Today’s real estate market doesn’t exactly favor those wishing to sell their homes. Across the United States, the economic recession has had a strong effect on real estate, making it seem impossible to sell certain homes at a profit, or even for their worth. In this type of environment, the importance of a good real estate agent really can’t be overstated. A good agent can help get bids up on a property, and can greatly influence buyer interest to get a higher final price. However, sometimes the quality of the agent isn’t enough; the tools that the agent uses and if he or she uses them effectively are just as important. In struggling markets especially, a real estate agent’s understanding and use of technology – like call capture systems – is absolutely critical.

Call capture systems have gradually become one of the most important tools that real estate companies and individual agents can use to influence property sales. In fact, in a recent study by Baylor University they rated call capture technology 2nd in the category of being most productive in generating leads – only referrals produced more leads for their investment. They are simple systems that reap great benefits. Basically, they enable agents to set up specific extensions off a phone line that lead callers through a tour of a property while “capturing” information about the callers, including their phone number, address and more. Having this information, the agent is then able to get in touch with the potential buyer. This is called generating leads.

This is the most obvious advantage of choosing a real estate agent with a call capture system. These agents usually have more leads. Leads are prospective buyers who might be interested in a certain property. As every good real estate agent knows, the more leads you have, the better your chances of selling a property at a high price. Call capture systems work with an agent to create and develop leads. While a normal phone system is limited by the number of simultaneous callers a system can handle, and the real estate agent’s ability to get to the phone, automated systems have no such limitations. They can guide possible buyers to the important details of a property at any time of day with the same consistent approach.

Good real estate agents with call capture technology can then follow up with their leads much more efficiently and directly. The logged information from the system gives realtors a clue as to which callers are most likely to buy. The agents can then focus their time on these leads first. This technology frees up a lot of time for a real estate agent, as the system takes the “general information” part of the selling process out of the agent’s hands. With the extra time, real estate agents can research individual callers to make their follow-ups personal and accurate. A very skilled agent will have no problem pinpointing which buyers are going to be most interested.

Realtors with call capture systems are also better at providing solid, pertinent information about properties to their buyers. Since the systems can be customized for each home the realtor is selling, they’re a great tool for building interest in a property. They’re not limited in the amount of information that they can store, and therefore offer to potential buyers. In contrast, something like property fliers or signs can only provide a very limited amount of information, and often it’s not enough to stoke a potential buyer’s interest. Call capture systems can give guided audio tours, extolling the virtues of a house. The simple act of listening to this information can be much more engaging for buyers. Paper advertisements and signs can also become outdated quite easily, as information about a certain property changes. In comparison, the capture systems can be updated in only a few minutes.

The best aspect of a call capture system might be that it indicates that an individual agent is up to date and aware of the latest technology and techniques in the real estate field. Agents with call capture are much more likely to use smart computer advertising and other tools that rapidly multiply the number of interested parties for any given property.