Hello...Hello....Is Anyone There?

Click to talk, click to chat, click to get an instant connection with me. Question is, are you really there?

We are moving at lightning speed deploying technologies that put us together with consumers with the click of a mouse. We can even send files, webpages and links from our cell phones directly to the consumers desktop while we are on the phone with them. It's not new technology but the rate at which it is being adopted is astounding. Having the ability for consumers to contact you at the height of their interest is a very compelling opportunity and the affordability of these solutions make them perfect for this market.

Agents, brokers and vendors are placing the quick connect links all over their websites, emails and listing detail pages. Even the virtual tour companies are in the game. FloorPlanOnline.com just inked a deal with realPING to have a direct connect link option on their tours.

I love, love, love this technology. The agents who have adopted it as a way of doing business are doing very, very well in this new market. The key is, you have to make it an integral part of your business. If you have a click to call me anywhere in you online marketing, you better have phone in hand. As an industry, we will lose consumer confidence (again) if they click to connect and keep getting voicemail, an answering service with no real estate information; or worse yet, no connection at all. This hurts all of us.

I relate this loss of consumer confidence it to some of the "Get Your Property Value" online programs who either never get back to the consumer or have staff in India calling the sellers back 3 weeks after their initial submission. I know, I've been testing several of them. As a consumer, after my 2nd-3rd try, I wouldn't believe an ad for instant online property valuation no matter what.