Only one month after releasing its MobileIDX® Mobile Websites to real estate professionals nationwide, VoicePad announced today the addition of on-demand audio streaming on its mobile sites. This added feature—an industry first—provides a better alternative than playing property tour videos on a mobile device, which typically result in long load times and pauses in video play caused by the video buffering process. Now, mobile web visitors can instantly listen to an automated audio presentation of property details in either English or Spanish in conjunction, while simultaneously viewing property photos from a web-enabled mobile phone.

To view a VoicePad MobileIDX website and listen to the streaming audio presentation, log on to www.voicepad.com/talkingweb (using a mobile phone).

Unlike an online video or virtual tour, VoicePad’s mobile audio functionality runs independent of photos and does not rely on Adobe® Flash® or other video platforms. Home buyers can easily select photos to view from a photo “carousel,” while listening to an audio presentation.

“There is simply not enough available wireless bandwidth to create a consistently positive User experience with virtual tours via a mobile browser,” said Randall Standard, CEO and founder of VoicePad. “Our new audio streaming and image handling capabilities give the mobile consumer a property search experience that keeps them coming back to the mobile site, instead of driving them away in frustration.”

According to Standard, VoicePad developed the audio streaming for its mobile sites not only to enhance the User’s experience, but to provide its brokerage customers with much-needed recruiting and retention tools. “Our customers rely on us for mobile tools that will give them a distinct advantage in the marketplace,” said Standard. “Our mobile sites stand alone in the industry and help differentiate our customers’ brands to home buyers and talented agents alike,” he said.

VoicePad currently creates and updates over 5 million audio property presentations every 120 minutes from approximately 300 licensed MLS provider data feeds by automatically assembling hundreds of thousands of audio files in real time with its PerfectDiction™ audio technology. The audio presentations are available in both English and Spanish and will play on most popular web browsers. A consumer seeking property information on a VoicePad MobileIDX website simply selects the “English” or “Spanish” button to activate the streaming audio presentation (see image provided). Property photos are presented in a “carousel” format and are made available to view independent of the streaming audio.

VoicePad can also deliver its streaming audio property presentations directly to a brokerage’s or MLS provider’s non-mobile website via the simple inclusion of an audio-player widget on each property page. Additionally, audio presentations are available via the telephone. Callers get information on any actively-listed property in a market from any touch-tone-enabled phone, by calling a broker-branded VoicePad telephone number and entering the street number of a property of interest.

“With more than 300 million mobile subscribers in the U.S., serving the mobile consumer is one of the real estate industry’s greatest growth opportunities,” said Standard. “VoicePad mobile websites deliver listing content to mobile consumers in innovative, leading-edge ways, while generating the industry’s highest quality leads to real estate professionals.”

Stop by BOOTH 202 at Inman News Real Estate Connect 2011 in San Francisco, July 27-29, and put our NEW MobileIDX™ Mobile Websites through the paces!

VoicePad's innovative Mobile Websites integrate with our audio-based mobile search technology to provide the industry's only mobile sites that capture qualified home buyer contact information without having to ask for it!

Get 'App-like' Features Without the App Download.

• No app development or user download required
• Compatible with all popular smart phone browsers
• Elegant and intuitive interface
• Homebuyers view photos online and continue searching for properties close-by or by search criteria or Open House
• Google® Mapping with school and shopping overlays; Street View zooming; panning at street level
• Search for Agents, office location(s)

Can't Make it to the Inman Show?
We'll gladly show you what you missed in a Webinar!

OR,

'TEST DRIVE' a VoicePad MobileIDX Website Online!

Click here or scan the QR Code below to launch!

VoicePad's MobileIDX Mobile Websites have been nominated for the Inman News People’s Choice Innovator Award! Cast your vote HERE for our mobile websites, which put an end to the anonymous web lead!

Nominations must be made by Friday, July 22 and winners will be announced during the Inman News Real Estate Connect Conference, July 27-29, 2011 in San Francisco.

See VoicePad MobileIDX Websites in Action!
Schedule a Demo Today here.

Read about VoicePad's MobileIDX Mobile Websites. Download overview (PDF)

'TEST DRIVE' a VoicePad MobileIDX Website! Click here to launch!

VoicePad customers are some of the most creative people we know! Check out the promotional video Real Living HER produced to market their new Curbside Info mobile search service (powered by VoicePad) .

An effective real estate mobile strategy means reaching the majority of mobile subscribers, not just the ones with smart phones. The folks at RE Technology hit the nail on the head with the article below, because while smart phone usage is steadily growing, your brokerage can't ignore the potential home buyers that still use "dumb phones."

