Usage of online property portals is at a record high, with research showing that 62% of people factor the portals a firm advertises on into their selection of an agent. So, it’s no wonder that estate agents are spending more and more of their marketing budget on property listing sites.
Of course, there are two players dominating the property portal market. But the duopoly of Rightmove and Zoopla doesn’t work in favour of estate agents; with the cost of advertising on these now ridiculously expensive.
Such criticisms are nothing new, and, over the last few years, there have been a number of challengers with varying degrees of success. However, to date, none of these challenger brands has quite managed to break through (often due to arbitrary rules that are at odds with the needs of those they are trying to serve).
But what if there was a different option? A next-generation Google styled property search engine that is free for all estate agents?
At Houseviz, we don’t want to see estate agents being held to ransom by the various portals. Instead, we envisage an intelligent property search engine that lists all properties – in real time – by every estate agent across the UK. This approach would result in a one-stop-shop for buyers; with the ability to search by complex parameters.
Creating a better online experience all round, potential vendors would also be able to find and select an estate agent within their postcode. The site would, therefore, provide straightforward lead generation for estate agents by connecting them directly with end-users.
Vendors would be able to see the various services offered by estate agents when making their selection and grade them on their overall performance once the sale is complete. We believe this approach would challenge estate agents to introduce new customer-focused services to attract new vendors (e.g. virtual tours and immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences). This would better serve the needs of consumers and further push up the standards of our industry, and surely that’s what we all want?
Established as a PropTech a few years ago, at Houseviz we plan to revolutionise property marketing outsourcing over the next 12 months and beyond. But, rather than being at odds with estate agents, we aim to do this by supplying them with the tools they need to win more business and sell more homes. As part of this approach, we are currently developing a free property portal solution to help the sector grow and flourish for the benefit of all.
To find out more about Houseviz and our range of existing services go to houseviz.com. As well as providing service information, the website is regularly updated with insights on the latest developments in property technology, and how this can help estate agents to succeed.
