Consumer Source Inc., a subsidiary of PRIMEDIA Inc. (NYSE: PRM), announced its national launch of “Text to Rent,” which sends consumers real-time property rental information to cell phones and PDAs. SMS (Short Messaging Service) text numbers are listed on Rentals.com and ApartmentGuide.com as well as yard signs for specific rental properties. Once an interested party submits the text number, rental prices, property contact information and other details are immediately sent to their mobile device.
“We continue to improve our products and services in order to address the new generation of renters out there,” said Jamie Gallo, president, CSinter@ctive. “The 18-34 year olds looking to rent use text messaging far more than phone or e-mail to communicate and gather information and news.”
Text Messaging Statistics(a)
* Consumers ages 18-34 are the largest group using data services over a mobile phone.(a)
* Approximately 96% of all deployed handsets and 100% of all handsets (2006 and beyond) in the U.S. support text messaging.(b)
* All mobile carriers include text as part of their new subscriptions and voice plans.(b)
* The primary need for cell phones (aside from voice use) is text messaging, followed by e-mail and then multi-media messaging (MMS).(b)
“By providing rental details via ‘Text to Rent’ consumers receive key information within seconds, enabling them to make educated choices more efficiently and quickly,” said Steve Huey, senior vice president and general manager, Rentals.com. “More importantly, consumers are empowered to make decisions since the listing is sent at their request on their time.”
This industry first from Consumer Source is extremely important to consumers as they look for space in competitive real-estate markets across the country such as Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. For example, if someone drives by a property and sees the “Text-to-Rent” sign, they simply input the property identification number and within seconds pricing, address, contact information and other details are downloaded to the phone. Critical information from a listing seen on Rentals.com or ApartmentGuide.com can be sent to cell phones for reference later when visiting properties.
“’Text to Rent,’ in addition to our Printernet package, ensures that we will continue to lead the way in driving results to consumers and our clients,” said Arlene Mayfield, president of Apartment Guide. “We have found that our blended media product drives twice as many qualified leads as any single media form.”
For a "Text to Rent" demo, please visit http://www.rental.com/SMSDemo.aspx.
(a)Source M: Metrics (Market Metrics), Mobile Accord, 2006-2007.
(b)Survey of 3,061 consumers in Europe, Asia and North America by Circle Research for the GSM Association, 2006, www.gsmworld.com/news/press_2006/press06_61.shtml.
About PRIMEDIA
PRIMEDIA Inc. is the parent company of Consumer Source Inc., the #1 publisher and distributor of free consumer guides in the U.S. with Apartment Guide, Auto Guide, and New Home Guide, distributing free consumer publications in more than 60,000 locations through its proprietary distribution network. Consumer Source owns and operates leading Web sites including ApartmentGuide.com, AutoGuide.com, NewHomeGuide.com; and America’s largest online single unit rental property business, comprised of RentClicks.com, RentalHouses.com, HomeRentalAds.com and Rentals.com.
About Rentals.com
Rentals.com is America’s most comprehensive Real Estate rental site with the largest collection of single-unit, large-community and vacation rental information on the Internet. The site encompasses nearly 45,000 complete listings, including its own as well as inventory from several other leading Web sites owned and operated by Consumer Source Inc. These sites include RentClicks.com, RentalHouses.com, HomeRentalAds.com and ApartmentGuide.com. For more information visit www.rentals.com.
About ApartmentGuide.com
For more than 30 years, Apartment Guide has been the flagship product for Consumer Source Inc., providing free apartment rental guides to consumers on a monthly basis. ApartmentGuide.com is the publication’s online resource, assisting in the hunt for apartments and providing other valuable rental living information. For more information visit www.apartmentguide.com.