Originally published 6/13/2011 on RETechnology.com, by RE Technology Staff

Smartphones Get the Hype, Dumb Phones Get the Market Share

Let’s get something out of the way: we love our Smartphones. Love them! In fact, we sometimes wonder how we could live without them. Am I being clear? RE Technology team + Smartphones = love. And we’re not alone. According to a recent report sponsored by HubSpot, 31% of all mobile users own a Smartphone. But we’re not here to talk about ourselves. Let’s talk about the other 69% of mobile users who use a “Dumb Phone.” A dumb phone is a mobile
phone that does not have fancy applications like the iPhone. Dumb phones have minimal features of telephone and maybe text messaging.

The Present
“With all the hype about Smartphones, I think some people have forgotten how many people are just using a standard cell phone,” explains Randall Standard, President and CEO of VoicePad®. “That’s why we’ve built our products so that they’re accessible to all mobile users, not just one-third of users.”

VoicePad® is one company that offers solutions for mobile marketing. They integrate 3 mobile technologies: voice, text, and mobile Web. I called Mr. Standard to learn more about the logistics of mobile marketing in general and his products specifically.

Here’s how VoicePad® works. To begin, a consumer calls a broker-branded telephone number to listen to an audio presentation in English or Spanish. Clearly, this works on 100% of mobile phones. VoicePad creates the audio presentations directly from listing data using its “Perfect Diction™” specialized speech platform. Callers can also search for information on other properties from any phone.

From the initial phone call, the home buyer can also request more information via text message. Again, mobile users without a Smartphone can still get the information they want.

However, text may not be an option for people who have phone plans that don’t include messaging. Now, if the caller has a Web-enabled Smartphone, they can click on a link in a text message and they are directed to property pictures on a VoicePad MobileIDX® Mobile Website, where they can also continue searching. “VoicePad,” says Mr. Standard, “allows the consumer to control how they receive the information. In addition, because the consumer initiates contact with a call or text message, it allows us to provide the consumer’s contact information to the REALTOR®. These are valuable ‘curbside leads’ from motivated buyers.”

The Future
It would be foolish to ignore the large percent of mobile users who don’t have a Smartphone. But it would also be foolish to ignore the fact that more and more people purchase Smartphones every day. The number is steadily growing. So, forward-thinking brokers will be focusing on integrating mobile Web with voice and text. “We see that Smartphones are swiftly gaining market share,” says Mr. Standard. “So we definitely wanted to integrate Mobile web into the mix. We created our MobileIDX® Mobile Websites specifically for Smartphone users. MobileIDX® Websites allow anyone with a mobile browser to gain access to real estate property information on the Web. The good news is that they do not need to download an application on their phone to start their search. They just open the URL of the broker MobileIDX® site and search. These sleek sites integrate seamlessly with our other mobile solutions.”

_________________________

Learn how your brokerage can integrate all three mobile technologies for the most effective lead-generating mobile strategy in the industry...VoicePad.

Originally published on Business Wire, March 10, 2011

Consumers now have a new way to search real estate listings in Ohio that has not been available before. Real Living HER and Real Living Realty Services released their latest mobile search tool, Curbside Info [powered by VoicePad], which provides real estate listing information on any home on the market from any phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Curbside Info gives the consumer the option of having the property details texted to them, and there is even a link in that text that will launch a mobile browser, so Curbside Info accommodates all types of phones.”

“As one of the largest families of brokerages in the state, we felt like we wanted to do our part in getting consumers off of the fence and empowered with the information they wanted, right when they wanted it, which research shows is when they are sitting in front of the listings,” said Chris Derrow, company president.

“By putting the entire MLS onto one phone number per market, we believe that we can drive more leads to not only our own agents, but to all listings in the markets we serve,” Derrow continued.

Curbside Info uses advanced technology to create audio listing tours that are available to consumers from any phone. Consumers dial the one phone number for their market, enter the house number, and Curbside Info will present the listing details to them right over the phone. Further, consumers have opportunities to learn about price, monthly payments through a mortgage calculator and even get connected to associates when the consumer is ready.

“Consumers love the ‘stealth’ qualities of searching online, but they get in their cars and want to get out and drive after that research, and Curbside Info keeps them connected to property details during that process,” said Derrow. “Curbside Info gives the consumer the option of having the property details texted to them, and there is even a link in that text that will launch a mobile browser, so Curbside Info accommodates all types of phones.”

Real Living sales associates can also provide a registration for buyers that enable the buyer to receive a summary of listing that were accessed through Curbside Info emailed directly to them. Almost 4,000 consumers have registered for Curbside Info in just the first week of its launch.

Curbside Info phone numbers:
Columbus and Greater Central Ohio:
614-221-7400
Dayton: 937-431-7777
Greater Cincinnati: 513-587-5400

About Real Living HER
Real Living HER is the largest brokerage in the Real Living family of companies, and operates local offices in Columbus and the Greater central Ohio region. Real Living HER has over 800 licensed associates in over 40 local offices. For more information, visit http://www.herrealtors.com.

