Florida Realtor • November/December 2024 • QR Code Trendsetter

Sticking a QR Code with her contact info on the back of her car has netted business for this broker. Here’s how.

When Tallahassee-based Debbie Kirkland noticed QR Codes gaining traction in the mid-2010s she had an idea: Why not find a way to use them in real estate? “I would go to a restaurant and scan the QR Code and instantly pull up the menu,” says the broker of Century 21 First Story Real Estate. “I thought, if [the restaurant] can do that, I should do it, too.” So, she created a QR Code that linked directly to her website and a “contact me” form and affixed it to the back of her car. “It got me a sale right off the bat,” she says. “This guy was driving behind me in a Jeep, and when were at a stop sign he held his phone outside the window, snapped a picture, and called me 20 minutes later saying, ‘Hey, I snapped a picture of the QR Code, and I love that property [on her website]— can I see it?’ We wrote a $300,000 cash offer that night.”

Neighborhood coverage: Kirkland creates QR Codes for each of the neighborhoods in her farm areas throughout Tallahassee and southwest Georgia. She uses them in her marketing. These QR Codes link directly to a live feed of active listings and offer details about the communities. She uses ChatGPT to generate a list of activities or content she needs. “I can say here’s a QR Code for the Southwood Plantation neighborhood and ask for some details related to the lifestyle there,” Kirkland says. “It’s formatted [so] I can upload it into Canva, which basically creates a file that I upload [to automate the design process].”

Make it easy on yourself: Kirkland uses a link management platform called Bitly (bitly.com) that shortens URLs to make them easier to share and track. Combining it with AI helps her add more automation to her tasks associated with posting on social media. “It helps with formatting, the tone of what you’re trying to [convey] and helps you showcase things in a better way. AI can certainly create dialogue in whatever tone you want it to be, for whichever audience you’re trying to attract. I can tell [ChatGPT] and prompt it to create something for that specific purpose, and it will do it.”

Capture leads: “On my website, Bitly gives me the analytics of where a lead comes from—was it from an iPhone, Android or a PC? I’m not quite deep into it yet, but if I was targeting luxury marketing, I would make sure that I’m spending my time to get the right audience. Like anything, it’s important to measure technology to see what works.” She doesn’t believe there’s any one tech tool that will work better than another. “It’s a combination of things in a well-thought-out fashion to accomplish something that you can validate and that’s measurable. If I feel QR Codes work better than random links or property tours, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Kirkland’s innovative use of QR Codes showcases how blending traditional real estate practices with technology can create new opportunities for success. By leveraging tools like Bitly and AI, she has streamlined her processes, making it easier to engage with potential clients and track her efforts.