Real Estate Text Message Marketing: Cost, Features & Providers

Real estate text message marketing is a way to engage buyers via text with information about properties and lead them through the sales cycle. Real estate texts are best for agents relying on mobile devices. Automated text messages allow real estate agents to respond to actions and communications to keep buyers interested and increase sales.

How Real Estate Text Message Marketing Works

Real estate text message marketing engages a buyer on their mobile device with an immediate answer to a question or a piece of information like a listing or a free report. When combined with photos or video, a text can move the buyer forward in the sales cycle more quickly than email or direct mail.

Using real estate text marketing is beneficial because text messages are read faster by more people and kept longer than emails. About 82 percent of text messages are read within five minutes, but consumers only open one in four emails they receive. Additionally, the average response time for a text is 90 seconds. The reality is that email marketing is not enough anymore to close a sale.

Creating text marketing plan is easy. To send real estate text messages to potential buyers and sellers, you create a short code that is five digits that are easy to remember like a ZIP code. Next, pick a keyword that is easy to text and identifies a certain marketing approach or call to action (CTA). For example, you might use the following in a TV ad: “Text CONDO to 29926 to learn more about available properties in XYZ Resorts.” When potential buyers text the word CONDO to this short code, you know to respond with listings about condos in that area.

If you are using an automated marketing program like Real Geeks or Easy Agent Pro, then the text from the buyer will trigger an automatic responder that replies with the needed information instantly and logs the contact in a CRM for future texts. This ultimately means more leads and higher conversions.

“A text keeps you in front of their mind for when they are ready to sell, and it also allows them to have a record of your messages on their phone. This is great for when they come to a decision so that they don’t lose your number, causing you to lose the deal.”

— Shawn Breyer, Owner, Sell My House Fast Atlanta

Sell My House Fast Atlanta text message.

Who Real Estate Text Message Marketing Is Right For

Many real estate agents and real estate agents might shy away from real estate text message marketing because it seems too complicated or trendy. Real estate text message marketing is for agents who want to use texts for lead capture and tracking of engagement in ways that regular advertising and marketing fail.

Real estate text marketing is right for these types of realty professionals:

• On-the-go agents: For busy agents who do not have time to manage real estate text marketing, text message autoresponders and action-triggered texts easily message the buyer on the agent’s behalf
• Nontechnical agents: A real estate text can bridge the gap between less-than-technical real estate agents and their smartphone-carrying clients; with easy-to-set-up personalized real estate texts and reminders, buyers stay connected with even the most tech-shy real estate agent
• Social media-savvy agents: Social-savvy agents will love real estate text message marketing that responds with a message based on keywords as well as text codes through their online advertising or posts
• Technophile agents: While real estate text message marketing is relatively simple, it’s definitely suited for technologically friendly agents who love the latest gadgets; the combination of codes, tracking and reminder texts will keep marketing running smoothly

Real estate text messages to clients can increase sales by keeping agents connected to buyers and sellers with a speedy response time. With the ease of most platforms and the features included in the best text message marketing services for real estate, almost any agent or broker can benefit from using texting to nurture contacts and decrease time investment.

Real Estate Text Message Marketing Costs

Real estate text message marketing costs range from free plans with a low number of texts to $99 broker team plans. Real estate texts as a feature of a CRM are slightly more expensive at $159 per month, but almost all providers have a free trial or entry-level access to test real estate text marketing.

Here is a breakdown of the price ranges for real estate text marketing services:

• $159 to $199 per month: Text message marketing for real estate agents is included with full CRM and website integration as a part of marketing automation, autoresponders and drip email campaigns; because real estate text message marketing yields a higher open rate than other forms of electronic marketing automation, it is a nice addition to a CRM solution with IDX website
• $99 per month: Text messages are a standalone product; these real estate text services are designed for brokers or larger teams that may have higher text volume and need for more text codes due to multiple users; reporting real estate text metrics like click-throughs and subscriber opt-outs are helpful tools for managing campaigns
• Free to $49 per month: Basic text marketing is the main focus at this level; the free plans and the free trials give adequate opportunity to test all of the features

The cost levels increase depending on how many real estate messages are sent each month, so it is important to know how many textable contacts are in your database to avoid overage fees. Using the free trial or free entry-level first will give real estate agents a solid understanding of how real estate text marketing works and which price tier is best for their needs.

Real Estate Text Message Marketing Features

Text messages are either integrated into marketing automation with CRM services or standalone services. Automated services offer text drip marketing campaigns and text autoresponders set questions to engage the user easily. Standalone texting programs are more customizable for sales and tracking efforts.

Finding the best text message marketing service means identifying the right features for your real estate company. Although there are many more features depending on which provider you use for real estate text marketing, there are seven key features of a real estate text message marketing service that lead to success.

