What is that strange little spotty picture??

Have you seen the funky little boxy graphics we are starting to incorporate in our marketing and yard signs?

These are called QR codes, and you will probably see them popping up more and more in retail stores, on website, on advertising posters.

If you are wondering what on earth a QR code is and what you should do with it, don't worry. Lots of people in our area don't know about them. Basically, if you have a smart phone, you can download an app called a barcode reader or a QR reader. Not all smart phones can read these codes, but iPhone can and most Androids will too. Android phones often come with Google Googles, which can read them, or you can download apps like Barcode Scanner from the Android Marketplace. If you have an iPhone, readers like Optiscan, QuickMark, QR App, and NeoScan are recommended by cnet.com. Palm has their own QR reader app, or i-nigma or BeeTagg.

You scan these little graphics with that reader, and it decodes them. The QR code might be a text display ("Open house on Friday evening from 5 to 7 pm"). It might reveal a website link with more information. That code above take you to a website that has the pricing, photos, and features for one of the homes we have listed. It could open a video or audio stream, or initiate an email on your smart phone that already has the recipient's email address and the subject line entered ("Please send me more information on 1610 16th Ave, Monroe").

We are using them on yard signs at some of the homes we have listed for sale and in some of our online marketing. It is just another way that we are reaching out to a different client base to help our sellers' homes be seen by as many people as possible.