Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. Releases RLP Mobile Keyword
More and more consumers are looking to their mobile devices to get their information. In response to this shift, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. is evolving their service offerings to meet this emerging need.
Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. has launched the RLP mobile keyword, allowing consumers to access information for the company’s listings in the GTA, on the spot, through their mobile phones.
Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd said in a release, “Consumers simply text the word “RLP” to 65656 using any SMS text message-enabled device, including all cell phones and smartphones, to access a search tool. Users can then instantly search properties by street number, property features, or by location using GPS. Smartphone users will access listings information through a mobile application while non web-enabled cell phone users will receive listings information via SMS text message. “
Gino Romanese, Senior Vice President, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. told Propertywire.ca that this is a step towards identifying and meeting consumer need- as well as providing more support to their agents: “Consumers are moving towards mobile apps, and so are we.”
This search tool is accessible for all phones- not just for Smartphone users (who actually comprise less than 50% of mobile users). Over half of the market had been cut out of this kind of access to information, and now Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd allows for all text-enabled phone users to get instant access.
Not only does this meet a technological need, this opens to door for Realtors to new opportunities, not only by facilitating the delivery of information , but by working as an active lead generation tool. After a potential client has expressed an interest in a property, Realtors have an opportunity to actively manage these leads through their extranet database, maintaining contact and communication- for example, if there is a price reduction on the property- or if other properties come up that might meet their needs.
Romanese says, “This is both a lead generation tool, and a listing tool. It is of use to Realtors and is of interest to sellers too.”
Referencing recent data, Romanese says, “There has been an explosion in the adoption of mobile technology. Consumers want their information through their mobile devices. According to a new report, consumers are now spending an average of 74 minutes online a day, whereas there are spending 84 minutes a day interacting with mobile applications.”
This tool allows for Smartphone users to access QR codes to access information about listings, but is equally accessible for other phone users. Says Romanese: “You can either text, or take a photo of the QR code, you will access the same search interface. QR codes are emerging technology, and there are some limitations (distance from the sign, poor weather etc.), so we wanted to give people a choice. “
The bottom line, though is, “once you’re in, you’re in.”
Not only is this offering particularly useful for Realtors because of the ability to capture lead information, and to translate it into actionable items , it offers Realtors an extra-value add to communicate to sellers in terms of being able to effectively market their properties.