SMS & MMS Enabled Texting

Short message service (SMS) is for regular texts while multimedia message service (MMS) is for texts with pictures, video or other media. Real estate agents need both of these features for maximum capability to connect with potential buyers through their real estate text message marketing. Sending welcome videos, property pictures or a recorded message requires MMS to be enabled in your real estate text marketing program.

Text Inbox

A text inbox works just like your email inbox to catalog all of your real estate text messages. It is convenient to handle real estate text marketing on your phone when you are on the go, as balancing a computer or laptop with your phone while trying to manage messages is a recipe for frustration. A text inbox keeps your real estate text messages in an easily accessible place.

Short Codes

A short code is a number to which buyers send texts to real estate agents. When an ad says, “Send a text to 212121 to schedule an appointment,” for example, it is easy for the person to respond because the short code replaces a long phone number.

Keywords or Text Words

Keywords are prompts that allow the real estate text lead capture system to segment and track contacts. Using the keyword “ad12345” in a CTA, for instance, might identify the text as a supermarket cart card in a certain ZIP code instead of a social media post with keyword “post29676” in another ZIP code. Keywords in the text CTA give you markers for tracking your real estate text message campaigns.

Mass & List Messaging

Just like with email blasts, the ability to target your real estate text marketing toward a mass list or a special segmented audience is vital. If you have an open house in a certain neighborhood, then you should be able to send a mass real estate text to people in a specific ZIP code on your contact list and ask them to RSVP.

Drip & Reminder Campaigns

Reminder text and drip text campaigns share details about events, appointments or properties that are available. Some drip text campaigns might include price changes on a property, new listings that match buyer preferences or just sold notices on a property in a saved list. When used together, real estate text marketing drip and reminder campaigns can keep the agent engaged with the buyer and in front of them throughout the sales process.

Engagement Campaigns

The goal of this type of real estate text message marketing is to give the buyer a way to participate in a text campaign that requires a response. Engagement real estate text campaigns might include polls, surveys, text-to-win campaigns, newsletter signups, appointment scheduling or birthday wishes.

“The most important thing is to use emojis. It’s the equivalent of body language in text messages and helps to convey the message better. It will read better if it is double-spaced.”

— Ashley Adamczyk, Owner, Ashley Adamczyk Properties

Millennial real estate agency text script.

Real Estate Text Message Marketing Providers

Real estate text message marketing is broken down into two types of services. There are real estate text services that are part of a large automated marketing component of a CRM. There are also standalone real estate text marketing services. Which service you need depends on your goals for gathering, contacting and managing leads using text marketing for real estate agents.

These are seven top providers of real estate text message marketing.

1. Real Geeks

Real Geeks is a robust CRM and IDX website solution with lead capture forms and built-in automated marketing tools like real estate text response. Real estate agents needing a complete marketing solution including an IDX website for lead capture and CRM for lead nurturing combined text marketing for real estate agents will benefit from Real Geeks.

Real Geeks Pricing

Real Geeks charges clients $199 per month for an IDX lead generation website with a CRM and marketing automation. Real estate texts are set up in the marketing module to respond to your leads automatically with predetermined texts and mass marketing text blasts. The Real Geeks free demo will help you make an informed decision on whether or not this is a good fit for you.

Unique Features

Because real estate text messages to clients are integrated into the CRM’s marketing automation, Real Geeks saves agents time and effort switching between platforms, managing multiple services and balancing the movement of contacts through the pipeline. Real Geeks gives you an all-in-one location for your real estate text marketing.

Real Geeks automated SMS texts (image via website).

2. Texty by Easy Agent Pro

Texty by Easy Agent Pro allows agents to set real estate text autoresponders through the CRM that reply to certain actions users take on the website and send real estate messages to clients with tracking codes. Texty is for more technical-savvy real estate agents who want to schedule and distribute messages for real estate text marketing alongside social media posts and drip email campaigns.

Easy Agent Pro Pricing

Easy Agent Pro ranges from $159 to $259 per month with the only difference in price being the number of Texty keywords included in your real estate text marketing subscription. There is one keyword included with LeadSites Pro and 20 keywords in the LeadSites Plus program. Use their 14-day free trial to check out the features.

Unique Feature

Texty by Easy Agent Pro takes out the time-consuming task of adding leads manually to the CRM for nurturing and tracking through the pipeline. Texty codes automatically add leads to the CRM when someone responds to a real estate text and texts the agent about the new lead.

Texty by Easy Agent Pro (image via website).

3. LionDesk

LionDesk is the real estate text message marketing tool that includes a robust CRM for lead tracking and advanced technology for MMS for video texting. Real estate agents who are aware that video sells and frequently use video to market to clients are the best fit for LionDesk enhanced multimedia real estate text service.

LionDesk Pricing

LionDesk real estate text message marketing ranges between $25 for the Pro level to $49 at the Pro Plus level. The difference between the tiers is a sharp increase in the number of texts allowed per month as well as video texting capabilities. Use the LionDesk 30-day free trial to test out the features.