About Real Living Realty Services
Real Living Realty Services is one of Real Living Real Estate’s company-owned franchises, and it operates local offices in the Greater Dayton, Cincinnati and Louisville regions. Real Living Realty Services has over 350 licensed associates in over 16 local offices. For more information, visit http://www.RealLivingRealtyServices.com.

Louisville, Ky., JUNE 9, 2011 – VoicePad®, the creator of VoicePad CurbCall™ audio and text mobile search technology for real estate brokerages, announced this week the release of VoicePad MobileIDX® Mobile Websites, the real estate industry's only mobile sites that generate qualified curbside leads for real estate professionals without requiring home buyers to supply contact information.

VoicePad developed MobileIDX® Mobile Websites as a way to help real estate brokerages deliver updated listing content on any home in the market—including photos, interactive maps and advanced search capabilities—to the increasing number of consumers with web-enabled smart phones; but more importantly, as a solution to providing qualified web-based leads to real estate professionals.

Until now, real estate professionals could identify home buyers seeking property information on the web only if the consumer opted to supply contact information, such as an email address.

With MobileIDX® Mobile Websites, real estate professionals know who web visitors are and which properties they view online, with no need for the consumer to supply contact information. In addition, once a mobile buyer has accessed a MobileIDX® Mobile Website, his contact information is in the VoicePad system and any subsequent mobile site activity is available for real estate professionals to view and track.

“The real estate industry has long been held hostage by the web’s anonymity,” said Randall Standard, founder and CEO of VoicePad. “We’ve had for some time the technology in place to provide qualified home buyer leads from our phone and text platforms. We just transferred that same technology to the mobile web. Now we can offer real estate brokerages nationwide the most robust and fully-integrated mobile lead-generating solution in the real estate industry.”

VoicePad® MobileIDX® Mobile Websites, like VoicePad® CurbCall™, are customized to each brokerage’s brand, and are synched with MLS or broker listing data to provide updated property information on any home in a broker’s market. They are ‘app-like’ in their appearance and functionality, but do not require a download to a mobile phone. They are also compatible with all popular smart phone browsers.

Other features of VoicePad® MobileIDX® Mobile Websites are:
• Google® Mapping with school and shopping overlays; Street View zooming; panning at street level
• Search for Nearby Properties
• Search for Agents, office location(s) and Open Houses

VoicePad is planning to add updated audio presentations to the MobileIDX® Mobile Websites by the end of the 2Q2011. The addition of these audio “tours” will result in the industry’s first dynamically-updated “talking” mobile websites, enabling mobile consumers to listen to property details that coincide with online property photos.

“Generating leads using an integrated mobile strategy is the single largest growth opportunity in the real estate industry. We are pleased our customers will now be able to take advantage of the only mobile lead-gen platform in the industry that can deliver leads using all three mobile technologies: audio, text and mobile web.”

_____________________________

How is your brokerage reaching the mobile consumer?

Using an integrated mobile strategy ensures your listing content is delivered to every mobile phone in the U.S.

Schedule a demo today to learn more!

We're pretty proud of the endorsement below from a Florida-based mortgage professional:

“I have worked in the Mortgage business for 26 years… with every lead source you can imagine. The quality of leads that VoicePad generates is by far the BEST I have ever worked with."

In the first six weeks of using VoicePad, the loan officer took 16 loan apps, sent out 20 pre-qualification letters and processed 4 loans to close within the month… all as a direct result of VoicePad! In addition, he referred six new buyers to a local REMAX office, saying they were ecstatic about the new business.

"Thank you for the ease of set up and the quality of leads VoicePad provides!"

VoicePad can pay for itself with the quality of leads it generates, especially when a brokerage partners with a mortgage company to underwrite part of the cost. VoicePad could be your brokerage’s most valuable technology expenditure this year.

Schedule a 20-minute demo to see how VoicePad can pay for itself by bringing your agents the highest-value, curbside leads in the real estate industry.

Every real estate agent knows that even the most valuable lead is wasted if there is no follow-up. But, what if you have more leads than you can handle in a timely manner?

One Crye-Leike Real Estate Services listing agent in the company's Atlanta Region has devised an innovative way to make sure none of his leads are squandered.

The agent, who stays plenty busy attending to inquiries on approximately 40 to 50 REO listings at a time, forwards his VoicePad-generated leads to his broker, who then distributes them to other agent team members within the office. In return, the broker pays the referring agent a fee.

According to Crye-Leike, this lead-sharing arrangement resulted in 18 closings and ‘big bucks’ for the agent team members in 2010 (not to mention, the referring agent made about $250,000 last year). The listing agent was able to capitalize on his valuable VoicePad leads, and the team members welcomed the opportunity to contact the prospects immediately and convert them into buyers with the help of the VoicePad Buyer Registration feature.

