Frequently Asked Questions

What is Property By Phone?
Property By Phone is an instant text message application prepared by a real estate professional using our text-messaging platform. When you subscribe with us, you will load property information for each of your listings, onto our site at PropertyByPhone.com. Each property you load onto the system will have a code assigned to it. When a potential buyer sees your listing sign with our sign rider containing the text message code, the buyer can enter that code to immediately access that information and preview the home. Your property information is sent directly to the buyer's mobile phone after they call, while they are at the property's location. The Property By Phone message may include a property description, photos, and streaming video.

How would Property By Phone generate buyer leads?
Using our Property By Phone services, a potential Buyer can call our 1-800 service and enter the property code from the sign rider into the cell phone. The property information will come back to them instantly, while they are still outside the property. You can set the system to automatically send you a text notification with the potential buyer's mobile phone number, so you can contact the potential buyer immediately to answer questions or show the property. This immediate lead notification can minimize lost leads and calls going to the floor or elsewhere, which causes commissions splits and other unnecessary costs you prefer to avoid.

How could using Property By Phone save me money?
Our Property By Phone information eliminates old-fashioned paper flyers and empty brochure boxes. You save the time, energy, and money that you are spending on producing and distributing the paper flyers, plus the lost marketing opportunities from empty brochure boxes. You can also add the property code, voice activation phone number or texting instructions to your website or printed marketing materials, to generate more "quality" leads and lower your cost per lead. A potential buyer who has previewed your listed property in our system and then asks for a showing is much more likely to buy.

Is your service only available to Real Estate Brokers?
Our Property By Phone service is available to Residential or Commercial Real Estate Brokers/Agents, Broker Owners, Estate or Letting Agents, Property Managers, Property Developers and New Home Builders and others.

Do you have special plans for Broker Owners?
Special plans are available for broker owners.

Can an individual Real Estate Agent join?
Our Property By Phone service is available to individual real estate agents, multi-agent teams, real estate offices, and/or real estate companies and franchises.

How could a Property Manager or Letting Agent use your service?
Our Property By Phone service is ideal for property managers. Simply add one of our sign riders to your "For Rent" or "To Let" sign and enter the Property By Phone information into our text-messaging platform with a link to any photos (and Streaming Video, when available). By following the same processes outlined above for listed properties for sale, when a potential renter uses our system, you can streamline your appointment process and set appointments with renters ready to sign. They get to preview the property, and are then placed into immediate contact with you through the immediate lead notification, or by being allowed to set an appointment right away. Streamline Your Appointment Process with Property By Phone Online Appointment Scheduling as the potential BUYER is outside the property.

How could a New Home Builder use your service?
Our Property By Phone service is ideal for New Home Builders. Simply add one of our property codes or sign riders, to your advertising signs or marketing materials, and enter the AccessU2 Info copy into our text messaging platform with a link to any photos, Streamline Your Appointment Process with Property By Phone Online Appointment Scheduling as the potential BUYER is outside the property.

How will Property By Phone increase my Commissions?
Our Property By Phone service provides an exciting new buyer lead source and a new listing presentation tool. The leads produced by our service are protected and go directly to the listing agent, instantly notifying the agent of the potential buyer's inquiry, thus potentially eliminating some commission splitting situations. Instead of calling your office and being routed to the floor person, your leads automatically go directly to your mobile phone.

How will Property By Phone reduce my advertising costs?
Our Property By Phone information can reduce print costs for old-fashioned paper flyers and empty brochure boxes. You save the time, energy and money that you are spending on producing and distributing the flyers, plus the lost marketing opportunities. You can also add the property code, voice activation phone number or texting instructions to your website or printed marketing materials.

How do I become a Member?
Become a member now by clicking on the Sign Up link on our home page or at www.PropertyByPhone.com.

What does it cost to become a Member?
To become an mAgent, the basic service is $2.95/month which includes a 160 character text message and a WAP message of your personal or team biography as well as 4 photos. Each mListing is $11.95/month or $59.95/life of the listing and includes a 160 character text message and a WAP message of your listing description, and 10 photos. We offer several different applications to attach to each of your mAgent or mListing accounts at a per month charge. These apps may be assigned or deactivated at anytime. Please click on either the mAgent or mListing tab to see our product descriptions, applications, or service information.

Is there a cost per Property Code?
Our pricing plans are monthly or life of the listing subscriptions/membership. There is no limit on the number of Property Codes.

Does your Property By Phone info include pictures?
Pictures may be added to Property By Phone using WAP push or the MMS picture function. Coming soon is Streaming Video, which will be available just about everywhere.

Can I send pictures to a Buyers Cell phone?
Pictures may be received by any WAP enabled or MMS picture function enabled mobile phone, and soon, Streaming Video, when it is available.

What do MO and MT mean?
MO is short for Mobile Originated (Inbound phone call to our platform). MT is short for Mobile Terminated (Outbound phone call from our platform).

What is SMS?
SMS stands for Short Message Service, commonly known as Text Messaging. Keep in mind our patent pending platform uses "Voice over Text" technology that makes the messaging instantaneous, compared to typical text delayed signals that can encounter ongoing delays in transmission.

What is MMS?
MMS stands for Multimedia Message Service, commonly known as Picture Messaging.