Unique Feature

LionDesk integrates high-level technology into their text marketing for real estate agents without adding price or complexity. With video texting and property image texting, LionDesk uses Text-2-Sell short codes for tracking and email list signup with an easy-to-access electronic storage bank for videos and images.

LionDesk text manager (image via website).

4. TextMarks

TextMarks is the complete real estate text lead capture solution with tracking codes that can be used on yard signs, print marketing and online advertising. Real estate agents and brokers who want to know exactly where leads are coming from to justify ad spending will want TextMarks real estate text marketing.

TextMarks Pricing

TextMarks pricing starts at $99 per month for 3,500 texts and 10 keywords. The price increases to $199 per month for 10,000 texts and 15 keywords with several choices for larger brokers. The 14-day free trial with full functionality gives real estate agents the chance to test their services and features.

Unique Feature

The most common question real estate agents ask about text marketing is, “How does a real estate text equal more traffic or leads?” TextMarks includes built-in reporting on metrics like opt-ins, opt-outs and subscribers to show how real estate messages turn into leads and sales.

Text Mark SMS lead generation function (image via website).

5. EZ Texting

EZ Testing is the simplest solution text marketing for real estate agents who only want a standalone texting tool to interact with potential buyers and send real estate messages to clients. Agents who do not have the time or skill to complete multiple setup processes will find EZ Texting a great option at a reasonable price point.

EZ Texting Pricing

EZ Texting has a Free & EZ plan that allows real estate agents to send 100 SMS texts per month. Upgrading to the Pay & Go plan charges five cents per text message and $25 for a keyword without a monthly fee. The basic paid monthly plan begins at $49 per month for 1,000 messages, one keyword and MMS capability.

Unique Features

EZ Texting is an engagement-ready real estate text marketing program that includes text-to-vote, polls and text sharing capabilities on social media. With drip texting campaigns that allow real estate agents to send reminders about appointments or a property showing, EZ Texting helps save agents time in their follow-up efforts.

EZ Texting dashboard (image via website).

6. SlickText

SlickText is the easy-to-use platform for real estate text marketing that includes advanced features reminders and drip marketing with additional options like mass scheduling and third-party integration with Zapier, Facebook and email. Real estate agents who want higher level features without a high price tag and excessive setup time will find SlickText a good choice.

SlickText Pricing

Many real estate agents will find The Freebie! plan sufficient with 50 texts per month and one keyword. The first paid plan is The Basic at $29 for 500 texts and two keywords with MMS texting turned on. Prices increase depending on how many texts and keywords are needed for real estate text message marketing.

Unique Feature

One of the best things about SlickText is the rollover texting service, which forwards any unused texts to the next month. During peak seasons or holidays, rollover real estate texts mixed with the ability to mass text and schedule messages can be a real advantage to keep agents from going over their texting limits.

SlickText real estate text marketing (image via website).

7. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is a real estate text message marketing platform that creates engagement with the buyer and allows the agent the freedom to address their niche market with customized real estate texts. SimpleTexting is best for real estate agents on a budget who will take time and effort to customize their texting program to meet a specific audience.

SimpleTexting Pricing

SimpleTexting starts at $25 per month for 500 real estate texts with a charge of four-and-a-half cents per extra text. The price rises steeply to $45 for 1,000 texts onward. There is a 25 percent discount for annual plans, however. With the steep increase in pricing levels for each tier, real estate agents should use the 14-day free trial to examine the features of this real estate text marketing system.

Unique Feature

With the ability to add custom audiences, market segmentation and extended messages, triggers can respond to events with autoresponders when someone uses a short code in a certain way. For example, if a short code of a website campaign was marketed to get a showing, the trigger could text a link to schedule an appointment to the buyer.

SimpleTexting flexible platform (image via website).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is the Difference Between SMS and MMS Texting?

SMS means short message service or a traditional text-only message. If you add a picture or video, then your text becomes an MMS. So, the real estate text services that offer video and image distribution are MMS texts for your buyers.

How Are Charges Calculated for Real Estate Texts?

Real estate text message marketing services tier their pricing plan according to how many texts you will send per month. If you go over your texting limits, then there will be additional charges per text sent. Some companies consider MMS texts as several texts because multimedia delivery takes extra bandwidth, so it is important to watch your limits and understand the criteria.

Are There Legal Issues to Using Real Estate Text Messages?

The biggest concern is that real estate agents might violate texting and spam laws by sending unidentified mass messages. It is always a good idea to review the real estate text anti-spam laws posted on carrier sites as well as any legal restrictions, before sending to anyone.

The Bottom Line

Real estate text message marketing helps move the buyer through the pipeline and keeps them engaged in the sales cycle so an agent can close more deals. A real estate text can turn a looker into a buyer with a steady stream of reminders and messages. This engagement ultimately leads to quicker sales.