Sounds like an ingenious (and profitable) way to share!

Does your real estate company use VoicePad in innovative ways to increase leads & your income? We'd love to hear about it!

Source: "How to sell a million-dollar house," St. Augustine Record, November 28, 2010

VoicePad is mentioned by name in this newspaper article as an example of must-have innovation in a soft housing market, which requires agents and homeowners to be more innovative than ever before.

Michael Paull, leasing agent with The Premier Marketing Group at RE/MAX Specialists in Jacksonville, Fl, offers consumers and other agents the ability to call and get information on his listings at any time by posting a VoicePad 24/7 hotline number on all "for sale" signs.

In addition to using VoicePad, Paull says he is also offering more incentives than at any other time to sell his multi-million dollar listings.

Other tactics to sell multi-million houses that are listed in the article include:

• In addition to a commission, offer the selling agent a pre-paid debit card (one agent offered a $25,000 Visa card)
• Host open events for area agents and brokers to spread the word (offer free catered food, wine tastings, drawing giveaways, and smaller gift card giveaways at the event.)
• Market high-value houses online with virtual tours and put them on websites and the DuPont REGISTRY, the luxury lifestyle marketplace
• Use the Internet to reach people outside the area who may be looking for a second home or retirement home (especially in desirable climates).

Read the entire story here.

VoicePad generated more than 2 million leads in 2010
for houses in all price ranges.

Register for a 20-minute online demo today and find out how.
To register, click here.

VoicePad takes a unique route to providing updated listing information to every mobile phone irrespective of whether the phone has a web browser or not.

VoicePad has created the language of real estate─one syllable... one word... and one phrase at a time─by recording hundreds of thousands of voice files that describe any actively-listed property in a broker's inventory.

How It Works. When a potential home buyer calls a VoicePad phone number for property information, the VoicePad technology assembles these voice files and delivers an audio presentation to the caller in an instant, to any mobile phone.

The audio presentation is NOT a recording. It is voice files stitched together on the fly─in English or Spanish─the moment a consumer requests it. The listing information, driven by MLS or broker data, is always up-to-date and always includes ALL actively-listed properties in the market.

_________________________

Want to hear what listing data sounds like? Click here.

In this VIDEO, Randall Standard, VoicePad founder & CEO, addresses attendees at the 2010 REALTORS Convention & Expo and demonstrates the secret to VoicePad's success.

_________________________

From Voice to Rich Web Content. There are three types of technologies that deliver content to a mobile phone: Voice, Text Messaging and Mobile Broadband.

And though VoicePad reaches consumers using all three technologies, we initiate contact with potential home buyers using Voice. The reason? We know that every mobile phone regardless of brand or level of sophistication can make a phone call. On the other hand, only 38% of mobile phones can render a web page. VoicePad, therefore, provides property information first in an audible way, and then allows potential home buyers to request the other two technologies (text message or link to mobile website or app) if they desire.

Engaging potential home buyers in the language the caller prefers and in a way that works on any phone is the key to VoicePad‘s success in delivering over 2 million curb-side leads (to 300+ brokerage customers) over the past 10 months.

_________________________

VoicePad provides real-time property information and increases real estate leads for Agents.

Register for a 20-minute online demo today and find out how.
To register, click here.

VoicePad is West Coast-bound today, to participate in the California REALTOR® EXPO 2010 trade show, Oct. 5-7.

The CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO is California's largest real estate trade show, drawing thousands of the state's key franchise execs, top producers, and movers and shakers for educational, networking and professional development opportunities. Highlights of this year's EXPO include:

• Stop by Booth #455 to learn how putting a VoicePad sign rider on an Agent's yard sign can double property inquiries.
• Tech Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010
• 2011 Housing Market Forecast Luncheon with C.A.R. Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young, Oct. 6, 2010

Hope to see you there!

Can't make it to the California EXPO?
Download our Buyer's Guide to Mobile Search for the Real Estate Industry here.

NARdiGras is just around the corner!! The National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo is November 5-8, 2010 in New Orleans, and VoicePad CEO Randy Standard will speak on the panel, “Connecting with Consumers through Mobile Technologies” on Sunday, November 7 at 1:30 pm.

As the mobile technology landscape changes rapidly, what tools and services should real estate professionals know about in order to continue succeeding and fostering connections with consumers? Which mobile solutions reach the most consumers? And which deliver the most leads?

BROKERS: Are you looking for a cohesive mobile strategy? If so, register for NARdiGras today and make sure you attend this session that will arm you with the necessary knowledge to make the best mobile decision for your company.

