NEW HOTLINE SIMPLIFIES THE PROPERTY SEARCH PROCESS FOR PROSPECTIVE HOUSTON HOMEBUYERS

Calls to 713-REALTOR yield instant property listing information
 

HOUSTON — (April 7, 2009) — Tubes and boxes containing printed information about homes for sale throughout the Houston area are beginning to give way to a faster and more convenient way to find out about property listings—a phone call.

 The Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) has introduced a free hotline that provides instant, on-demand property descriptions as well as an option for connecting to the agent who has listed that home. REALTORS® whose properties are participating in the new and convenient service have placed a sign rider above the traditional “For Sale” yard sign displaying the hotline number, 713-REALTOR, and the property’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS) number.

Consumers who call 713-REALTOR are prompted to enter the MLS number to obtain a detailed audio description of the particular listing that interests them. In addition, consumers will be given an option to connect to the listing agent during the call so they can ask questions or schedule an appointment to tour the home.

“The 713-REALTOR Property Hotline is another way that HAR is harnessing technology to simplify the house-hunting process for consumers,” said 2009 HAR Chair Vicki Fullerton. “We hope that consumers will take advantage of this new feature in the same way they rely on HAR.com to the tune of more than one billion hits each month.”

The property hotline also promises to serve as an effective lead generator for REALTORS® since call logs will capture the phone numbers of consumers who use the service to inquire about a property. The service is free of charge to HAR members, however each sign rider costs about $10.

 Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR) is a 23,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged in every aspect of the industry, including residential and commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and counseling. It is the largest individual membership trade association in Houston, as well as the second largest local association/board of Realtors® in the United States.