We talk a lot about online leads and the technology used to capture them--everything from broker websites, search portals, email newsletters, and beyond. Today, we're going to switch gears and look at how one brokerage automates their main phone numbers to capture leads at the moment of peak interest--right at the curb.

"It's the new point-of-sale," says Charles Hunt, General Manager at Hunt Real Estate in upstate New York. "Everybody for years has said that you've gotta have the best online presence.' Well, I think you just need the best lead capture tool for where people are."

Capturing Leads Right at the Curb

Hunt Real Estate has boosted their lead conversion rates by eliminating agent and broker phone numbers from all their yard signs. Instead, the firm's signs now offer only a single automated number provided by VoicePad—no small undertaking for a firm with 38 offices and over 1,000 salespeople.

This automation is an important factor in Hunt's lead conversion success. A recent study has shown that only 48% of leads are responded to and, of those, the average response time is over 15 hours.

By tying their yard sign number with VoicePad's Interactive Voice and Text information system, Hunt gives their leads an instant response and even the option to connect directly to the listing agent to schedule a showing. Consumers at the curb can either call to hear an automated audio recording with property details, or request a text message to receive a text with more information and a link to Hunt's GPS mobile site (also provided by VoicePad).