Interactive Marketing for your Property

Have you seen those black-and-white, futuristic-looking squares a lot lately? Not sure what they are?

They are called QR Codes, short for Quick Response, and are really just a sophisticated barcode that can store virtually any type of data. When scanned (usually through a smart phone), they can link to a webpage, an email message, a map, contact details, a Buy Now link, and more. You can even brand any kind of physical object. This is nicknamed ‘hardlinking’.

While they come from Toyota’s manufacturing ingenuity, Quick Response codes are now popular everywhere because they suit “the new consumer” and our modern buyer behaviour. We are time-poor and experience seeking. We live in a culture where digital communication is the order of the day. We want information to be immediate.

This makes QR codes perfect tool for property marketing.

Imagine. You’re walking your dog along a pretty street in your neighbourhood. You see a house for sale. It looks great from the outside, but what’s it really like.

There is a QR code on the bottom of the For Sale sign, so you pull out your phone, scan it, and automatically begin experiencing a virtual tour. By the time you get home, you’ve decided it’s just what you want and you’ve emailed or texted the agent to inspect it in person. Essentially, that two-dimensional For Sale sign has become an interactive billboard.

It isn’t just property buyers who benefit, it is also the vendors. It takes time and emotional energy to continually open your home to potential buyers, only to have them dismiss the property over something basic.

QR codes provide prospective buyers easy access to information, floor plans, photos and video, even when they are not at home on their computer. Your buyer may be walking or driving past, or in a coffee shop reading a local guide. There’s no more need to try to remember the website address or the agent’s name. This convenience gives you a wider net and means that those coming through your house are more likely to be ‘qualified’ prospects.

If you’re a very motivated seller, you could even get a T-shirt made up with the QR code to your property! You will see these codes more and more.

Rachael has been using QR codes since the beginning of 2012 on all marketing communications for property.