Should You Build Another Real Estate Brand or your Own?
According Trulia CEO Pete Flint, 20% to 30% of their traffic is now on a mobile device. That is a nice stat and does continue to show the ever growing importance of mobile in the real estate industry. Here at Smarter Agent, we agree that mobile is a great tool for transaction-ready consumers. We know that a very high percentage of clients of our Smarter Agent app, as well asthe thousands of mobile apps we power, see a very high percentage of users ‘transact’ on the phone whether they call or email an agent directly. Having been a web marketer for a while, I know the conversion numbers are far greater than what we see online.
In respect to Trulia’s statistics, the difference for me is that the apps we build for real estate professionals send all the calls, emails and leads directly to them. It’s not about fighting to be one of the thousands of agents who come up in each search on a site like Trulia and hoping to be one of those thet gets the conversion click. It is about owning your brand, name and ultimately customer relationships. It’s about Owning your Own Leads. Why help build the consumer base of another company when every real estate professional can have their own branded real estate app and control their own brand destiny. No one else offers that service.
Because of the growth of mobile and the fact that we are still in its infancy, real estate professionals still have the opportunity to manage their own brand and shape the relationship they have with clients. That is not going to happen if your mobile app gives away listings, leads and most importantly your connection to client.
I say it’s ok for you to get what YOU put into your own branding and marketing whether its online, print or on a clients phone. It’s time to Own your Own Leads.
~ Philip Charles-Pierre, SVP of Marketing & Distribution