It’s no surprise in this market that the real estate industry is relatively concerned with gathering high quality leads. If an agent doesn’t have good leads, after all, he or she won’t make sales – there won’t be any prospects to sell to. Therefore, it’s especially important for agents to consider all possible avenues when looking for real estate leads, and all possible technologies that can bring them the business that they need. One such technology is call capture systems. Call capture systems are able to generate new leads from a rather obvious yet often ignored place – an agent’s own incoming phone calls.
Call capture systems work as their name implies. They capture information from each new call to a phone line by gathering data from the call and from the actual caller. Different extensions can be used to organize a call capture system. In real estate, they’re very often tailored to deliver virtual audio tours of properties to potential clients or to offer free reports available to consumers. Their contact information is then saved for an agent’s follow-up. The systems have gained a lot of popularity with some agents, as they represent a non-invasive way to get information about potential clients that call.
All sources of real estate leads must be evaluated to determine whether they’re worthwhile. Since call capture systems are organized by extension, agents can also use the system to track the response to specific ads by placing different extensions in different advertisements. These ad-tracking features show an agent which ads are effective. From this gathered data, the agency can design an advertising plan that’s effective in generating high quality leads. Money that was wasted in bad ad campaigns is fed into more effective campaigns, leading to a better return on investment. As a result, an agent will see a dramatic increase in the number of quality real estate leads they receive.
One of the more amazing features of a modern call capture service is the technology’s ability to get all information relating to specific phone calls. Some systems, those that use toll free numbers, can even bypass blocking capabilities or unlisted numbers that call into them. Even when numbers are blocked, caller id information is captured. The overwhelming majority of calls accepted by a capture system provide an agent with a viable lead – a number that he can call, a name, and even an address.
Of course, once a prospect is contacted, a real estate agent’s job isn’t done. It’s important to remember good follow up, and to make sure consistent contact is kept up with a lead. Call capture systems are again useful in this respect. A call forwarding extension is a feature of many systems. This allows a prospective buyer or seller to get straight through to a real estate agent at any time of day. This is because the calls are re-routed to the agent’s cell phone. This constant contact improves a client’s trust in a real estate agent, and avoids missed calls that might result in lost sales opportunities.
Forwarding can be used in a variety of creative ways to aid sales. For instance, at the end of an audio presentation, a call capture system might urge the interested client to press a certain button to find out the price of a house. When the client presses the button, the call is forwarded to the agent. This allows the agent to speak to the interested customer at the moment that his interest is most pressing. Those who do not take this option are still given relevant, specific information about the property. The agent is then notified by the call capture system that the lead came in and can follow up with them using the information the system has captured.
The number of viable leads generated by a real estate agent is vital to keeping a steady stream of new business. Call capture systems can be very helpful in this respect when employed correctly. Creativity and organization are key. As with all new technologies, there’s a slight learning curve to call capture systems. However, they begin generating leads almost immediately. With the right sales approach and a steady source of quality real estate leads, every agent can build a successful and lucrative career.
