QR Codes in Real Estate Marketing: Key Points in 2020

QR Codes have the potential to boost sales, turn plain vanilla advertisements into an interactive, multimedia marketing machine, and enhance your agency’s brand image parallelly. 

Back in 2011, most smartphones were not equipped with an in-built QR Code reader. But, in 2020, that has changed. 

With the introduction of native QR Code scanner through the camera in iOS (iOS 11) and Android 8, QR Codes have evolved in leaps and bounds paving the way for flexible yet easy real estate marketing use-cases. 

Although QR Codes have been in existence for more than a decade, QR Codes have emerged as the new-age technology that is not black and white, unsafe, points just to a URL, and expensive anymore. 

Technologies such as QR Codes for real estate are not only affordable but, also, easy to troubleshoot, fine-tune campaigns, and cater to the right audience. 

Let’s take a look at how QR Codes have helped realtors to boost real estate marketing over the years with their evolution over the years. 

6 ways QR Code use-cases have evolved in real estate marketing in 2020 

QR Codes are now dynamic   

When QR Codes were first introduced, they were lifeless, utilized for just one-time usage, and did not serve multi-purpose campaigns. 

Now, QR Codes are dynamic. 

In other words, QR Codes can be edited even after printing them to change the details of a campaign, assign multiple campaigns to the same QR Code, can be tracked, analyzed, and safer than ever. 

MyRoofingPal uses QR Codes on their flyers, handouts, and direct mails that leads to a form for lead capture. These forms are also used for feedback and reviews. 

Place QR Codes on print media ads such as flyers, banners, and OOH ads that redirect to a form where interested customers can drop in their details to learn more about the property. 

Not just that, if this process is cumbersome, link the QR Code to a number that buyers can give a missed call on for alerting the executives. 

Dynamic QR Codes are multi-purpose codes. Include dynamic QR Codes for your print media ads showcasing property features, its address, and even for an auction bid. 

Take it up a notch by leveraging augmented reality QR Codes, that are dynamic, to demonstrate the property in real-time to potential buyers and sellers. 

Dispose information about properties via multi-lingual QR Codes 

The real estate industry especially caters to its local audience. For businesses and brands to acquire customers globally at par, it is essential to deliver content in local language. 

QR Codes does just that. 

Previously, QR Codes could not be deciphered into any other language besides the one it was created in. Now, that has changed. 

Deliver content and campaigns relevant to hot-selling properties and any events related to real estate in any language your audience prefers. 

Beaconstac’s free QR Code generator supports multi-lingual QR Codes. Use the same QR Code for advertisements, events, location to the property, and even for lead generation ads in several locations. 

This QR Code, when scanned, converts to the language the user’s smartphone is set to, thereby displaying content in languages the user prefers. 

The most common pain point of a real estate agent is not being present at their properties continuously. Since QR Codes are versatile in nature, QR Codes can be used to dispense property information round the clock. 

Regardless, leveraging QR Codes at yard signs, shared property spaces, sidewalks, and websites can help in doling out information to buyers without losing the opportunity of lagging behind. 

RE/MAX uses QR Codes widely on their property signs and brochures, allowing potential buyers to get instant access to property information by linking the code to videos. 

Bonus Tip – Customize the QR Code with your agency logo and align it with your brand’s colors to let buyers know that the code is yours

Increase brand awareness  

Have an upcoming open house event at a location that is far away? Want a way to let buyers RSVP you so you can arrange that open house sale smoothly?

But, how will your buyers know that these QR Code campaigns belong to your agency?

QR Codes in 2011 could not be customized nor could the URLs be edited. They were long, messy to follow-up, and would be complex to recognize them.

Now, QR Codes can be customized – add logo, change eyes, change template, rearrange colors to align with your brand, include a background, and even edit the URL so customers know it is you. 

How to use customized QR Codes for real estate marketing

  1. Add your brand’s logo
  2. Change the QR Code to align with your brand colors 
  3. Add a CTA that lets buyers know what they are scanning, and 
  4. Print them in the required format to get the campaign rolling 

For instance, typically, when a realtor organizes an open house event, they find it rather difficult to reach out to their buyers and let them know about the properties’ location, event details, and takeaways from the event itself. 

Use customized QR Codes in such instances with your logo, brand colors, location to the event, and even a CTA such as “Scan to learn more” that can immediately alert you when a potential buyer responds to your RSVP, and direct them to the location hassle-free. 

