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Posted almost 12 years ago

Mobile Marketing for Real Estate... Scan Me!

Have you heard the news?  Mobile marketing is exploding.  It is  highly effective, easy to use and a great way to connect with potential customers and clients in the real estate business.

There are a lot of things that can be done with regards to mobile marketing including developing specific apps.  However, I want to focus on marketing that is guerrilla style, essentially free and also very effective.  What part of mobile marketing could that be?  Yes, QR Codes.

If you are not using QR codes, ask yourself why not?  It is likely that you are not using them because you do not quite understand how to use them.  I will get you past your FEAR FACTOR and you will be integrating them into your marketing very soon. Wait Jim, did you say QR Code?  What the heck is a QR Code?  QR stands for Quick Response, think of it as a bar code on steroids and you will have a visual to remember.  It is technically a two dimensional matrix style bar code and was invented by Toyota in the 1990?s.  The key to the QR codes is the scanner, just like bar codes are useless without a scanner.  Any thoughts on how many QR code scanners are in use?  Every smart phone has the option to download a QR code scanner in the form of a free and simple app.  They work super easy, right through the camera function on a smart phone.  The user simply points the phone camera towards a QR code and the smart phone will scan the code and take the user to destination as specified by the code.

Now that you understand what a QR Code is and how to read one, how can it be used for buying, selling and renting real estate?  Simply stated, it connects you to your customers through a smart phone mobile device and the possibilities are endless.  Here are some to consider:

1.  Property flyers:   A property flyer is a highly effective marketing method when selling or renting houses.  Typically a flyer will include a picture or two and some basic house information.  If the reader wants more information on the house, they typically need to call the owner or Realtor to get that information.  However, you could easily add a QR code to the flyer that will take the user to a website or a YouTube video for more information.  This works especially well if the flyers are sitting in the front yard in a flyer type box and a potential buyer drives up to the house to check it out.  The person looking at the home, can scan the code on the flyer and be taken directly to your website or your YouTube video.  I like to have a separate QR code for both my YouTube video and my website.  This allows the interested people to instantly see the inside of my houses, right on their smart phones.

2.  Signs – For Sale and For Rent:  For sale and for rent signs are an essential element in real estate marketing.  A QR code can added directly onto your sign and when the user scans your code, they can be right onto your website to see everything you have to offer.  This will take a “ride by” potential buyer and create an opportunity where you can give them more information instantly, right on their smart phone.  You could send them directly to your YouTube video which would instantly show them the inside of the house. 

Open House Signs:  Usually a few days prior to an open house, the Agent or Home Owner will place signs with the information.  Why not include the QR code that takes the user to a short video or your website to instantly connect them to your property and entice them to come see your house?

3.  Business cards:  Most business cards are just boring.  A QR code can add curiosity to the equation and lead people back to you in an alternate and fresh way.  Consider uploading a short video to YouTube and then create a QR code that takes the user directly to your Video.  In the video you can give them additional information, thank them for watching and entice them to continue to build a relationship with you.

4. Direct mail:  Many real estate wholesalers, investors and agents love to send direct mail campaigns.  What if you could create a short video specific to the geographic location you are mailing to.  Something that started like this, “Thank you for clicking through to this video.  We love working in Mountain Road area of Glen Allen, VA and we would love to work with you…”  You could then track the effectiveness of your mail campaign by monitoring how many people watched the video, called you, etc.

I hope that expanded your mind enough to see that the mobile marketing opportunities in real estate really are endless.  Get your creative juices flowing and you will surely find many more ways to use a QR Code.  Now you may be wondering how you can continue this journey and develop your own QR Code.  It is easier than you think to generate the actual QR Code.  Here is how You can do it.

1.  Go to:  QRstuff.com at

2.  Choose your data type.  This is the type of site you plan to send your user.  If your sending them to a YouTube video, then choose YouTube.  If a website, then choose that option.

3.  Type in your destination URL into the content box.

4.  Choose your color

5.  Generate your code by choosing output type.  I like to use the download option, then save it to my computer and insert it into my marketing.

That is it! 


Comments (1)

  1. Great idea!  I have used the bar scan code in my business.  It would work great on marketing for REI. 

    Thanks for pointing that out.

    Lisa