What is WAP?
WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol, a secure specification that allows users to access information instantly via handheld wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, smart phones and communicators.

What is a WAP Push?
A WAP Push is an SMS within the text message header that includes a link to a WAP address. On receiving a WAP Push, the compatible mobile phone automatically gives the user the option to access the WAP content on the end-user's mobile phone. The WAP Push directs the end-user to a WAP address where content is stored ready for viewing or downloading onto the cell phone. This WAP address may be a web page (photo) or a WAP site.

Can all mobile phones receive a text?
Almost all mobile phones can receive a text, but only about 95% are set up to send texts. Our system uses "voice over text" that gives priority to our text signal transmission, eliminates typical text delays, and provides instant information exchange.

Is it true that only people under thirty use text messaging?
Industry figures show that text messaging is used mainly by consumers under thirty, but with our voice activation function all age groups will be able to use our Property By Phone service. Industry projections indicate that text messaging by consumers of all age groups will explode in the next two years. Our system works with most major Cell Phone Networks.

Will Property By Phone work in an area that has bad mobile phone coverage?
If your mobile phone area has bad voice coverage text messages are not affected. A text message always gets through even with a bad or weak signal.

Can we receive a text in a foreign language?
Our systems are being programmed to reply in English, Spanish, and French. Coming soon are Portuguese, and German.

Can I change my monthly price plan?
Monthly Subscribers may change between monthly subscription plans on their monthly subscription anniversary date.

How do I tell you how many property codes I want?
Each Membership or Subscription includes a correlating number of assigned Property Codes. You set up your property codes and the Property By Phone information for that property using your Member Panel.

Do I have to buy my sign riders from you?
No. The sign riders contain system toll-free numbering and property code numbers held private by our system, and which are assigned upon purchase. However, it is possible for you to create your own rider through your preferred sign vendor, or to not have a sign at all.

Can I get immediate notification when a person "previews" my Property By Phone information?
You have the exciting option of "turning on" the Notification Status function in your Member Panel for immediate notification when a prospective buyer requests your Property By Phone info. Our research shows this activity does not violate the Do Not Call Legislation as it involves a consumer-initiated contact. However, the Member must expressly agree to assume any Do Not Call Legislation compliance responsibilities.

Are there any Do Not Call issues?
Does Not Call legislation usually includes exceptions for unsolicited calls placed by consumers to obtain information. However, we cannot provide legal advice and the Member must expressly agree to assume any Do Not Call Legislation compliance responsibilities before activating the Notification Status.

Can my personal assistant enter the Property By Phone copy?
Your personal assistant can enter AccessU2 Property Info copy after you have given them access to your Member Panel login information. However, we recommend that whoever is going to be maintaining your Property By Phone text-messaging platform attend one of the online Webinars.

What activity reports will you provide?
Various reports are available to be run for selected periods on your Member panel for Prospect Groups, Inbound (MO) and Outbound (MT) transactions, Associate Usage, and other Member functions.

Do you provide a record of all the people who have requested Property By Phone info?
You can obtain a list of all Inbox MO (Inbound) transactions by running the In Box reports on your Member Panel.

Do you provide a record of all the people I have sent a text message (SMS) to?
We provide a record of all the prospects you have sent a text message to in your Sent Items list on the Member Panel.

How much customizing is available in the Realtor's data base on the platform?
You can create as many Prospect Groups and Property By Phone info as you like. You can create groups by price, by property location, by property size or whatever parameters suit your client base.

How many parameters are available for the Realtor to use to send messages?
You can create as many varied Prospect Groups as you have Prospects with unique or similar property wants and needs.

Are there any limits on neighborhoods, price range, home size, etc.?
You can create as many Prospect Groups as you like. Each Prospect Group can have as many Name and Cell phone numbers as you like. This means you can create groups by price, by property location, by property size or whatever parameters suit your business requirements. In other words there could be a group with people interested in properties in a specific price range e.g. $100,000 to $200,000, or Condos in Suburban neighborhoods, or Homes in Urban areas, etc.

Which mobile phones are compatible with our system?
Our system is compatible with most major carriers, including: Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Nextel, AT&T, Cingular, Alltel, Boost, and Dobson. Our voice activation feature gives us approximately 95% coverage of the existing cell phones and also works with all traditional land lines. We provide use availability to approximately 200 million of the 218 million cell phones currently in the USA.

How many characters can the property description be?
Presently there is 160 character limit imposed by some mobile phone carriers; however we are testing piggy-backing messages with more characters. We CAN do more now but the main challenge is that it is sent as split-text and in some cases the second text does not go through.

If a Buyer calls on a property and uses the voice recognition as opposed to Texting, is the return call voice or text?
The return call to the Consumer is always text messaging.

Are you looking for Dealers?
We are looking for Independent Business Consultants to join us with experience in Real Estate or Marketing to sell to the Real Estate Industry. Real Estate Broker Owners can become a dealer and offer our services to their Real Estate Agents.

Are you looking for Marketing Reps?
We are looking for Independent Business Consultants with experience in Real Estate related industries or Network Marketing. Please contact our Sales Department at sales@PropertyByPhone.com, or call 877-293-8282 for more information.

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