The same sort of electronic wizardry that opens garage doors and changes channels on a television from across the room is now pitching real estate.
Several of these high-tech advertising devices-one of which is dubbed the ”Talking House”-are now on the market.
Used by both real estate agents and individuals, they all work on the same basic principle: A small radio transmitter that broadcasts a pre-recorded, 90-second message is placed inside a house listed for sale. Outside, a sign advises passersby to tune their radios to a specified frequency for information about the property. Depending upon the unit, broadcast range is about 200 feet, or half a block. Homeowners do not hear the messages as they are being transmitted.
”It`s more powerful than a sign, and signs (alone) are effective,” says Patti Miner, an agent with Re/Max Exclusive Properties in Chicago who has used the marketing technology for about 1 1/2 years. ”They definitely generate calls. The sellers think they are terrific and the buyers get a lot of their questions answered.”
Betty Kerr, an agent with Re/Max Suburban in Buffalo Grove, is also a proponent of the new sales technology. Since March, when she first offered the broadcasters to her listing clients, she has made at least one sale as a direct result of the boxes.
Something different
”It`s a good marketing tool and it`s different,” she says. ”That`s what it takes these days. I bought two so I don`t have houses waiting in line (for them).”
Most sales agents record the house descriptions themselves and offer the service to their clients at no extra charge.
”You can get quite a bit into 90 seconds,” says Kerr. ”I start out as though I`m the house talking, start at the front door and go room to room describing the decor and features.”
”Sellers have told us they have looked out their windows and seen as many as three cars at a time parked in front of their houses,” says Richard Matthew, president of Realty Electronics Inc., in Fond du Lac, Wis. Matthew, a 30-year real estate sales veteran, developed the ”Talking House” brand broadcaster for his own clients.
Re/Max agents, who work for their company essentially as independent contractors in charge of their own marketing decisions, tend to be steady customers, says Matthew, but other real estate companies in the Chicago area also use the technology.
Sales agents who use the broadcasters say the concept is novel and attention-getting, an important feature in a slow market. All 16 sales agents at Re/Max Exclusive Properties on the Near North Side have used the broadcasters for about a year and a half, says broker/owner Deborah Arnold.
”The normal avenues are not working right now, so we`re trying everything and anything to adapt our office to the peculiarities of the market,” she says.
Sue Fortson, an agent with Re/Max Suburban in Wheaton, owns 10 of the transmitters and has used them for about three years.
”I`ve generated a lot of interest in my listings because of them,” she says. ”And the sellers appreciate the extra effort you put out for them.”
Time savers
”It also serves to qualify people a little bit,” says Miner. ”If they know the house is out of their price range, they won`t call for an
appointment. That saves everybody time.”
The agents agree that the broadcasters work better in some situations than others. In high-rise condos, for example, the distance between the transmitter and the car radio may be too far for clear reception. And in some areas signs are not permitted. On heavily congested streets, a two-minute stop to listen to a house`s message can be a bit impractical.
”I probably wouldn`t put one in front of a vacation home where there isn`t much traffic,” adds Miner.
”The broadcaster is especially effective if you have a house that is set back or if it has little curb appeal,” says Matthew. ”You can tell them the house is bigger than it looks and give them information about the patio or the finished basement-things they can`t see.”
The cost of a broadcaster depends upon the manufacturer and can range from $150 to $1,200. The ”Talking House” model costs about $250, with quantity discounts available. Realty Electronics Inc. also leases the units for $60 for the first month and $20 each month thereafter.
Matthew`s firm also sells to homeowners marketing their own properties.
”One of our customers bought a broadcaster to help sell his own house,” says Matthew. ”After it sold, his agent bought the transmitter from him.”
