Estate Agency Softwares – We ask the Questions!!
‘Softwares’ is always a big topic and a big decision for Estate Agents, trying choose the best, the most efficient, the one with the most usable features and much more. We approached several of the top names in this industry sector and asked them a few questions which we are happy to share with you:
VTUK answers in Black
Dezrez answers in Red
TouchRight Software answers in Blue
Is ‘Cloud Software’ becoming the way forward for estate agents, or is Desktop based more preferred still?
In the same way that Agency itself is moving between traditional and online and settling for a hybrid model, this is the same with data and CRM systems. Our clients want elements of their data to be protected, always on and in their control but are happy for the marketing element of their business to be online for better access and also to be more inclusive of all stakeholders in the business not just staff. This means to say that online enables supplier, buyer, seller, landlord, tenant, applicant and social interaction.
The majority of the 20,000 estate agents who use Dezrez see Cloud as the way forward, some right now and some later down the line. That happens with evolving technology; early adopters are followed by the mass market, who are followed by those who prefer tried and tested over competitive edge. There’s no right or wrong, just what suits your needs best. But it is certainly worth looking towards the benefits of Cloud as your server renewal or upgrade is due. These are costs that you do not have to consider with a Cloud based platform, which certainly helps with cash flow.
It’s interesting that we are seeing agents transitioning from older technology. Our customers are not just thinking about Cloud but how they can use software as a platform they can build a business on. Currently, the vast majority of interest in Software as a Service is driven through the innovators and fast growing or larger agencies. They tend to be excited by a software platform that is less expensive to maintain, fluidly connects business disciplines and branches, and allows them the flexibility to quickly adapt to market changes.
Customers are certainly more comfortable with cloud computing now and often favour the ‘no contract’ monthly fees approach SaaS (Software as a Service) companies can give them. Moving forwards ‘Cloud Software’ platforms will enable more integrations between different software providers via API’s far more quickly. This could be the back office system communicating with repairs software, property reporting software, signature software and even the dispute service, resulting in better office productivity from the easy flow of data.
Do you offer a guarantee on ‘up time’ and what is it currently?
We do, as the online system is real time replication of the data, so if the internet fails then the local data is still available for use. However, our ‘up time’ on hosted data is currently 99.9%.
We offer transparency. We’ve invested millions of pounds and man hours in developing a software platform that will transform estate agency, so it made sense to choose the best in cloud hosting to maximise our effort. Microsoft Azure is used by some of World’s most well-known brands, including KPMG, the BBC, and numerous banks and airlines. This means, we can guarantee our customers will experience the same levels of ‘up time’ that the leading global businesses receive and that they can access the Microsoft Azure status at any point.
As a small company we don’t want to worry about the ‘server’ up time, therefore we use the No.1 Amazon AWS platform. In 2014 the AWS platform recorded an impressive 99.99% up time across all it’s server regions around the world. We only have planned downtime for server maintenance and upgrades outside core office hours.
Security for those using your cloud software, how important is that to you?
Security is paramount and of course retaining the data locally means that it benefits from firewalls, back ups and physical protection. Our web service cloud product is secured with SSL.
Our customers trust us with their most valuable asset – their data. So yes, security is important to us. It’s why we chose Microsoft Azure. Security and privacy are embedded into its development and that gives our customers peace of mind. Their data is stored in the same high level secure environment as some of the World’s largest most well-known brands and meet a broad set of international and industry-specific compliance standards. These include ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOC 1 and SOC 2, as well as country-specific standards like Australia IRAP, UK G-Cloud and Singapore MTCS.
Has social media enabled you to build strong relationships with Estate Agents across the UK?
It has. We find it easy to be giving, engaging and relevant and that we can learn as much as we share, through the various platforms we use. Every day we connect with 7000 companies on LinkedIn, 9000 followers on Twitter and of course our other media connections such as Facebook, Instagram, Slack, Periscope and YouTube.
Yes. Some agents are more fervent users than others, though. For us, social media is a great way to share information with a wide audience as well as a way for our agents to directly contact us. We offer our customers multiple ways to stay in contact; whether that’s a phone call, face to face, online chat or social media. Openness and transparency builds trust. Combine that with a strong product and you build strong partnerships, which is why nearly 70% of our customers have expanded their branch networks using our software platforms.
It certainly helps provide valuable support to the full marketing mix of activities. It’s a great way to get the latest news updates out quickly.
If you had to advise Estate Agents on one thing when choosing their software, what would that be?
To spend less time looking at functionality and more time looking at service and proactive development. The industry today will be changed beyond recognition in 6 months time, and the functionality requirements will be unrecognisable so you need a partner who will develop and adapt whilst guiding you through the maze of change.
Ask yourself what you need the software and software company to do for you right now – and in the future. Software is a big investment, not just in terms of money but in trust because it holds your most valuable asset; data. As we’ve already stated, one of the key benefits of Cloud is that you no longer need to worry about costly server infrastructures. But importantly, you do not need to worry about losing data should the unthinkable happen and your machine is lost or stolen.
Think about ongoing ease of use. Newer sales and lettings platforms such as Rezi are not only designed to look better and be easier to use; they have been built from the onset to support your growth and better manage your data so you can turn it into valuable business opportunities.
Think about where you want to be in the future and if you plan to expand your business. As a Cloud based platform Rezi is less expensive to maintain than older technologies and when combined with Dezrez Enhance; it gives you a bespoke system at an affordable price. Due to be launched soon, Dezrez Enhance is an ecosystem designed to increase the power and value of software with add-ons, workflows and integrations so it can grow with your business needs. From customer-facing bells and whistles to comprehensive solutions to maximise mergers and acquisitions to help you win new business and maximise efficiencies; the only limit is your imagination. No other software company offers customisation on this level.
Set aside enough time to trial the software. A customer will do the research or be passed a recommendation, push the ‘Trial’ button but have no time scheduled to actually make a start with the trial. Sounds obvious, but it’s a common theme with many trial customers and we try to help in different ways, with quick start guides, online tools, webinars and demo meetings.
There are many companies offering Estate Agency Software, what single thing makes you stand out?
The fact that if we only had a “single thing” we would panic and beat ourselves with birch twigs.
We are the market leader in Cloud based technology and have a long history in bringing ‘firsts’ to the estate agency market. Having built our reputation on being 100% committed to our customers, whom we have an open dialogue with, we wouldn’t dare just re-skin old technology and hope for the best. It’s why we’ve invested millions of pounds and man hours in an entirely new architecture that not only meets their needs today but will continue to meet their needs as they grow and adapt to a changing market for years to come.
It’s also important to our customers that as one of the big ‘three’, we’ve maintained our independent company status and have those family values that agents can trust. Aftercare is equally important as sales. It’s why we have the largest development and customer service team in the industry and focus on building equal partnerships that will last a lifetime.
Customer service and flexibility. Customers like to have property reports designed specifically for their business, and no matter how many features and functions your software has, customers like to also know assistance and help is only an email or phone call away.
A big thank you to the companies that took part in this interview and we hope that our readers will find their answers useful to them when it comes to choosing and updating their Estate Agency software packages.
VTUK Software: www.VTUK.com
Dezrez Software: www.DezRez.co.uk
TouchRight Software: www.TouchRightSoftware.com
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