Mobile Marketing

Landlording is not the "world's oldest profession" but providing housing for others has been around longer than any of us can know. In this age-old industry, we suddenly find ourselves in 2011 - a time that was supposed to be dominated by flying cars and a vacation resort on the moon.  While I still have to sit in traffic on my way to work, it is astounding the technology we have available today. When I was a kid, I drove my dad crazy asking questions. I always wanted to know what things were and how they worked. His favorite response was, "Look it up." That meant, go dig into the World Book Encyclopedia. And if it wasn't there, you were out of luck!  Now we have the world at our fingertips. Google delivers search results in an instant. 

In today's market, it is important to get information out in a quick and convenient manner. Tenants are tech-savvy and like doing business with companies that are too. That is one of the reasons CPM is constantly seeking out and embracing the latest trends and technologies... which brings us to the newest tools being utilized by CPM. 

On our rental signs, prospective tenants will find two new ways to get instant details sent directly to their phones. All mobile phone users can text a code (printed on the sign) to 313131. They will then receive an immediate reply with the basic information along with a link to the listing on the mobile version of our website. Smart phone users can use the latest QR Code technology to get full details sent directly to their smart phones by downloading a free app to read the codes via their built in camera. QR (Quick Response) Codes are a 2 dimensional version of the classic bar codes. While bar codes only read horizontally based on the width of the vertical bars, QR Codes read as a series of squares within the box which gives an unlimited number of codes to be used within all types of marketing. While QR Codes have been commonplace in Europe and Asia for a few years, the technology is just beginning to take hold in the U.S. If history is any indicator, this technology will be second nature to us all in the very near future. 

I am excited about these new marketing tools. We look at marketing reports weekly and are already seeing major use of the new mobile marketing. In addition to the yard signs and print media, we post all available listings in the front window of our office, along with QR Codes. This way, people can not only see full details with photos, maps and research tools, they can also submit inquiries and even apply to rent on the spot 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.  With our location being so close to the university, we attract tech-savvy applicants that love our use of technology. 

In this economy, many businesses are cutting costs with marketing being the first to go. As you know, rents have been down over the past few years. That also means that our commissions are down, while our overhead is higher than ever. These new marketing tools also cost us each time a request is submitted. I simply say this to show our dedication to getting your home rented quickly to the highest quality applicants. We are proud to constantly be on the leading edge of the industry. We are one of (if not THE) first companies to use this technology in our area. We make these advancements because we are not satisfied with mediocrity. We owe it to our clients to provide the best our industry has to offer. It reminds me of one of my favorite movie quotes: "You see, the way it works is, the TRAIN moves... not the STATION." there are those that stayed in the station while we moved forward. I believe we will all reach our goals. However, some of us have higher goals than others.

Finally, I want to extend a voice of gratitude to all of our clients and customers. This industry is full of unique problems and pitfalls. The  heaviest load of our job is to take the punches and solve the problems associated with the management of your investment. We must juggle problems as they fly at us on a daily basis, but we stand firm and work hard to resolve everything in a fair and diplomatic manner. You have trusted us, and worked with us in managing your property. We are humbled and honored that you would do so. We are proud to take this journey with you!