Trulia and other online portals understand mobile very well. They clearly recognize that mobile will be the primary user experience of both consumers and agents today, and evermore in the future. In this latest announcment, Trulia provides a mobile solution aimed at engaging the mobile agent and connecting them with consumers in the best possible way. This is a great strategy; but it begs many questions.
Where is the broker mobile strategy? Most brokers and franchises depend on telephone and email for connecting agents with inquiring consumers. It works, but mobile apps work better. I would expect to see franchises and brokers follow Trulia’s lead.
Will every portal offer its own app? I envision an environment today whereby agents will need to have apps for all kinds of online websites – franchise sites, broker sites, and every third party sites. This fragmentation may well undermine the overall effectiveness of this strategy as agents wrangle with these disparate solutions.
Check in at open houses. This is a pretty cool feature. It shows which agents are spending the time learning the inventory. The impact of this feature remains to be seen, but it has interesting possibilities.
Who owns the Lead? Trulia says that the agent keeps the contact and that is articulated in their terms of use-but the contact is “shared” for use on Trulia. I have always been concerned that these companies may be selling consumer lead information out the back door to other types of interested parties. It looks like Trulia is closing the door on this, which is good.
Agents are slow to respond to online leads. Trulia is trying to address the problem. Here is a paper we wrote a few years ago that colors just how bad agent responsiveness is. It will be great for the consumer if Trulia solves the issue with this strategy, and agents will likely find higher conversion rates too. Here is a link to the paper – it is worth a read – or a re-read.
TRULIA LAUNCHES MOBILE AGENT APP ON ANDROID PHONES – Press Release
TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
Trulia is the first company to build agent-dedicated mobile apps that allow agents to respond rapidly to new leads and demonstrate local expertise with listing check-ins
SAN FRANCISCO – May 30, 2012 – Trulia.com, a leading site for homebuyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals, today announced the availability of the Trulia for Agents mobile app on Android phones. The free Trulia for Agents mobile app allows agents to broadcast their local expertise by checking-in to the properties they tour and publishing visited listings to their Trulia profile. Buyers and sellers using Trulia to search for agents can view check-ins and contact agents who have the inside scoop on listings. The Trulia for Agents app also provides real estate professionals with immediate lead notifications on their mobile phones, allowing agents to quickly respond to inquiries from anywhere.
“Mobile technology is transforming the real estate industry, allowing agents to be more productive and empowering consumers to find properties and connect with agents on the fly,” said Pete Flint, CEO and co-founder of Trulia. “We’ve designed this app to help agents complete more sales. Agents can use the Trulia for Agents app to check-in to listings and get noticed by local buyers as well as respond quickly to the leads they receive from Trulia when they’re out of the office.”
Trulia For Agents app on Android Features Include:
· Listing Check-Ins: Agents can use Trulia for Agents to check in to listings they tour and display check-ins on their Trulia.com profile so that prospective clients can get the inside scoop about listings from agents who have visited the property.
· Lead Notifications: New leads from Trulia are pushed immediately to the Trulia for Agents app, helping agents to respond quickly to consumer inquiries.
· Client Access: Agents can access saved leads, contacts and clients as well as add new contacts, all while touring a home or hosting an open house.
Trulia for Agents on Android is the second free mobile app designed by Trulia specifically for real estate professionals. In December of 2011, Trulia released Trulia for Agents on iPhone, the first-of-its kind app for real estate professionals. Beginning today, Agents can download both the new Android app from Google Play and the latest iPhone app from the iTunes Store.
About Trulia, Inc.
Trulia gives home buyers, sellers, owners and renters the inside scoop on properties, places and real estate professionals. Trulia has unique info on the areas people want to live that can’t be found anywhere else: users can learn about agents, neighborhoods, schools, crime and even ask the local community questions. Real estate professionals use Trulia to connect with millions of transaction-ready buyers and sellers each month via our hyper local advertising services, social recommendations and top-rated mobile apps. Trulia is headquartered in downtown San Francisco and is backed by Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital. Trulia and the Trulia logo are registered trademarks of Trulia, Inc.