Also: Visit VoicePad in Booth 353 in the Conference expo and learn how VoicePad delivers the highest quality real estate leads in the industry!

MIAMI, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Many Real Estate professionals know that a Short Sale transaction can take months to be approved and closed. Some Short Sale approvals can occur in less than 10 days. But, the reality is that Short Sales usually take three to four times as long as a regular sale to finally get to the closing.

From the time the Realtor gets the property under contract to the time the Lender approves it can take anywhere from 30 days to 6 months, depending on how fast the Borrower provides critical information for Lender and Investor approval. During this waiting period, a key factor to the success of any short-sale transaction is setting expectations for both the Buyer and the Seller.

Buyer Expectations:

Buyers who make an offer on a short-sale property need to know that Lenders have to "reverse underwrite" (meaning, instead of determining affordability, lenders look for "un-affordability") a short-sale and ensure the sale is close to market value. Lenders check the Seller's financials to verify they can't afford the house anymore. They order a Price Opinion from a Broker or Certified Appraiser, commonly known as BPO (Broker's Price Opinion), to make sure the house is selling for close to market value. If the offer is too low compared to what is owed, it may make more financial sense to the Lender to just foreclose the property and re-sell it as an REO (Bank-Owned Property).

All this happens while the Buyer is waiting for a response, so it is very important to set the expectations correctly from the beginning to avoid losing the Buyer close to the end of the process.

Seller Expectations:

The Seller needs to understand that while the Lender may take its time responding, the Seller is usually given 72-hours to respond or provide any missing documentation. If the documentation is not provided within the specified timeframe, it typically ends up in a closed file and countless work-hours are lost.

Another common situation that happens often is when Borrowers are served with foreclosure paperwork from either the Lender or Homeowner's Association while the short-sale is in process. It is crucial to let the Seller know this might happen. Foreclosure and short-sale are parallel processes and one does not cancel the other. Sometimes a short-sale might delay a final sale date, but it will definitely not stop the Lender from starting the foreclosure proceedings.

SOURCE: Best Beach Title

 

Looking for a mobile search solution that allows homebuyers to get information on ANY actively-listed home (short-sale or not) from ANY phone?

VoicePad provides real-time property information and increases real estate leads for Agents.

Register for a 20-minute online demo today and find out how.
To register, click here.

By far, the most effective way to deliver real estate property information to a mobile consumer's phone is by audio (voice) presentation.

Yes, there are other ways to deliver listing information to a cell phone, like text messaging and mobile apps. But, only a small percentage of mobile phones are equipped with texting capabilities or mobile web data packages (see statistics below). On the other hand, EVERY mobile phone can make and receive voice calls. EVERY mobile consumer can LISTEN to information on his/her cell phone.

Using a voice-based mobile technology, consumers make a phone call and listen to an audio presentation of listing details, while they are in front of a prospective home. (Real estate Brokers seeking to equip their Agents with a mobile marketing solution should make sure the audio presentations are generated automatically from listing data and do not require Agents to record.)

Mobile Phone Usage Statistics

Mobile Web. Only about 35% of U.S. mobile subscribers have the ability to access the Internet through their phones. In seven years, this percentage will be only about 50%. As such, less than half of mobile consumers can or will be able to use a mobile application or view a mobile website for quite some time.

Instead of devoting technology dollars to developing mobile phone applications (such as iPhone, Android, etc.), be certain your mobile marketing solution reaches the 65% of mobile consumers who do not have mobile web services. Use voice-based mobile technology to reach ALL mobile consumers.

Text messaging has a strong subscriber penetration of approximately 65%, yet according to a study by HSBC bank, only 38% of wireless subscribers have ever made an outgoing text message. The numbers are growing to be certain, but be aware that many mobile consumers do not have unlimited texting capabilities and will choose not to receive a text message in order to preserve their texting inventory.

While text messages can create instant communication with a consumer, the communication is usually limited to 140 characters--hardly enough space to deliver relevant listing information.

Voice-based mobile marketing technology does not require the purchase of a Smartphone, nor does it require a subscription to enhanced services, such as text and broadband service. Not limited by time or character restraints, audio presentations can also be richer in content and more meaningful to the consumer.

Not only is audio-based mobile technology the most effective way to deliver real estate property information to a mobile consumer's phone, it's the ONLY way.

Learn about the real estate industry's only mobile marketing technology that reaches ALL mobile phones!

Download VoicePad’s CurbCall™ MLS-integrated mobile search solution (PDF) here.

To win a property listing, Agents must convince home owners they can sell their home better than anyone else. But how does an agent set himself apart?

Brokers that provide innovative marketing tools to their agents’ boost their ability to demonstrate a competitive edge. One of the most powerful marketing tools is a mobile search solution that enables home seekers to access property information instantaneously on their phone. Offering this capability can increase property inquiries 200% to 300%!