QR Codes are safe and secure 

One of the biggest concerns when QR Codes were first invented was the they were not safe, secure, and unreliable. 

A number of large corporations such as Intel, Goldman Sachs, and Buick have been through rather tremendous losses because they were not safe. 

One of the most common use-cases QR Codes are associated with are payments. QR Code-based payments are safe and secure only because the structure of a QR Code is actually safe. 

QR Codes are only readable by machines and not by the naked eye, which means the content of the QR Code is hidden. QR Codes can also be assigned to a two-factor authentication, making it even more secure. 

Even if a hacker successfully phishes a QR Code, dynamic QR Codes can be tracked. This makes it extremely difficult to get through with any kind of scam. 

In the real estate industry, realtors usually have access to their clients’ important documents and contact information. 

By making use of PDF QR Codes, these can be stored in one place and are also safe. Protect it further with a password, providing access to only the client and the concerning realtor. 

Seamless retargeting  

QR Codes are a great way to boost traffic to your social media channels and brick-and-mortar stores. Dynamic QR Codes are editable, trackable, and helps in scheduling campaigns, your existing advert can be fine-tuned based on the footfall. 

QR Codes could not be used to retarget buyers when they first came out. But now, that has changed. QR Codes are a powerful tool to retarget buyers that did not convert.  

Like mentioned above, dynamic QR Codes can be tracked by 

  1. The number of scans 
  2. Top 5 and least 5 performing QR Code campaigns 
  3. Location of scans 

By keeping track of these parameters, leverage dynamic QR Codes for campaigns that can be placed on yard signs, sidewalks, posters, flyers, and on shared spaces. 

Not just that, redirect the traffic to your social media channels with QR Codes. Place QR Codes on your brick-and-mortar stores with posters and print media advertisements showcasing the latest property on sale or rent. 

Every time a buyer scans it, they are directed to your social media channels and/or websites pertaining to more information, thus, driving traffic. 

Benie Khan from Federal Home Loan Centers says, “We use QR codes to redirect potential buyers to a custom website where they can find all the information they need on the property. Plus, once they’re there, the site is saved in their browser history. This makes it easier for a potential buyer to look up the property again, without having to hold onto the physical flyer.”

Track and analyze QR Codes in real estate marketing campaigns for better ROI 

The real estate industry is all about marketing campaigns in order to reach out to potential buyers far more efficiently. 

Most technologies in the market are priced out-of-the-roof and rather difficult to install. 

QR Codes, on the other hand, are very easy on the pocket and pack strong features to especially help realtors with their marketing campaigns. 

Dynamic QR Codes can be used for various marketing purposes and can also be edited, tracked, and analyzed even after printing them, in case you want to change the content of the QR Code. 

A QR Code can be tracked via:

  1. Location of the scan 
  2. Date and time of the scan 
  3. OS of the device 

Track and analyze the QR Codes that are scanned to fine-tune your campaigns to gauge which property is selling fast, and the ones that aren’t. 

With dynamic QR Codes, you can also integrate them into Google Analytics to deep dive into scan behavior to fine-tune any existing or new campaigns to sell properties. 

A QR Code can be linked to a website containing information about the properties on sale, any ongoing offers, analyze customers scanning the QR Codes to deliver an appropriate campaign, and even edit them to suit the advert best. 

Zach Parker from Boston Pads says, “In our offices in Boston, you can see listings posted on the window front each with a QR code that would provide a passerby all the details about the listing, including how to contact the agent. We utilize the same QR codes in our advertisements that we run in local publications and media outlets.”

QR Codes in Real Estate Marketing: The Need

With the constant rise in usage of smartphones, realtors shifting to real estate marketing only makes sense. Not just that, property search on mobile apps has increased to

With over 90% of the crowd being on the internet, switching to real estate marketing strategies is crucial. 

Considering the fact that QR Codes are now evolved more than ever, thus, catering to all needs and requirements of realtors. 

Jumping onto real estate marketing with QR Codes can benefit the realtors in a number of ways:

  1. Increase brand awareness
  2. Prove to be cost-effective
  3. Maintain a high level of ROI
  4. Help research neighborhood and market research for better targeting
  5. Have steady KPIs
  6. Increase customer retention and substantially reduce customer churn 

Let us know how you plan to use QR Codes to grow your business going forward in 2020 and beyond.