Page 32 - The Negotiator Mag 52pp

FocalAgent walkthroughs can be viewed on all devices.
Kick time-wasting into touch
While Mark at Giraffe360 politely refers to
the industry’s ‘slow uptake’ of virtual tours, another advocate is more brutal. “It’s very much evolve or die,” says EyeSpy360’s Andrew Nicholls. “Just over 11 per cent of all property listings globally have a virtual tour. Sadly, the UK is way behind other countries with respect to virtual tours and proptech generally. The flipside to this snail’s pace of adoption is the opportunity for a new breed of agent to emerge and new business models to flourish.”
Andrew remains baffled as to why so many agents are addicted to time-wasting physical viewings, especially when they should be paying attention to better efficiency, productivity and consumer demand. “The overall benefits of virtual tours for agents and consumers far outweigh the fear of change. UK agents should be increasing their usage of virtual tours – if they don’t, their competitors certainly will.”
The relationship between virtual tours and productivity explains why Matterport’s metrics focus on improved resourcing as much as engagement with listings and speed of sales. Since using Matterport’s virtual tours, letting agent Atkinson McLeod has reported a 50 per cent overall reduction in physical property
It’s very much evolve or die. Just over 11 per cent of all property listings globally have a virtual tour. Sadly, the UK is way behind other countries with respect to virtual tours. Andrew Nicholls EyeSpy360
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Smart viewings, where
buyers view a property online guided by an estate agent,
will become standard practice... enabling agents to build relationships and vet leads.
Lee Wainwright FocalAgent
visits, supporting faster times to contract signing and more efficient property management. At Winkworth in Guildford, agents made fewer property visits and reduced the administrative time it took to make a listing live.
Hybrids – the ‘somewhere in the middle’
Let’s return to the argument about a more hands-off sales environment not yielding leads and opportunities. This is where hybrid products are bridging the gap with products
that blend the personal touch with the remote. At FocalAgent, agents have the option of running hosted virtual tours, during which the agent controls the viewing from their desk. The agent can take a buyer from room-to- room, answering any questions over live audio and building a relationship as the viewing progresses. Agents can even switch between properties during one appointment for excellent cross-selling opportunities and an astute use of a prospect’s time.
“Smart viewings, where buyers view a property online guided by an estate agent,
will become standard practice,” says FocalAgent’s Lee Wainwright. “As well as enabling agents to build relationships, vet leads and target out-of-area clients, they’re also good for reducing an agent’s carbon footprint by cutting journeys to and from appointments.”
Lee touches on an aspect of virtual tours that Richard Abbots at Inventory Hive has explored further. “Remote viewings clearly contribute to a lower carbon footprint and improved air quality but they can also save
an agent – and viewers – money at a time of rising fuel costs. For example, based on today’s prices, if you make a five-mile trip to a viewing, it will cost you around £5 in fuel. Make that trip 10 times and the costs quickly rack up.”
EyeSpy360 assisted tours.
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29/07/2022
11:58
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