In today's fast-paced real estate market, grabbing potential buyers' attention quickly is key. SMS marketing offers an instant, direct line to your audience. If you're struggling to get eyes on your open house events, here’s how SMS can change the game.
Why Use SMS Marketing for Open Houses?
Text messaging isn't just for casual chats anymore. It's a powerful marketing tool, especially for time-sensitive events like open houses. Here’s why it works:
1. High Open Rates:
- SMS messages boast a 98% open rate, ensuring your message gets seen.
- In contrast, email open rates hover around 20%, making SMS the more reliable channel for urgent updates.
2. Speed Unlike Other Channels
- Most SMS messages are read within three minutes of delivery.
- Perfect for sending last-minute open house reminders or updates if anything changes about the event.
3. Truly Drive Engagement:
- Texts feel personal, often prompting quick responses.
- This immediacy can boost RSVP rates and increase foot traffic.
5 Strategies to Drive Open House Attendance With SMS
Here are proven strategies for SMS that boost open house attendance.
1. Build a Targeted SMS List
Before you start sending messages, make sure you have a quality contact list. Relevance matters more than the sheer size of the list. You should focus on:
- Current housing leads who have shown interest in similar properties.
- Contacts who meet the property’s criteria, including location, price range, or home type.
- Past clients who may refer others or be interested in investment properties.
Always obtain explicit consent to text your contacts. This not only keeps you compliant with laws like the TCPA but also ensures you're messaging people who want to hear from you.
2. Send Clear, Compelling Invitations
Your SMS open house invite should get straight to the point while sparking interest. In other words, it’s your digital elevator pitch for the property. You should include the following in your invite:
- The property address.
- The date and time of the open house.
- A standout feature (e.g., "stunning lake view" or "recently remodeled kitchen.”)
- A mobile-friendly URL link to RSVP or get more details.
Example SMS:
🏡 Open House Alert! Join us Sat. June 7, 1-4 p.m. at 123 Main St. You’ll see a stunning 3-bed, 2 bath home in downtown Oconomowoc. Brand new kitchen. RSVP now: [link]
Avoid abbreviations that may confuse recipients and make sure your links are mobile-friendly.
3. Use SMS Reminders
People are busy, and a single message isn’t always enough. Strategic text reminders help keep your event top-of-mind:
- Send a reminder 24 hours in advance to confirm attendance.
- Follow up 1-2 hours before the event to provide directions or answer last-minute questions.
This approach shows professionalism and reinforces your brand as detail-oriented and client-focused.
4. Leverage MMS (Multimedia Messages)
Visuals significantly increase engagement rates. MMS allows you to include images or short videos directly in the message. Great visual content for texts include:
- A photo of the home's front exterior.
- A 10-second video tour of the kitchen or living room.
- A slideshow teaser of the property.
These enhancements make your message more eye-catching and informative, increasing the likelihood of clicks and RSVPs.
5. Follow Up After the Open House
Don’t let the conversation end when the open house does. SMS can be a valuable post-event touchpoint. Send a thank-you message within 24 hours. You can follow up with:
- An invitation to schedule a private showing.
- An invitation to apply to rent the home.
- A link to similar listings in the area.
- A brief feedback survey to improve future events.
This keeps the lead warm and shows you're proactive, professional, and attentive.
Best Practices for Open House SMS
To make the most of SMS marketing without annoying or overwhelming your audience, follow these best practices:
- Stay compliant: Always use opt-ins and include a clear way to opt out (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”)
- Be concise: Limit messages to the necessary details. Stick to 160 to 300 characters when possible.
- Time it right: Late mornings (10-11 a.m.) and early evenings (5-6 p.m.) tend to yield higher engagement, according to Textedly data.
- Avoid over-texting: Limit communication to 1-2 texts per event unless there's a specific need for more.
- Use branded links: The most trustworthy links to include in texts are branded with your company name.
Textedly Helps Realtors Book More Open House Viewings
Textedly is the go-to for real estate professionals. Here are just a few reasons why Textedly is a stand out SMS marketing platform that helps realtors book more viewings.
- Personalized mass texting at scale. Textedly enables realtors to send personalized open house invitations at scale. Think of mass texting as an email blast, but delivered via text message.
- One inbox to manage text marketing. Textedly lets realtors manage all of their texting in one simplified inbox. Simply log into your Textedly account to send text blasts, reply to leads, and schedule messages.
- Feature-rich platform. Textedly is one of the most feature-rich SMS platforms on the market, offering two-way SMS, scheduled messages, auto-replies, MMS, drip campaigns, and more. This enables realtors to text leads and customers at scale, ensuring more people show up at your open houses.
- Flexible pricing plans. Textedly offers truly flexible pricing plans for realtors. Plans start as low as $26 per month, and you can upgrade or pause your account at any time.
- Top-notch customer support. Textedly’s team is here to support customers from day 1. When you sign up, you’ll get help to set up your account and find texting success.
- SMS templates to help you win. Textedly regularly refreshes its text templates that realtors can use to save time and get more open house viewers.
Final Thoughts on SMS Marketing for Open Houses
SMS marketing isn’t just a trendy tactic—it’s a proven method to boost open house attendance. When used thoughtfully, it can drive high-intent buyers to your events and accelerate the sales cycle.
Start by building a permission-based contact list, craft messages that are short and compelling, and always follow up. With consistent testing and fine-tuning, SMS marketing can become one of your most effective real estate tools. Your next open house could be your most successful yet.
Textedly helps realtors and property managers boost open house viewings at affordable prices. Ready to try it for yourself? Get a free trial of Textedly today.
