How Mason-McDuffie Combines Event and SMS Marketing to Generate Qualified Leads

Mason-McDuffie is a mortgage lender that’s been reimagining mortgage experiences since 1887, serving everyone from first-time buyers to experienced property investors.

Buying a house is a big deal, and choosing a mortgage lender is a critical part of the process. The team at Mason-McDuffie needs to prove to potential clients that they possess the know-how to navigate the complicated world of mortgage lending. They do this by regularly hosting educational events and workshops that help potential homeowners understand the home buying process. 

In the past, the Northern Californian Brentwood branch of Mason-McDuffie handled most of its communication with leads generated from events by phone and email. Recently, it shifted its process to focus on texting. 

We spoke with Stephanie Whiting, Assistant Branch Manager and Loan Officer, about her experience with texting these leads pre and post-event.

Why Mason-McDuffie Chose SimpleTexting

Stephanie has been a texting enthusiast for roughly three years and used SimpleTexting before joining Mason-McDuffie. She saw the power of traditional text marketing campaigns and realized that it was easier for people to text in a keyword than for them to make a phone call or send an email.

Before making the initial decision to go with SimpleTexting, she trialed four other services and concluded that it was the easiest to use. She also references the affordable and flexible pricing plans as well as the mobile app as two factors that influenced her decision.

“The lowest plan at $29 still provides 500 text messages, which is a lot to me. Plus, the text messages that I don’t use rollover, which is great. I didn’t need to take money out of my budget to use this platform.”

“That SimpleTexting offers a mobile app sealed the deal for me. Having the app allows me to stay plugged in without having to physically be at my laptop, which is important.”

Increasing Event Attendance and Collecting Valuable Information

Stephanie regularly hosts events and uses SMS to gather RSVPs and fast-track the collection of information about registrants. She mostly advertises these events on Facebook but, before using SimpleTexting, found that the attendance rate of Facebook leads wasn’t very high.

“Now I create a specific keyword for an event and then have people who see the ad text the keyword to my toll-free number. It then auto responds and asks them for their name and email so that they can RSVP. Not only do I get their phone number, but I also get their email and their full name. This information is super helpful to our follow-up process.”

Note: If you choose a toll-free phone number with SimpleTexting, don’t forget to have it verified to avoid traffic disruptions from carriers.

More importantly, the attendance rate for these events has now shot up as she sends event reminders to those who RSVP. If someone misses the event, Stephanie sends them a link to the Mason-McDuffie app or asks if they are interested in a free consultation.

Making Dreams Come True

While Stephanie is no stranger to business texting, she still marvels at its benefits.

“People don’t want to call you anymore. They want to be able to text message their response. Their time is precious. SimpleTexting facilitates this preference and allows us to show potential clients we understand what they want.”

Given Stephanie’s dual roles as Loan Officer and Assistant Branch Manager, she appreciates the amount of time that texting saves her. Its time that she can spend making her customer’s home-owning dreams come true.

“From a set-up standpoint, everything is a breeze. It means I can spend less time sending out reminders and more time on relationship building.” 

If you want to spend less time on phone calls and email, and more time serving existing and prospective clients, then start a 14-day free trial of SimpleTexting.