Marketing To Contact Your Leads

You’re a Mortgage Broker or Realtor and you are looking to grow your business. You know that the best way to do this is by contacting potential leads, but how?

There are many ways, but one very powerful way is through SMS (Text Messaging). In this article I will explain why it’s so important for Mortgage Brokers and Realtors not just to contact their leads on the phone, but also through SMS.

How I Experienced The Power Of SMS Marketing Personally

In December of last year, I was just wrapping up 3 years of full-time RV living, exploring the country with my lovely wife and two dogs.

Since we were settling down, we needed a new car so I started searching online.

I was surprised by the power of SMS when I was looking for my car. I found my Range Rover (pictured) online, and ended up purchasing it with most of my communication done through SMS.

I’m not posting a picture of my car to brag or come across as some Guru (I’m not, otherwise I would be posting a Lamborghini :), but to make a very powerful point based on my personal recent experience.

I found several cars I was interested in and filled out their contact forms for more info, but most of them took a day or two to get back to me (maybe because of the busy Christmas season).

The place I ended up buying from sent me an SMS message immediately after submitting my form (it sounded very personal, but I’m assuming it was automated).

I received a follow up text the next morning, and after a series of back and forth text messages I agreed to purchase the car and went on to complete the transaction the day after Christmas.

This really opened my eyes to the power of SMS in marketing. I didn’t feel the same pressure I would have felt if a salesman called me, and because of that I responded to the SMS messages which led to my purchase.

Additionally, I received several calls and emails from other dealers after I already purchased my vehicle, which really drove home the importance of “speed to lead” (how quickly you contact your lead after they request more info).

I’ve since partnered with other agencies to see firsthand how effective SMS marketing is in generating booked appointments.

Why does SMS marketing work so well?

If you regularly use text messaging, you can understand how and why SMS works so well.

If you’re like me and not a fan of texting, you might think you would never respond to a marketing text.

I found out exactly how wrong I was when I purchased my car and it was such a smooth and easy transaction that fully engaged me right from the beginning.

Some of the reasons SMS works so well in marketing are:

• People are spending less time talking on the phone, and more of their communication is happening through text message.
• 82% of people say they open every text message received.
• We all have our phones with us at all times, so we’re very likely to check our messages on the spot.
• SMS is a great way to get your message across quickly and easily with minimal typing.
• Consumers are 4.5x more likely to reply to an SMS marketing message than a marketing email.
• 85% of consumers prefer to receive an SMS to a voice call or an email.

2 Ways You Can Start Using SMS In Your Marketing Today

There are a lot of tools available that make it easy for you to start using SMS marketing today.

Most of the services use Twilio to handle the sending of your messages, and services such as Active Campaign allow you to automate your messages in very powerful ways.

AlphaBlossom CMS includes these options for our Marketing Clients as well, including everything from forms that collect your leads phone number to selecting your SMS number to SMS automations. You can contact us here to learn more about how we can help Mortgage and Real Estate Professionals.

Once you have your tools in place, how can you implement these strategies? Below are two very powerful ways that you can begin to use SMS marketing right away.

SMS Automation For New Leads:

No doubt you have various optin forms on your website. If you’re not already asking for mobile phone numbers, you can update your forms to include that field.

Once your lead submits their contact information, you can use your automations to immediately send them an automated SMS followed by additional SMS and email automations, and depending on your goals, you can take over the conversation anytime.

This way you can initiate instant contact via SMS to anyone that opts in to one of your forms, whether they come from Facebook Ads, Google Ads, or via your website directly.

Remember, you’ll have much better chances of your lead converting if you can communicate with them in the first 5 minutes after they’ve opted in. (https://www.vendasta.com/blog/lead-response-time/)

Database Reactivation:

One of the most powerful way you can start using SMS is with a Database Reactivation.

By sending out short, engaging messages to your potential clients or leads via SMS, you’re able to engage them and move the conversation along with the goal of setting up an appointment.

And since you’re using your own Database, you have the bonus of not having any Ad Spend.

You can send your Database Reactivation messages using the same technology we discussed above (Active Campaign, Twilio, etc) or you can get in touch with a service that offers Database Reactivation, like we do.

When running your Database Reactivation, remember your first message should be carefully crafted, short, to the point and engaging.

Your goal is to get a text back and then through a strategic combination of automated and manual messages, book an appointment for your services.

So many people neglect this highly effective strategy thinking it doesn’t work very well.

I can tell you from experience that when done correctly, you’ll be surprised at how well it works.

Are You Ready To Grow Your Business With SMS Marketing?

Adding SMS Marketing to your toolbox is a quick and easy way to take advantage of one of the most effective marketing channels available.

With minimal costs involved, you can instantly begin communications with your leads as soon as they optin, and if you have an existing database you can reach out to reengage them with no ad spend whatsoever!

If you’d rather focus on doing what you do best by giving your clients the best service possible and let us do what we do best by implementing these strategies for you, get in touch to find out how we can help.

These strategies, when properly implemented can bring you a steady stream of qualified appointments and should not be overlooked.