Whether it’s to find new properties to buy, attract new sellers, or simply introduce your real estate business using real estate text message scripts is a quick, efficient, and cost-effective strategy. What’s more, as it can be highly personalized (yes, you can still add that personal touch), prospects typically find it more engaging than cold-calling. As a matter of fact, the research department at the National Association of Realtors has found that the majority of home buyers prefer to receive property info via text messages.
This is echoed by Attentive. When they interviewed 2,000 US consumers, they found that as much as 91% of consumers are interested in signing up for texts, yet not all businesses offer it.
To find out how you too can use text message scripts to run your real estate business from anywhere, here are practical tips for writing text messages for the real estate industry that convert and templates that you can make your own. Keep reading to learn how you can gain a competitive edge over other real estate investors and agencies.
Real estate text message scripts (or SMS templates) are used by real estate agents & investors to quickly exchange messages with clients/leads or share relevant marketing material by means of text messaging. From general inquiries to wrapping up a sale with a cash buyer, there are various real estate text scripts that you can use for different types of situations. Plus, as you can use them multiple times, they’re great for quickly answering frequently asked questions.
To help you launch an effective text marketing campaign, you need to ensure that your actual text messaging scripts are written using the right tone and words. Here are a few practical tips for writing text messages to get you set up and on your road to success:
The most effective text messages are short. After all, you still have a character limit of 160. While you can use more characters, it will be sent as multiple text messages which will negatively affect the overall experience.
Though, you should steer clear of using too many abbreviations. Most of the words must still be spelled out in full, especially if there’s no common abbreviation that most will understand.
If it’s not going to be a quick text, it’s better to stick to email. Alternatively, you can send the lead a short text asking them when would be a convenient time to schedule a phone call to discuss all the finer details.
As the tone of text messages is more informal and conversational, it’s a good idea to make it more personal. One way to do this is by remembering to include your name and the lead's name. That’s the very least that you should do.
Where relevant, you can also include pictures or perhaps even a link to a video. Not only will these visuals help to keep the message more personal, but they can help to encourage sellers or buyers to take the next step of action. In fact, the 2021 SMS Marketing Consumer Trends Report found that text messages with images, videos, or GIFS are far more likely to lead to a sale.
That said, it should still remain professional and respectful. So, if you need to be the bearer of bad news, it’s best that you pick up the phone (but not to text) or set up an in-person meeting.
While text messages are convenient, part of business texting etiquette is that it should never be used to send sensitive information. This also means that you shouldn’t simply add more participants to your message thread. In today’s day and age, consumers are worried that their personal data can be leaked. So, to win and keep their trust, respect their privacy and personal particulars.
Where relevant, try to end your real estate text messages with some call-to-action prompt. What is it that you want prospective clients to do after reading your texts? Do you want them to check out similar properties shared via a link? Perhaps you want them to attend an open house? Whatever the case, by including calls to action, you increase the chances that potential clients will respond.
Real estate investors lead busy lives. They need to focus on the bigger picture and have little time to fret over where to place a comma for the best effect. The solution – using scripts like these:
SMS templates can be very useful for capturing new leads and moving them down the funnel. Here are some message ideas:
You’ve worked hard to land a few interested sellers. The last thing you want is to create the impression that you’ve lost interest. Let every seller feel important by keeping them in the loop.
Here are a few message ideas:
If it’s the other way around and you’re waiting to hear back from an interested seller, it’s acceptable to send a short SMS just to check in and follow up on where they’re at in the decision-making process.
Here are some possible conversation starters:
Whether you’re new to real estate text messaging or simply looking for ways to save time, here are text message script templates that you can use moving forward. These scripts can be used in various scenarios – from simply notifying your client that you’re currently out of the office or sharing good news (remember, any bad news should always be delivered telephonically or in-person).
Whenever you get a new lead, excitement runs high. Now is the ideal time to turn to a pre-saved real estate text message that has been written while you were less distracted. Use this golden opportunity to welcome them, introduce your team of real estate agents, and remind them to check that they have your number saved on their device for easier future correspondence.
Here are examples that you can use when you need to start the conversation with a new lead:
Or, if you don’t have the name of the lead, you can use a text template along the lines of:
If the reply is to sell, you can follow up the previous message with something like:
Then, you can conclude this initial welcome text with:
It’s easy to get distracted and focus only on finding interested buyers. Though, it’s important that you also ensure that sellers stay informed. To do this, here are some templates that you can adjust:
One of the major appeals of using SMS templates is that they can be used for all stages of the buying process. So, if you already have an interested buyer lined up, you can still use text messages. During this stage, your scripts will focus mainly on improving the buyer’s experience by ensuring they remain up to speed with the latest developments.
Here are some templates that you can use:
While the last thing you want to do is to rush potential buyers/sellers, it’s still standard practice to follow up with them. A simple, well-timed follow-up text message can help to initiate a conversation again.
You can, for example, use a text message template like:
Irrespective of at which stage you’re during the process, sometimes you can’t reply immediately or you simply need to double-check something. In this case, an automated reply can be useful to let the seller or buyer know that you’ll be in touch.
Here are some template ideas that you can use for these scenarios:
Now that you have a number of templates, you’ll need a software solution to automate the process of your communication with leads and prospects. The smartest move will be to check out software like Smarter Contact. This tool has everything real estate professionals, including new real estate marketers, need to close deals using SMS marketing:
The best thing is that you can take a test drive of the software for 7 days. So why not use the opportunity to take your real estate business to the next level with SMS marketing?
With the help of text message marketing, as a real estate professional, you can ensure that all your clients stay up to speed during every step of the process. Even if it’s much shorter than an email or generic than a phone call, it can be effective and engaging. Keep it personal, but professional.
Dereck Mush
dereck@smartercontact.com