Marketing and real estate agents have always gone hand in hand. From bus benches to Instagram, agents are trying to stay on top of trends for successful sales.
As the world has shifted digital (especially to mobile phones) there has been a void in marketing tools for agents. That’s what Block Party is solving. Their digital open house sign- in sheet launched in late 2018 and earned it the coveted spot as the best mobile app for real estate agents on both iOS and Android platforms… but now Block Party has expanded to a suite of real estate marketing tools. The goal is to bring the agent’s digital property marketing and be a showcase for the agent’s brand. While the Block Party Open House functionality has been proven by thousands of Realtors across the country to save time and produce better quality lead data, their new solutions are just starting to gain traction.
Time will tell, but Block Party’s thesis is that home buyers and sellers will continue to shift behavior to mobile AND that social media platforms like Instagram will become more popular for agents to attract clients. That theory is especially evident in Block Party’s new single property sites that feature a stunning, mobile optimized, presentation of each property. These “microsites” take advantage of uniquely mobile functionality like call/text calls-to-action, social sharing, as well as an interactive street view for each listing. It’s a big bet that Block Party expects to pay off.
In addition, since the Coronavirus pandemic has forced the entire industry to redefine Open Houses and property showings, Block Party has added touch free options for visitors to sign in at open houses, pre-register for showings, OR submit contact info from virtual open houses.
In fact, as some major real estate associations like Florida REALTORS, are guiding agents to make Open Houses and showings “paper free”, the Block Party app is becoming an essential tool that agents rely on to resume their past practices like Open Houses.
The Block Party app is subscription free and can be used on mobile phones and tablets running either iOS or Android as well as on the web. It’s still the top-rated mobile app for real estate agents on both iOS and Android App stores and now boasts a perfect 5 out of 5 stars on the trusted software review platform, Capterra. Many agents have cited Block Party’s customization options as the reason for their high ratings. Specifically that Block Party allows user control over logos, property photos, color palettes, custom questions, and follow-up messaging.
“If you are a real estate agent you need this app. Period. It will seriously help and convert your open house leads. This app has had a serious impact on my business”
– Jason C (North Carolina)
“I have been searching for an app like this for years”
– John Z (New Jersey)
“This app is extremely well done and super easy to use”
– Tony F (Oregon)
Block Party also has powerful features to further enhance how agents market their listings whether at an Open House or in their digital marketing:
- Enable a fully touchless Open House sign-in option for agents and consumers concerned with hygiene
- Automate follow up with open house guests via text message (much more engaging than email follow up)
- Sync and share lead info with the rest of the team or the seller
- Integrate leads with 2000+ CRMs and other marketing tools with Block Party’s Zapier integration.
- Verify leads and automatically pull background info so agents can optimize follow up and engagement activities and don’t waste time with fake phone numbers –
- Publish stunning, mobile optimized single property sites with powerful lead capture that are perfect for marketing listings and/or open houses
- Live chat support where users can get their questions answered and suggest features.
The end result is a beautiful and innovative showcase for the agent’s brand that saves time and unlocks infinite marketing possibilities.
Ajay Pondicherry, the founder of Block Party responded to a short Q and A
What prompted you to develop the Block Party app?
After seeing how effective digital marketing could be in ecommerce and live entertainment (where I served in different leadership/exec roles through most of my career) I saw the potential to apply these strategies within the real estate and mortgage business. As I started to consult on my wife’s mortgage business Julie Aragon Lending Team the opportunity became even clearer. We started with the digital open house sign in sheet and now we’re building a suite of tools to create effective, beautiful marketing tailored for today’s consumers – who are increasingly on mobile when researching and conducting real estate and mortgage decisions.
A couple years ago, I began consulting with Julie Aragon Lending Team. Julie started it in 2002 and it was already one of the top independent mortgage businesses in Los Angeles but we were able to 3x the volume YOY and are still growing. It gave me a platform to run proof of concepts of the ideas that eventually became Block Party.
The response has been incredible. We are now the top-rated app for real estate agents on both iOS and Android with 5/5 ratings on both mobile platforms. Our web app also has a 5/5 rating on Capterra and G2. We have barely spent anything on paid advertising for the app. Almost all our growth is organic because agents and brokers take the time to share Block Party with their entire team.
– A 100% free, easy-to-use digital open house sign-in sheet that is styled with the agent’s logo, property photo, color palette, custom questions, and text follow-up messages
– We just launched a fully touchless sign-in option for agents and consumers concerned with hygiene
– Integrates with 2000+ CRMs and other marketing tools so all leads are in one place and follow up is seamless
– Lead verification and background info so agents can optimize follow up and engagement activities and don’t waste time with fake phone numbers
– Stunning, mobile optimized single property sites with powerful lead capture which are perfect for marketing listings and/or open houses
– Live chat for support and questions in all of our apps: iOS, Android, and on the web
Why should they choose the Block Party app over traditional methods of open houses?
– Originally the main reason was to save time (no transcribing messy handwriting after an Open House), help agents market more efficiently (faster follow up easier lead integrations with marketing platforms), and showcase their brand in a slick and modern way.
Now with COVID19, there’s a need to make Open Houses more hygienic.
For example, the Florida REALTORS association has given their 175K agents guidance to make all Open Houses a “paper free zone” meaning no pen & paper sign ins and no brochures. We went a step further and created a touchless option for agents and guests that were especially concerned with exposure.
100% free app. No credit card is required to use our software.
While our original app is focused on agents maximizing their Open House, we’re expanding our product set with digital marketing tools that will help agents convert their social audience into real leads.
