No Info Tube For You!

July 30th, 2007 Categories: For Sellers

When was the last time you went up to an info tube (or an info box) and found it actually had a property flyer in it?  OK, let’s suppose the agent or homeowner was on top of things and the tube/box was actually filled.  Did you call the number listed and ask for more information?  Hmmm, I didn’t think so.

You see, most people pick up flyers at properties just to appease their curiosity.  Most people picking up those flyers are not serious buyers.  It could be the nosy neighbor down the street wanting to know what the house is listed for.  The young family around the corner who’s thinking of selling is picking up comps in the area.  The “dreamer” who is always looking at homes they’ll buy “one day” but “one day” never comes.  Someone selling in the neighborhood wondering how this home’s features and price stack up against his. 

Info Tubes are a waste of time, money and trees!  You’ll never see an Info Tube on my properties.  It won’t do my seller any good for me to put one there.  So how do I better serve my seller’s need to get his property info out there to someone who is standing outside the house and absolutely, positively needs to know all about it right now?  I use a toll-free hotline with recorded information about the house instead.  This information is available 24/7.  It’s also free.  You won’t have to set up a pin number or give me your first born to get it.  You just call the number and listen to the information.  Pretty simple.

Even though the caller doesn’t have to provide anything to get the information, I do get something in return for the phonecall.  The caller’s phone number.  You see, the hotline is set up to pick up the phone number making the call.  Then the system sends a text message to my cell letting me know the number and the house they’re calling about!  Smart system. 

How is this helping my seller get his house sold?  Well, now that I have the phone number, I can call the party back and weed out the “lookers” from the interested buyers.  I now have the opportunity to tell them more about the house and quite possibly set up an appointment for them to view it.  It all about getting more qualified traffic to the home.

Yes, I will still need to deal with the nosy neighbor, the young family, the “dreamer” and the other seller.  But I will also get to talk to the serious buyer who may never have seen your house because the last flyer he picked up that day was better than yours and he had already forgotten what was so pretty about yours anyway.

I won’t let him forget.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 30th, 2007 at 6:27 am and is filed under For Sellers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. Ines said at July 30th, 2007 at 10:34 am

   maggie - your site is looking Sweeeeeet! I love the name and I wish you the best of luck with it.

   As for info tubes - it depends on the area and the listing. A lot of our properties don’t need the info tube, but there are sellers that request them. I do agree that they are a waste of trees.

2. Maggie said at July 30th, 2007 at 11:19 am

   Hi Ines! Thanks for stopping by and for your thumbs up. Did you notice my blogroll? =) I find that the sellers who request a tube quickly see my point of view on the matter and allow me to put up their own personal hotline number instead. I have the same goal as they do…get their house sold!

3. Ines said at July 31st, 2007 at 8:26 pm

   Thanks for adding me to your blogroll Maggie - I had not noticed…Wow! I’m flattered!

4. Maggie said at August 1st, 2007 at 7:41 am

   Girl, you’re working too hard! Slow down and take a deep breath. =)

5. Ginger Sala said at August 2nd, 2007 at 12:48 am

   Maggie, I am so with you on this, The flyer boxes are rarely a source of legitimate inquiries, and a waste of trees and ink jets. Most sellers are agreeable if you explain the reasons for not having a box. The toll free line is the way to go.
   Congratulations on your new site! It’s a great title… Good luck with it!
   Ginger

6. Maggie said at August 3rd, 2007 at 11:48 am

   Ginger, thanks for the support on both the hotline and the site. I appreciate your visit!

7. Central Oregon Real Estate said at August 5th, 2007 at 10:50 pm

   Maggie - I agree with you about the flyer vs the toll free number - Real Estate is changing and you are a step above - your sellers will appreciate this

8. Maggie said at August 6th, 2007 at 8:17 am

   Thesa, thanks for stopping by. Most sellers want flyers until I explain my hotline. They can even have a flyer faxed by pushing 1 button. Call capture works.

9. Tony Gallegos said at August 8th, 2007 at 11:16 am

   Hi Maggie,

   Your site is rockin!!! It highlights both yourself and your skills so much better than A/R.

   FYI - I have bought two out of my last five homes by driving through neigborhoods and grabbing a flyer in the tube. Maybe I’m different?

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