More Inquiries = More Showings = Faster Sale at a Better Price!

Mobile marketing makes it easy for potential homebuyers and their agents to learn about the features of a home. An endless number of homebuyers and real estate agents drive by properties for sale each day. A mobile search solution (like VoicePad) enhances the effectiveness of yard signs by allowing buyers to request information about the home directly from their mobile telephone by dialing the number on the sign.

Homebuyers simply call the telephone number on the sign, enter any MLS-listed house number from their phone keypad and listen to a professional-grade audio presentation of the property details in English or Spanish. They can also request a text message with links to a mobile website for photos.

Mobile marketing leverages the power of over 150 million U.S. cellular phone users to deliver property listing information. Callers can find out the price, square footage, open house dates, estimate mortgage payments, or schedule a showing on the spot. The process is fast and efficient, and agents (and home owners!) never have to worry about refilling a flyer box.

Agents empowered with a mobile marketing solution should demonstrate the service to home sellers on each and every listing presentation. Show them how the service not only increases inquiries on the property, but how it captures the caller’s telephone number and ID. The listing agent can contact the homebuyer in real time, when they are still in front of the property!

It’s the most powerful tool to communicate property details to a motivated and interested buyer. Use it to win your next property listing!

Learn how VoicePad can increase real estate leads for your Agents in a 20-minute online demo. To register, click here.

A FREE and very useful real estate productivity tool to check out is getfulldisclosure.com, (http://getfulldisclosure.com/).

This "virtual office" tool allows Agents (as well as title companies, lenders and anyone else who deals with a lot of paperwork during a real estate transaction) to upload property disclosures to an online website and then share the information instantly with clients, agents, lenders and others.

Getfulldisclosure.com saves time and money, by eliminating the need to print property disclosures. And best of all, the basic subscription, which allows an unlimited number of disclosures to be uploaded for up to two properties at a time, is 100% free. (For power users, the company also offers an unlimited plan with extra features for $49 per year.)

Each property added to the site gets its own special page and link. Agents simply email that link to clients, agents or anyone else. Anyone clicking on the link can view and download all the property disclosures from one central place.

If you're an Agent, check it out yourself. If you're a real estate Broker, share this link with your Agents to help improve their productivity! http://getfulldisclosure.com/

Want to learn more about VoicePad? Download VoicePad's Buyer's Guide to Mobile Search for the Real Estate Industry here.

The Inman Real Estate Connect SF Conference held last week in San Francisco brought together some of the industry's brightest and best to share their secrets for success.

During an educational session entitled, "Generate Leads or Die," three such real estate brokers provided insight into their lead generation strategies and why they are so successful. They all set high standards and demand commitment from their Agents. And the results are paying off.

(Within one year of implementing a lead-generating program, one broker reported an increase in revenue from $3.1M to $21.1M; up to $47.1M after two years.)

Get, Keep & Grow Good Agents. All Agents want high-quality leads, but many of them are not equipped to generate them on their own. Offering an effective lead-generation solution adds value to a brokerage and is a major factor in recruiting and retention of talent.

1. Manage Follow up. A common theme of the session was the importance of monitoring an Agents' response to leads. Each of these brokers believes diligent management of lead follow-up and nurturing brings outstanding results. All of the brokers have established an interface that tracks when Agents log into the system and closely monitors the method and the frequency of their follow up. They track every single lead with every single Agent.
   
   One of the brokers trains his Agents with formal role-playing sessions and provides scripts and dialogs. He believes practice makes better.
   
   One of the brokers offers the lead-generating program only to those Agents that have shown a commitment to the program and prompt client response.
   
   All of the brokers require their Agents to follow up on a lead immediately, preferably within 30 minutes.
2. Require Agent Commitment. All of the successful brokers in the session agreed that charging their Agents a monthly fee to participate in a lead-generating program (from $10 to $100/month) is essential. Agents who are not required to pay have no "skin in the game," and therefore no motivation, according to the brokers.
   
   Two of the brokers went so far as to say they do not hire "part-time" Agents (one of the brokers even said he hires only those with a positive attitude and lots on energy!).
   
   They establish strict performance policies to ensure that Agents follow up on the leads provided.
3. Finance Wisely. The burden of paying for a lead-generating system can be eased with the assistance of a mortgage partner. Before financing the entire investment, a brokerage should approach a lending partner (or several) to help absorb all or some of the cost. Each of the brokers in the session had partnered with a mortgage company, which paid one-half to all of the lead-generating program expense.
   
   According to one of the brokers, one of the biggest mistakes a broker can make when evaluating lead-generation is not accurately measuring the ROI of the program. Instead of looking at it as an expense, understand the efficacy of the program. Analyze the number of leads generated, the percentage converted and the resulting revenue. Compare that revenue to the actual cost.
   
