Property tech software startup Hoozip is debuting a new product that will send real estate investors all the information they need when a homeowner returns one of their many calls.
REI Rail, an acronym for “real estate investor,” builds a profile on a person returning a prospecting call. The cheat sheet will tell a real estate investor who’s calling them back, what property they own and provide other background information to help the investor build rapport and make a good impression during the call.
Hoozip CEO Vince Harris. Credit: Vince Harris
“A lot of the ways these guys and gals get deals is on the phone — cold-calling, ringless voicemail blasts,” Hoozip CEO Vince Harris said. “When that call comes back in, the real estate investor is likely to have reached out to lots of people.
“You really need to find a way to build rapport and credibility and show professionalism quickly,” Harris added.
Hoozip’s new product makes it easier for an investor to respond to an incoming call with, “Are you calling about 123 Main Street? I’m John, a local real estate investor and I like to buy single-family homes to rehab,” instead of the less professional “I’m a local real estate investor and I may be interested in buying your house – which property is yours?”
If the investor is at their computer, the dossier on the caller will pop up on their screen half a second before the phone rings. If the investor is on the go, they’ll get an abbreviated version of the report via SMS.
According to Harris, these products are similar to some available to real estate agents through their brokerages, but the option hasn’t been available to independent real estate investors. “We’re giving them tools on par with or better than what realtors have as standard in their toolkit.”
Hoozip targets its software to mom-and-pop investors and house flippers, rather than big, institutional investors. Beginning in 2017, the start-up began offering products for marketing and finding information on investment properties.
REI Rail starts at $97 a month for a subscription along with a $397 setup fee.
