In 2011, just 35 percent of American adults owned a smartphone. Today, nearly 64 percent of American adults own one. Smartphones are so prevalent, they even have their own physical condition attributed to them: text neck. But in all seriousness, these pocket-sized computers are reaching critical mass. In 2014 the total amount of time spent on a smartphone surpassed PCs by percentage and minutes. While the time spent on digital devices grew 12 percent overall, time on smartphones grew at 3x the overall rate.
And it’s not just for email or texting, as the folks from Marketingland tell us. “Mobile Internet usage is growing faster than Internet usage in general, up 23 percent compared with just 8 percent. In addition, the mobile ad industry as a whole grew 34 percent year over year, while desktop digital advertising grew 11 percent.”
Results show that 92 percent of homebuyers start their search online, and 70 percent of them hire the very first agent they call. And according to NAR, 50 percent of homebuyers used a mobile website or application in the homebuying process last year. That means the question isn’t, “Why are you advertising on mobile?” but rather, “Why aren’t you?” Mobile advertising is the fastest-growing channel out there.
For real estate advertising, it’s not either mobile or desktop. It’s both.
Today, house hunting is truly a cross-platform activity. At AdWerx, we’ve helped over 20,000 real estate agents do digital the right way, helping them to target local prospects where they are online. Now, we are helping them do the same thing on mobile devices. Because both platforms play a critical role in your buyer’s journey.
On that journey, your prospect is using several devices—sometimes simultaneously. This multi-device idea illustrates that you need several touch points to get your message across. Your prospect sees your ad on her phone while using a social media app. Then later, she sees it on her computer when surfing the web. Then again, she sees it on her tablet while streaming a show. You’ve just created brand awareness. And since 70 percent of homebuyers hire the first agent they talk to, you may have just created a sale, too.
For more information on what we do, visit Adwerx.