   An effective lead-generating solution can effectively pay for itself, especially with a mortgage partner.

Learn how VoicePad can increase real estate leads for your Agents in a 20-minute online demo. To register, click here.

If there's one thing potential homebuyers do not want to do, it's wait around to get listing information on a home of interest.

According to Lisa Stephenson, executive vice president of the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors (GLAR), “Clients and consumers are expecting information in split seconds--we are not a patient society." And the more quickly an agent can provide information, the more valuable he or she becomes to a homebuyer.

For Stephenson and an increasing number of agents, brokers, MLS providers, association execs--and consumers--mobile search technology is paving the way for instant access to listing information from any location... from any phone.

RIS Media recently published an article, entitled, "On-the-Spot Info Using Mobile Search Technology," profiling GLAR's successful mobile search solution (powered by VoicePad). The system allows agents to call the GLAR "home info" phone number and listen to a recorded property presentation for any actively listed property in the GLAR MLS.

The system automatically generates the audio presentations in English and Spanish from the MLS listing data; agents do not need to record or update them. After each inquiry, a system-generated e-mail is sent to the agent that includes property information and a Web link to the specific property searched.

Agents seeking information on any listing within the GLAR MLS have it in an instance, which is invaluable as they drive neighborhoods to show properties to clients. GLAR provides "Jiffy Lube"-type window cling stickers with the system phone number, so agents will have the number handy when they need it most...in their cars.

According to Stephenson, the system, "has witnessed the fastest adoption rate of anything we’ve ever done." In the first seven weeks alone, the GLAR system logged 1,800 agent calls to acquire listing details.

Read the entire RIS Media article here.

Learn about the real estate industry's only mobile marketing technology that reaches ALL mobile phones!

Download VoicePad’s CurbCall™ MLS-integrated mobile search solution (PDF) here.

PROBLEM #1: The Empty Flyer Box
A potential homebuyer drives by a home for sale and likes what he sees. He pulls over to get information from the flyer box, but there are no flyers in the box and no other listing information is available.

The potential buyer writes down the phone number of the real estate Agent, but forgets to call the next day. With no flyers and no call, the Agent has lost a potential buyer.

Ultimately, the Agent has no record of who takes curbside flyers and no method for following up.

SOLUTION: Mobile Search Technology
With a Mobile Search solution, homebuyers are able to call a phone number and receive listing information on their phone within seconds. Callers can receive this information as an audio presentation, or in text format (via text message or email) with links to photos on a website.

Now, there is no need to ever refill a flyer box. The homebuyer gets everything he needs with one simple phone call!

PROBLEM #2: The Cell Phone Waiting Game
The consumer sees a home of interest and calls the real estate Agent’s cell phone number listed on the yard sign. The call goes to the Agent's voicemail, because she is preoccupied with another appointment. Several hours pass before the Agent calls the consumer back.

In the mean time, an Agent with a listing in the same neighborhood returned the homebuyer's call within a few minutes, so the consumer decided to work with that Agent instead.

SOLUTION: Mobile Search Technology
Getting back in touch with inquiring consumers within minutes pays big dividends. If a potential client calls the cell phone number listed on a yard sign or in a print ad and does not get a response within several hours or days, the opportunity is lost forever.

Mobile Search technology not only provides instant answers to homebuyers, it collects their contact information and immediately sends it to the Agent while the homebuyer is in front of the property. Mobile Search, prevents an Agent from letting a potential client “get away.”

PROBLEM #3: Spanish-Speaking Client meets English-Speaking Floor-Duty Agent
A young Spanish-speaking, first-time homebuyer drives by a home and is very interested. He picks up the flyer and it is printed in English only. He calls the real estate office and the duty Agent is fluent only in English. The homebuyer calls the Agent’s cell phone and gets voicemail... in English. The caller is most likely going to move on to another property, or Agent, who is more responsive to his communication needs.

SOLUTION: Mobile Search Technology
If the Agent above were using Mobile Search, the Spanish-speaking client would have access to listing information in Spanish and could even be connected to a Spanish-speaking Agent, if desired. Mobile Search services a growing bilingual population without requiring Agents to learn Spanish.

Mobile Search technology brings listing details to homebuyers when they want the information the most...at the curb. Mobile Search solutions that deliver listing information as audio presentations can reach every phone, unlike texting solutions or mobile apps.

Brokers who provide a robust mobile real estate solution give their Agents an advantage in overcoming these common real estate dilemmas.

Want to learn more? Download VoicePad's Buyer's Guide to Mobile Search for the Real Estate Industry here.

According to a 2008 study by The Keller Center at Baylor University, one of the most productive sources of quality leads for the real estate industry is IVR (Interactive Voice Recognition) technology, just slightly behind Personal Referrals.

