Real Estate Lead Texting: When and What to Text for Phenomenal Response Rates

In today's quick-paced, digital age, home buyers have less time – and less patience. When they see a house they are interested in, they are no longer satisfied with driving home, contacting the listing agent, and waiting for a response. In fact, 49% of buyers expect an instant response from the agent. Today's home buyer wants information now, and if the listing agent isn't available to deliver it, that potential real estate lead has likely moved on to an agent who is.

There are 6.8 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions in the world, and 81% of cell phone owners use their phone to send or receive text messages, according to Pew Research Center. We use them because they're fast, convenient, and more likely than not, always within arm's reach. In fact, almost half of cell owners have slept with their phones next to their bed, not wanting to miss any calls, text messages, or other updates during the night.

Text messaging is the most popular application on smart phones, and 40% of home buyers prefer communicating with an agent by text over phone calls. Additionally, text messages have an open rate of 98%. Nearly every single text message sent is opened and read.

How can real estate agents harness this opportunity and use text messaging to capture leads? Here are some best practices for when and what to text your real estate leads.