Vodcast: Textdrip CEO Phil Portman Talks About Text Campaigns

The founder and CEO of Textdrip says mortgage and real estate professionals can benefit from a better texting campaign.

Phil Portman came up with the idea for Textdrip after growing frustrated with existing business communication tools. He struggled to communicate effectively, which made him determined to build a practical solution that streamlines client communication.

In April of 2020, Textdrip was revealed. Today, it is on its way to becoming a leading SMS marketing and automation software, according to the company's website.

Textdrip allows mortgage and real estate professionals to automate campaigns using artificial intelligence.

These texts can be personalized for different types of clients. For example, a loan officer can target people who would save money by refinancing their mortgages or homeowners who might benefit from a home equity loan.

“All of that can be done automatically inside of Textdrip based on how you segment your data in there. And that’s really where real estate agents and mortgage lenders can get a lot of lift out of that, is by segmenting that data like that,” Portman said.

Another advantage of Textdrip is its capacity to determine intent. If a lead responds that they might be interested in learning more at a later date, the technology will reach back out at that time with a follow-up.

Portman said 90 seconds is the average response rate from texting, so it is better than email for reaching people instantly. He advises industry professionals to use both forms of communication.

“Email is great for nurturing a lead, sending market information, for instance, if you are a real estate agent, so they constantly know your brand,” Portman said. “That way, when you have something you need their instant attention for, and you send them that text message, they’re like, ‘Of course, I’m going to deal with Bill, I’ve been seeing the guy’s newsletter for forever.’”

Professionals who sign up to use Textdrip are offered guidance to make sure their campaigns remain authentic.

“It’s still your voice. We’re not asking an AI model to generate that. We still want your voice in there. And that’s the key difference. Use the automation tools, have it craft your message, sometimes use it for ideas, but don’t have it tell the entire story,” Portman said.

Portman said consumers want immediate, relevant information that is pertinent to their situation when they receive texts.

Estimates are that productivity rises by 300% to 400% for professionals who use Textdrip, Portman said.

“What you’ll find is, you’re working far fewer hours taking notes and corresponding, and trying to remember things, and instead you’re spending more time closing deals, and the increase in productivity we’re seeing from people is astronomical,” Portman said.

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