Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.
The pitch
Curb Call is an app for both iOS and Android that allows agents to respond to nearby, “on demand” showing requests by unrepresented buyers who download the app or browse for homes online. It also has built-in agent safety features.
Type of software: Sales
Platform(s): Mobile devices, desktop browsers
Ideal for: Mobile-savvy agents seeking alternative lead sources
The sale:
Top selling points:
- Application programming interface (API) for brokerages that will allow homebuyers browsing their sites’ listings to request “immediate” showings by the geographically closest agent marked as available in the system.
- Dashboard to monitor Curb Call request activity by agent, listing and general market location
- Radius: a new safety feature that will automatically alert an agent’s personal emergency contact and their office when they leave a showing without indicating on the app that the showing has ended.
Things to consider:
- Immediacy in response is always good, but agents who choose to thoroughly vet buyers prior to showings may negate the purpose of the app.
- Leads are disconnected from your CRM or contact management tools, translating into .CSV export and upload or manual input. CRM integration is being considered by developers.
The close
A major benefit to the API for brokerages and portals would be using Curb Call’s functionality to familiarize new agents with neighborhoods and, most importantly, the sales process.
You work in a market of immediacy, and everyone else’s showing schedule is your showing schedule. If a Curb Call agent doesn’t “claim buyer” in a couple of minutes, the request moves on to the next agent in the queue.
Curb Call’s safety feature really stands out, combining an “On a Showing” button with a map view of your location for others to see.
Hopefully, you never have to prove its usefulness (extensive company testing has proven its capability), but the Panic button hovers boldly on your phone screen, ready to alert others should something go wrong.
Agents also benefit from the chance to earn a lead with little time or financial investment. Many Curb Call showings could be described as leads that “fell into your lap.”
It’s also possible there’s a reason the client doesn’t have an agent, and that you’re about to wait 60 minutes for the listing agent to arrange the showing while trying to sell representation to a creditless voyeur.
Nevertheless, like every other sales scenario, you have to determine how much of your time to invest. And the odds are good a Curb Call buyer is worth the follow-up.
Apps like Curb Call are without question catalysts in the rise of the arm’s-length digital transaction, especially as Internet-raised consumers enter the homebuying market.
Do you use Curb Call — and what do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!
Do you have a product for our tech expert to review? Email Craig Rowe.
