A Birmingham-based student lettings agency says it has seen improved response rates from student tenants and viewers thanks to the use of text message reminders.
The Purple Frog agency found that its client base ā mostly a younger demographic ā did not check emails frequently leading to some urgent correspondence, such as notifications of changes in viewing times or contact information for property maintenance issues, not being seen and actioned in time.
However, the agency says it was persuaded to use text messages instead having seen research suggesting that 98 per cent of business messages sent via SMS were read before the end of the day, and 90 per cent within just three minutes.
Purple Frog’s messages had reply features when applicable, meaning the company could receive quicker responses to simple information requests. The company then also used SMS for marketing purposes, using text message alerts to deliver details of prospective future properties to students.
The agency says it has recorded increased open and response rates as students see messages through push notifications. Student feedback suggests text messages are preferred over phone calls both for convenience and speed.
The agency has worked on the initiative with SMS marketing platform Textlocal.
