Social media, digital marketing, video calls… the list is endless. It’s not just our industry but every industry imaginable has been affected by advances in technology.
However, today we’re going to talk about what we know best. Being an estate agent! This is a career which spans many centuries although, fun fact, agents were often named after the type of property they were dealing with. For example, you could be a “land agent”, “house agent” or “estate agent” if you were managing an actual estate. However, the term later became generic for all people managing the buying and selling of property.
So how has technology changed things?
Well, first up, the modernization of computers and smartphones has made contacting clients a WHOLE lot easier. Faxes are a thing of the past. Getting in touch with someone to arrange a viewing is so much easier and it’s also a quicker process for first-time clients to get in touch with us! We have a pop-up box on our site where you can type in your details and request a free valuation. You don’t even have to speak on the phone to get the ball rolling! You can also request a call-back or viewing using similar boxes. Obviously, phone calls and face-to-face visit have got to happen at some point but it’s definitely a sign of the times that you can begin your property journey over the internet. But of course, this is the same for all industries.
Specific to estate agents
We’re sure you are all familiar with apps like Zoopla and Rightmove. These apps have revolutionised the way people can browse and find their dream property. Alongside this, modern websites are much easier to use and much more in-depth than ever before. We don’t like to brag but ours is a great example! Before these apps and websites were developed, you’d have to go into the estate agent office and ask for a physical brochure. Who remembers those days? Of course, there’s still something satisfying about flicking through a freshly-printed brochure. However, we love how easy and simple it is to find a property online.
Software improvements
Alongside this, there have also been massive improvements in the software that estate agents’ use. We rely on this kind of thing to manage properties behind the scenes. So what do we recommend? Well, we use cloud-based ExpertAgent which is integrated into our website to make managing our homes so much easier and smoother. Cloud-based software is a great advancement in technology. It means we don’t have to update or maintain the software for it to work!
Online marketing and interaction
Of course, it’d be silly to mention improved technology without briefly speaking about social media. We regularly post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to update followers and local people on the latest properties and news. We currently have over 1,000 likes on our Facebook page! This means there are over 1,000 people who can potentially view anything we post… from blog posts (like this one) to a gallery of property images. It’s a great way to keep our clients updated but also potentially attract new ones. After all, you never know who may stumble across a ‘like’ or ‘share’ on Facebook. It’s also really nice to be able to interact with so many people at the touch of a button. However, the magic of word-of-mouth is still as powerful as ever and shouldn’t be underestimated.
That said, we believe it is crucial for an estate agent to establish themselves on social media even if it’s just to update current clients. The world is becoming increasingly digital and as experts on the local community we have to also stay up to date through online methods in order to be ahead of, or at least in line with, the competition! It’s incredible to see how technology has changed working as an estate agent and we’d love to hear from you – how has technology changed your career or industry?
