Silent Marketing Solution
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Closing gift company encourages homeowners to shop 'til they drop

Company pushes gift cards that brand purchase receipts as ways to stay in front of homeowners
Silent Marketing Solution
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  • Marketing company promotes gift cards that link shopping receipts to agent and brokerage brands.

Silent Marketing Solution uses TheShoppingCompany.com to sell agents gift cards to give to clients at closing.

Have suggestions for products that you’d like to see reviewed by our real estate technology expert? Email Craig Rowe.

Silent Marketing Solution is a post-closing marketing tactic to help agents stay top-of-mind with their clients. The hope is that the homeowner will call again in a few years.

Instead of a toaster or case of wine, this involves providing a gift card to TheShoppingCompany.com, a membership-based retailer that sells everything from coffee makers to skin care creams.

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After a client buys something, they’ll see a purchase confirmation page and email receipt branded to their agent.

Like all sites of this kind, members receive discounts.

However, as of this writing (11/1), the store wasn’t available. The page wouldn’t load.

I was told it was a lingering issue from the hack that impacted major websites on October 21.

Why this store has yet to recover would leave me a little concerned about hinging my closing gift to its uptime percentage, let alone my clients’ financial information — should they ever buy something.

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Silent Marketing Solution, which was developed by the owners of The Shopping Company, claims a 73 percent membership renewal rate.

When the shopper pays for their own membership, theoretically the agent is no longer paying for the marketing that’s reaching the homeowner.

I find this be a somewhat clever but transparent way to stay in front of clients after closing.

Provided the homeowner can reach the site.

I find this be a somewhat clever but transparent way to stay in front of clients after closing. Sure, the branded receipt page and email promotions are another marketing touch, but the store itself has a fraction of the marketing prowess of Amazon, which any online shopper uses to compare prices, and in most cases receive their stuff in 48 hours.

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Plus, how many agents consider a gift card to a relatively unknown online membership retailer a thoughtful demonstration of gratitude?

It’s my belief closing gifts should be meaningful and about the client, not about winning more business a few years down the road. Do you agree?

Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.

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