Photo Courtesy of Gregg O'Connell

Did you know that you can record your own voice message to be played on the toll free real estate call capture system? This is a great way to personalize the marketing of your listing. While we offer the latest and greatest marketing technologies we still get a substantial amount of traffic on the real estate toll free marketing system.

Follow the steps below to record your own message.

Login to your DHI account.

Click on the “Listings” tab in the top menu.

Click on the “Edit” link for your selected listing.

This brings you to the “Edit Property Code” page.  The third tab from the left is “Voice Message”  click on it.

Select the radio button for the number you want the system to call you at (or enter your own in the text box).

Press the “Call Me” button.

A temporary screen will display informing you that the system will be calling you shortly at the number selected.  This page will redirect after 5 seconds to the edit page.

Answer your phone when it rings.  The system will prompt you to begin your message.  To end recording your message just be silent for 5 seconds or press the pound button.

After you have recorded your message the system will play it back for your approval.  Press one to approve the message.

A couple of tips:

Although your message can be as long as you like we recommend you keep it under 90 seconds.  This will help you get the most pertinent information to the caller and keep their attention.

Write out a short script and practice it a few times before you actually record the message.

Call the system and listen to it after you have recorded your message.  This is a quality check just to verify that it sounds like you want it to.

Include “Press 1 for more information” or “Press one to talk to an agent” at the end of the message.  This will connect the caller to your mobile number.

Include the Virtual Tour URL in your message.

In early September Digital Home Info officially released our IDX integration to a number of markets across the country.  We launched our first beta with the Indianapolis, IN market earlier this year and learned a lot about how REALTORS want this type of integration to work.  So we enhanced it with their feedback and have now released it in other areas where we have IDX agreements.

Our integration makes our already easy to use interface even easier.  All our agents have to do is assign a property code to an MLS/BLC number and press the import button.  This process takes about 30 seconds.  It imports all of the relevant information about the home (bedrooms, bath areas, price…), and pictures.  Then automatically sets up the text message, toll free call capture, social media and virtual tour.  Once the property is set up the agent can then choose to go in and customize any of the text message, call capture or virtual tour settings.

If you are a customer (or thinking about becoming one) and want IDX integration in your area please contact us to get started.

Mobile Marketing is growing fast in the real estate industry and there are a lot of players out there offering different components of mobile marketing to their customers.  Below is a short list of those offerings:

• Real Estate Text Messaging
• Mobile Optimized web sites (Corporate)
• Mobile Optimized Virtual Tours
• Mobile Applications (for the iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, Smartphone)
• Toll Free Call Capture

These are just a few of the mobile offerings in the real estate industry.  Which of these are important to you?  What do you use?  What would you like to see offered?  We would like to know.

We’ve asked our current customers what new features they’d like to see as a part of our service. This is what they have come up with. What do you think? What else are REALTORS looking for in a digital marketing service?