subject: What Is Real Estate Call Capture? [print this page] Most real estate professionals offer a toll free number on "for sale" signs and other marketing pieces. Today many of those phone numbers are answered by an automated system, which delivers information to callers 24 hours a day, generating real estate leads whether the office is open or not. The technology behind the 24 hour information line is called "call capture."
These innovative systems allow real estate agents to assign different extension numbers to different ads or properties and then provide valuable information to prospective clients within those extensions. By providing this information, agents are able to generate quality, real time leads for buyers and sellers. Most systems also allow for ad tracking so that agents can track where the most real estate leads are coming from.
Call capture is win-win for both the agent and the prospective customer. It is a sophisticated, yet simple to use, phone system where prospects can receive information anytime and anywhere it is convenient for them.
Consider a prospective home buyer driving around a desired neighborhood. The prospect sees a for sale sign in front of an interesting house. The sign gives a toll free number and offers to supply information about the property 24 hours a day. The interested buyer places a quick call from the car and listens to a recording about some of the home's features. The prospect is pleased because he or she instantly obtains the desired information without waiting minutes or hours for a return call.
On the other end of the call, the call capture system records the phone number of the caller. Additional information, including the caller's name and address, can also be captured helping to generate real estate leads for an agent.
Addresses can be very valuable real estate leads to an agent as they can help in determining if the caller is a viable prospect; demographically, is the caller's neighborhood middle class or perhaps executive? Is the prospective buyer currently living in an apartment? Are they looking to upgrade or downgrade their housing?
Using the above example of a prospect calling from a cell phone while sitting outside of a listed property, think about what would happen without call capture. The prospect might pick up a flyer, or try to call the real estate phone number listed on a for sale sign. If a call is made "after hours", then it either goes unanswered or is left in an office voice mail to be answered the next day when the prospect has only a vague recollection of the property.
The same scenario when using call capture is more dynamic. The prospect immediately has information on the property, so customer satisfaction is higher. The real estate professional has knowledge of who the prospect is and can quickly return the call, perhaps even while the prospect sits outside the property. BY calling into the hotline they have identified themselves and made themselves available as a prospective client.
Within minutes of a call (or even a hang up) to a call capture service or system, the agent can be notified via text, email message or voice mail. The call doesn't go "stale", giving the prospect time to call another property, and it gives the agent the power to respond how and when they choose.
As it identifies prospects, call capture also circumvents the "do not call" list. By law, calling those on the "do not call" list can result in hefty fines. However, if prospects call into a call capture system, then they have sought out information and fall under a 90 day inquiry period. For 90 days the real estate professional can contact the prospect until the person tells them not to call back, opening up an entire pool of potential clients that would be otherwise inaccessible.
Many agents also use the call capture system to advertise free reports and other information that consumers are looking for. They can establish themselves as an expert in their area that consumers look to for quality information. The real estate leads generation aspect of this kind of marketing is the same as with using the toll free number on a sign rider. When a caller dials in to get the free reports and information, the system will capture the lead and deliver it to the agent in real time.
Using a call capture system or service is sure to increase real estate leads and qualified prospective sellers and buyers. The toughest part of real estate is finding qualified buyers and sellers. Using a call capture system can simplify lead acquisition, resulting in more listings and more closed home sales.
