April 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the Clubhouse launch. And while the app has been getting a lot of buzz over the past 12 months, many people still aren’t entirely sure how it works or what it can do for their personal and professional lives.
Let’s take a look at Clubhouse. We’ll explain what it is, how it works, and what all the buzz is about. Most importantly, we'll look at how real estate investors can use Clubhouse to generate new leads.
What Is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is an audio-chat app where members can access live discussions hosted by moderators. Members enter a virtual chat room of their choice and listen in on the chat or ask the moderator if they can participate in the discussion by raising a digital hand. A chat room can hold anywhere from two people to 5,000 people. Chats are not accessible once the chat room closes (although Clubhouse says they record chats in case they receive a complaint while the chat is live).
Clubhouse is invitation-only. You can save your user name, but you cannot set up your account until you get an invitation to the app from an existing member.
As of April 2021, Clubhouse is currently available only on iPhone. There is an Android version of the app in progress, but it will likely be summer or even fall 2021 before the Android app launches.
What Is so Buzz-Worthy About Clubhouse?
Audio-chat apps aren’t new. And requiring users to listen in real time is inconvenient for today’s busy schedules. So why is everyone talking about Clubhouse?
- Big names using the app early: Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were among the early users.
- Exclusivity: Being invite-only and focusing on iPhone users has increased demand for the app.
- Perceived privacy: Since recordings of the chats aren’t kept, users feel a sense of privacy that is lacking in other social media platforms. Just remember — anyone can record the chat outside of the app, so no online conversation is ever guaranteed to be private.
How Real Estate Investors Can Use Clubhouse
Now, what can Clubhouse do for you as a real estate investor?
The most obvious use of Clubhouse for real estate investors is as a learning tool. You can attend live chats with more experienced real estate investors and ask them questions directly.
But clever real estate investors can do more. In fact, Clubhouse is a great way to generate new leads.
You can join a networking chat to get insider tips on off-market properties from real estate brokers, property managers, appraisers and lenders. Or you could host a chat to find motivated sellers who’ve not yet listed their property. Hosting a for-sale-by-owner chat, for example, could uncover off-market listings.
To make the most of your Clubhouse chats, generate a list of targeted leads from PropStream. You’ll be able to filter off-market properties to find owners who could benefit from your chat, such as:
- Free-and-clear owners
- Owners of properties with liens
- Non-owner occupied properties
- Zombie properties
- Pre-foreclosures
Then you can use PropStream’s built-in skip tracing feature to contact these owners directly and invite them to your Clubhouse chat. You could even offer to extend a Clubhouse invite to those who aren’t currently on the platform if you have invitations to spare.
Clubhouse is among the newest ways to reach an audience. But it’s certainly not the only way. Or even the best way. When you’re looking to reach a specific market, such as property sellers for a deal on your next real estate investment, PropStream’s lineup of search tools and marketing features is here for you!
