800 Call Capture To Improve Your Real Estate Marketing

Any marketing campaign revolves around generating leads. At the two extremes are cold calling / door knocking and direct inquires. Cold calling is time-intensive and the percentage of good leads is often slim. In the absence of an effective or innovative marketing plan, waiting for direct inquiries is often futile.

One tool for improving the performance of a real estate marketing campaign is 800 call capture. With this technology, the telephone number of any incoming call to an agent's toll-free number is retained for future follow-up, even if the in-coming number is blocked or unlisted. With 800 call capture, a return call or automated message can then be made to any number that previously called the agent, whether or not the caller left a message.

An 800 call capture system is easy to set-up as part of a marketing campaign. No new equipment is required. A real estate agent can purchase the service through one of the many capture providers. The provider will then make a toll-free number available to the agent, along with all of the call capturing features. When callers dial the toll-free number at any time of the day or night, they will hear a recorded message, such as a property listing description, and will be provided an opportunity to leave a message or talk to someone live. However, even if a caller hangs up without leaving a message, or if no one is available at the time to answer the call, the caller's number will be captured for future call-backs.

An 800 call capture system can be a highly effective part of a real estate marketing strategy. Callers are more likely to call any number, even those on a sign rider, when it is toll-free. They also tend to prefer numbers that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and where their first introduction to an agent or property will be low-key and with minimal sales pressure. An 800 call capture system offers all of these conveniences for callers.

For real estate agents, 800 call capture has many benefits. The price is generally affordable and can fit easily into most marketing budgets. There is no additional expense for new hardware or equipment. It generates leads whenever a call is made to the agent, even if they are not available to take the call. Finally, the leads are specifically those people who have an interest in a property or other services offered by the agent.

An 800 call capture system cannot be the only strategy employed in a marketing campaign, but it can increase both the number and quality of leads. Besides 800 call capture, a agent will need to have an aggressive plan for disseminating their toll-free number. Some combination of brochures, signs, advertisements, mailings and web listings will be necessary. The easier it is for a customer to find the toll-free number, the more calls to the agent will be generated. The purpose of the 800 call capture system is defeated if no one knows what the agent's toll free number exists.

Another consideration before using an 800 call capture system is how to respond to callers' privacy concerns when an agent follows up on incoming calls, especially when callers do not leave call-back messages. Many callers will be surprised, and perhaps upset, that their blocked telephone numbers were uncovered by the agent. Each agent will need to script a standard explanation that addresses these concerns.

A third consideration in building a marketing campaign around 800 call capture is how to use the leads. Following up with callers who do not leave messages will be closer to cold calling than responding to direct inquiries. Certainly, by making the initial contact on the toll-free number, the caller showed some interest in the agent's services. Follow-ups to these types of leads should be approached as a way to provide information and build customer trust. Many of these leads will go nowhere if the customer feels pressured at such an earlier stage of being introduced to the agent.

For many real estate agents, 800 call capture can be an effective part of a marketing campaign. Agents should use this tool to the fullest extent of its capabilities, but understand its limitations as well.