Industry Interview: Spencer Fortag MARLA MNAEA of Dockside Property Services Kent
December 8, 2016
How important is it for estate agents to embrace innovation and technology in the industry to both find new clients and marketing their clients property?
I don’t think this is important. I believe it is essential. Clients today, of whatever age, tend to be tech savvy so agents that embrace bothÿinnovation and technology will flourish. Those that do not evolve will, like theÿdinosaurs, become extinct. Innovation and technology allows us to market to clients. we would not normally be able to, in a way that engages and excites them.
They say traditional / high street estate agents may disappear and be replaced by online and hybrid agencies – What is your opinion on that?
Personally, I welcome the challenge that online andÿhybrid agents bring. I do not believe high streetÿagents will be replaced because I feel that trad-agents can offer a better and more personalised service. Property, like car sales for example, remains one of the fewÿbusiness transactions where actual people still need/prefer to view the actual product on offer. Until weÿhave full-on, holographic, virtual reality property tours, trad-agents really do have the upper hand!
Has the choice to leave Europe, Brexit, made any effect on sales of property and consumer confidence within your area?
I operate in two very different regions; Medway and Canary Wharf. I believe the impact on Brexit in any given area isÿdirectly correlated to how that area voted. Canary Wharf, for example, with its highÿpercentage of financial services workers, voted at around 70% to stay. Medway,ÿhowever, voted at almost the same number to leave. Therefore, the result was felt more as a shock in Canary Wharf, than in Medway. Some overseas buyers haveÿexpressed concerns, but the reasons that most of them buy in theÿUK and London have not changed. We stillÿhave a safe, democratic society,ÿsteadfast land titles, low interest rates and an excellentÿcultural and educational reputation. Long may those continue!
2013 – 2016ÿARLA Regional Representative for Kent
MD Dockside Property Services Kent Limited
Regional Manager Landmark Estates
You May Also Enjoy
High Quality Modular Homes for the UK
Are you looking for added accommodation space in your garden / on your land? Modular Living Homes by tutumHOUSE offer a new way to live – minimalist in form, rich in experience. “There are approximately 9.6 million homes in the UK with a garden shed, and around 52% of the population owns one.” asgardsss There…
Read More 
The most stressful places to move to in the UK
With more people in the UK moving homes during summer than any other season and the average cost of moving in the UK rising to over £14,000, picking the right place to move to has become more crucial than ever. Luckily, new research from Pay Less for Storage reveals the UK cities that make life easiest…
Read More 
Time-Traveling Estate Agent Sequel Climbs Amazon Charts
A UK Estate Agent Currently Bringing Joy to People’s Lives – Shame He’s Fictional… Eric Meek, the fictional estate agent created by author Dale Bradford, is back for a second outing in The Time‑Travelling Estate Agent 2, a sequel that is already climbing Amazon’s bestselling time‑travel rankings. Estate agents were recently highlighted as the third…
Read More 
Is it finally time for lenders to back green homes?
Andrew Smith weighs the risks and rewards Property developers are increasingly pitching green homes to lenders; however, with sales cycles slowing down and repair costs rising, is now the right time to back sustainable builds and at what price point is there market demand? Sustainability is continuing to shape our future of construction with the…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 24/07/25
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. OpticWise – digital infrastructure in commercial real estate If your building were a product, how would it perform on the user experience scale? Week 9: Experience as Infrastructure – Designing for Human-Centric Buildings Welcome to Week 9 of our 52-week journey into the future…
Read More 
UK Housebuilding Falters as Construction Hiring Flatlines
New research from Inventory Base reveals that UK construction industry employment has increased by almost 11% in the past five years, but there has been less than 1% growth in the past 12 months. Inventory Base’s analysis of the UK construction industry shows that in 2024 (latest data available) it employed an estimated total of…
Read More