GRETCHEN METZ, Staff Writer

04/16/2006

UWCHLAN, PA -- Txt msgs could make real est8 EZ 4 U and $ for the 2 founders of a business called CellSigns.  At least that is the game plan for David W. Geipel and Mark Ford, business partners that are using cell phone text messaging technology as the base for their new company.

The idea for consumers to access real estate listing information from their cell phones via text messaging developed after the two men founded their first business in 2000, Home Marketsite, a real estate agency firm in Uwchlan.

 "For a brokerage firm, to be competitive in the marketplace, we had to differentiate ourselves," Ford said. The men, both 32, looked at how people buy and sell homes. What was missing was a mobile, ondemand search product that could be used at the point of sale.

 What is the most used mobile technology? The cell phone, they reasoned. So last year they founded Qwasi, the parent company that launched CellSigns. At Qwasi, they hired two technology developers to write the software that would allow anyone with a cell phone and text messaging capabilities to punch in a five-digit code followed by the property’s listing identification code to get property information. Both are listed on a CellSigns lawn sign in the front yard of the house for sale. The anonymous query -- which does not register the caller’s cell phone number with the real estate agent -- prompts a brief text message giving property details, the agent’s contact information and allows the caller to request a showing.

If the caller chooses the showing or further information, the caller’s cell number is forwarded to the agent’s cell phone and displayed -- you guessed it -- in a text message. "It’s the whiz-bang factor," Geipel said. "Put in a code and a home’s beds, baths and price is displayed on the phone."

It is the answer to the brochure box that is empty half the time, Ford said. "As an agent for the seller, we were printing color brochures two times a week," Ford explained. "Neighborhood kids were making paper airplanes out of them."

The text message is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Geipel said. It is on demand all the time. Geipel and Ford, friends since they met on the tennis court while they were in high school in Bucks County, often finish each other’s sentences. Ford, of West Pikeland, has a background in technology. Geipel, of Uwchlan, used to work for QVC, he said.

Ford said he and Geipel used their own money to start all their businesses. They are currently seeking a patent and trademark rights. Geipel said when he and Ford realized the concept was "bigger than the both of us" they set up Qwasi, a separate business from Home Marketsite. That way, the cell phone/text messaging service could be sold to other Realtors.

Qwasi/CellSigns have an in-house staff of four and 10 sales agents across the county. Realtors who subscribe to CellSigns are charged a fee for each listing that utilizes the service. "It’s like seeing a child grow up," Geipel said about the business’s growth. The partners say they work an 80-hour week but believe the demographics support the commitment. According to Ford, the median age for cell phone users is 38 and the median age for home buyers is 37 - 38. The technology is not just for the young, either. Ford said 14 percent of people over age 65 text message.

Text messaging for instant information is a byproduct of the nation’s Internet addition, Ford said. In 2002, 930 million text messages were sent each month in the U.S. By 2008, American are expected to send 80 billion a month, according to the Common Short Code Administration. On the heels of developing a company that uses cell phones to sell real estate, Qwasi is now introducing

SMS/MLS, six letters that stand for short messaging service/multiple listing service. Using the same platform as CellSigns, SMS/MLS allows consumers to search for any home, anytime with a cell phone. Home buyers can access listing information on any active listing by text messaging a property’s address, neighborhood or street name. With both products from Qwasi (questions with answers and simple information) the broker is electronically updated with information on which homes are getting the most attention.

Text messaging is the latest in a trend to use technology to generate real estate business. Comcast and Prudential Fox & Roach announced earlier this month they have teamed up to bring house hunting to On Demand cable customers. In the greater Philadelphia region, On Demand is available to more than 1.5 million Comcast customers and Prudential Fox & Roach has up to 500 listings at any given time. The marriage between the nation’s largest cable company and the largest Prudential affiliate is the first one for the two companies, but more are anticipated in their common markets, officials from both company agree.

"Real estate needs to raise the game," Ford said. "Technology is just starting to make inroads." To contact staff writer Gretchen Metz, send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ©Daily Local News 2006