Many real estate professionals may associate IVR with antiquated "home hotline" systems, but IVR technology has evolved into sophisticated Mobile Search solutions that allow homebuyers to get listing information on any home, form any phone, at any time.

The results of this Keller Center study give insight into what real estate Agents report as the most productive lead-generating tools and the areas in which the better-performing Agents are focusing their efforts.

To read the entire Keller Center study, go to http://www.baylor.edu/business/kellercenter/index.php?id=55741

For the past 15 years or so, homebuyers have begun their property search on the Internet, viewing images of prospective houses on their computers in the privacy of their home or office. Online home search has revolutionized homebuying, by enabling consumers to obtain detailed listing information and property photos in real time, without ever contacting an Agent. As a result, the Broker and Agent websites that have become a requirement in the industry have failed real estate professionals in their ability to generate meaningful leads.

The Internet's failure-point as a lead-generator for the real estate industry is its "opt-in" environment (meaning, the buyer must proactively provide contact information). Most "at-home surfers" revel in their confidentiality and enjoy getting the information they desire without having to reveal their identity. Consumers can obtain the information they want without supplying contact information or by supplying inaccurate or incomplete information. As a result, leads from Internet buyers have become notoriously ineffective for Agents.

This shortfall has created the need for more effective lead-generating products and strategies for real estate professionals.

Mobile Search technology meets this need by capitalizing on the buying behavior of the serious home buyer. In doing so, it generates meaningful leads to real estate professionals by providing property information to homebuyers at the most opportunistic stage in the buying process.

Two things we know about prospective homebuyers:
1.) They move from behind the computer (where they conduct their Internet search) to behind the wheel of the car (driving neighborhoods to look at houses) when they are most likely to purchase; and

2.) They demand detailed and rich information "at the curb," just as they did during their Internet search experience. With the proliferation of real estate information on the Internet, they have been trained to expect feedback within seconds.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 75% of homebuyers say they want to get information on their cell phones while they are in front of their property. Real estate Brokers can help Agents reach these motivated homebuyers--after they have left the anonymity of their computers and are standing in front of a home--with the addition of Mobile Search to their marketing mix.

Mobile Search delivers property listing information to a mobile phone--on demand. The technology allows prospective buyers to call a unique telephone number to request property details, such as price, square footage and estimated mortgage payment; or they may request information by text message; or even search using a mobile website with photos.

For example, with a voice-based Mobile Search solution (where the consumer makes a call to obtain information), homebuyers call a branded telephone number (displayed on the yard sign and in other advertising vehicles) and simply enter a street address # or MLS ID. They listen to a high-quality audio presentation of a property and have the ability to connect "live" to an Agent, request a follow-up text message, or search another propert--all from one phone call!

Immediately after a homebuyer inquires about a property, a Mobile Search solution delivers the caller's identity (via caller ID) to a real estate professional, without requiring the caller to input contact information. In this way, Agents can follow-up immediately with the consumer, who is demonstrating strong buying signs.

Leads from consumers who are "at the curb" are more likely to convert into sales. According to a study from the Keller Center at Baylor University, entitled Lead Generation, What Really Works, the faster Agents respond to a consumer inquiry, the more likely they are to convert that lead into a customer. The report states that technologies that help Agents respond in four hours or less help convert more leads.

Mobile Search technology supports the homebuyer at his most critical time of interest and provides a means for real estate Agents to follow up with them immediately.

Learn about the real estate industry's only mobile marketing technology that reaches ALL mobile phones!

Download VoicePad’s CurbCall™ MLS-integrated mobile search solution (PDF) here.

In the Trump Blog, the official blog site of Donald Trump's Trump University, VoicePad is the only company listed BY NAME as a must-have strategy for successfully listing a property in 2010.

The blog posting, entitled, "Questions to Ask Before Listing Your Home with a Real Estate Agent," provides several questions home sellers should ask their listing agent to ensure a successful selling strategy.

Question #11:
Will there be a text-for-info, VoicePad or other form of marketing on my "for sale" sign for potential buyers who drive by?

Read the entire blog post (PDF) here.

Though 87% of home buyers begin their property search on the internet, the motivated ones end up in their cars driving neighborhoods.

It is here--at the curb--that automated property information is most desirable. It is here that VoicePad connects these valuable leads, providing mobile phone number, with agents. Something the internet cannot do.

• VoicePad helps real estate agents close more listings.
• Brokers rely on it to recruit and retain top agent talent.
• VoicePad improves brokerage market share and increases capture rates of in-house services.

If Donald Trump's organization recognizes the value of VoicePad, shouldn't you?

 

Learn how VoicePad can increase real estate leads for your Agents in a 20-minute online demo. To register, click here.