Starting today, the 30,000 members of the largest local Realtor association in the U.S. will be able to create mobile-optimized online business cards for themselves and their properties.
The Miami Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and Tampa, Fla.-based startup SavvyCard launched a mobile marketing program today they say will help users maintain contact with prospective clients, track referrals, and showcase properties.
SavvyCard generates mobile-optimized mini-websites the company likens to online business cards that can be easily — and virally — shared between smartphones or other Web-enabled devices. SavvyCards include an agent’s contact information and can be shared via email or text, whether or not the recipient is a SavvyCard user. SavvyCards are indexed by search engines and can be found through online searches, especially local ones, according to an announcement.
Tampa Bay-based Realtor Randy Heffernan has been using SavvyCards to generate referrals for more than a year.
“People have their smartphones with them all the time. Once someone sends my SavvyCard to a potential client, they can easily call, email or text me; get directions to my office; read my professional profile; get to my website or social media accounts; and connect with other home-related service providers I routinely recommend,” he said in a statement.
SavvyCard also has built-in sharing functions that allow contacts to pass on an agent’s information to their friends.
“It’s like they can make a copy of my business card and pass it along, anytime they find out a friend is in the real estate market. And whenever a referral is passed, I get notified so I can follow up in real time,” Heffernan said.
In a statement, SavvyCard CEO David Etheredge said the company’s goal is to help homebuyers and sellers “connect with the perfect Realtor for their particular needs.”
“We believe this is best done through direct referrals from trusted local sources,” he said.
MIAMI’s Realtor SavvyCards have a built-in “Listings” button that lets homebuyers search the local multiple listing service without leaving the Realtor’s card.
“Homes found in this manner are automatically linked back to the Realtor so that the buyer is encouraged to work with that Realtor, even if the property isn’t their listing,” the announcement said.
“This function will help Realtors reclaim some power from aggregator sites like Zillow and Trulia, which aim to remove Realtors from the homebuying equation. This is great for Realtors, but it’s also great for customers: Despite predictions to the contrary, it turns out people like their Realtors more than they like impersonal searches.”
Realtor SavvyCards are free to members. As a paid upgrade, MIAMI members will also be able to create social media-optimized mobile sites for any MLS listing. The trade group hopes these “Property SavvyCards” will help their members land more listings with sellers.
“Home sellers have become increasingly savvy and often interview several agents before listing their property,” said Deborah Boza-Valledor, MIAMI’s chief operating officer and chief marketing officer, in a statement.
“Each listing can be worth thousands of dollars, so there is tremendous competition among agents to show that they can provide the best marketing resources. Being able to deliver a high-quality mobile website for an MLS property within minutes — and being able to share it on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest — is an absolute game changer.”
Buyer’s agents will also be able to use Property SavvyCards to help their clients navigate the current hot market.
“In a market like Miami, a highly desirable property may be under contract within hours of being listed,” Boza-Valledor said. “Using SavvyCard, MIAMI Realtors will be able to present new listings to their customers almost immediately and in a format that is easy to evaluate on their smartphones.”
SavvyCard will add new features and functionality to the SavvyCard MIAMI system on an ongoing basis, the company said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note that Realtor SavvyCards are free to MIAMI members while Property SavvyCards are available as a paid upgrade.
