Considering a mobile solution for your brokerage? First of all: smart move. Mobile use has grown exponentially, and will only become more popular. Home buyers want property information on demand; and their searches provide invaluable leads for your agents. So, here's what you should look for when you're choosing a vendor to provide mobile lead generation for your brokerage.

VoicePad, one of the leaders in this area, emphasizes that your mobile solution should:

• Reach every mobile consumer (no matter what type of mobile device they're using)
• Deliver information about every home
• Feature valuable and unique content
• Generate leads.

We'll talk more about all these bullet points later. For the moment, let's focus on the first – the importance of reaching every mobile consumer.

Options for Dumb Phones

Believe it or not, some people don't actually have smartphones. Shocking, I know. What may be less surprising is that people may sometimes have a smartphone but find themselves in an area that doesn't offer Internet access. What will your mobile strategy offer in these instances?

Thus, it's important that your mobile strategy address three technologies: voice, text, and mobile Web. I wrote an article on this topic several years ago in collaboration with VoicePad, and much of it is still relevant today. One of the essential points of the article is that you shouldn't ignore mobile functionality that can happen on a "Dumb" phone (a phone without mobile Web access). In short, your mobile solution should include voice and text options, as well.

• Voice: Property searchers can call a number (which they'll find on a yard sign, Web site, or other collateral) and hear a recorded property description 24/7.
• Text: Pretty self-explanatory. Property searchers can text a number (also found on a yard sign, Web site, etc.) and receive a return text with property details and (here's where mobile Web comes in) a link to a property details page or single property website.

Even if they have a smartphone, prospective buyers may prefer to take advantage of one of the options above. According to VoicePad statistics, the vast majority (an average of 86%!) of homebuyers who use their system will call, instead of text, to get information about a home.