How can smaller estate agents use outsourcing to keep up with the competition?
Today’s property market is getting more and more competitive. In a bid to get ahead, many larger firms are now turning to online to strengthen their lead in the marketplace. And, with forecasters predicting that 50% of homes will be sold online by 2020 (that number is currently just 5%), it’s a savvy move. So, it came as no surprise last year when Savills led a £16m round of funding into digital property start-up and “hybrid-estate agency” Yopa.
But, while this interest in technology is fine for larger estate agents with hefty sums of money to invest in online arms, does this mean that it’s only a matter of time before smaller firms are forced out of business?
In a word, no.
In fact, as we move into 2017, smaller firms are ideally placed to exploit the power of online through outsourcing. Moreover, smaller estate agents that adopt this approach may actually find themselves in a stronger position than their larger peers.
Today, technology moves fast, and it can be difficult for one business to keep up with the breadth and depth of these advancements. By partnering with a variety of tried and trusted experts – all of who are authorities in their particular field – smaller estate agents could see their businesses benefit from a more agile approach, without any additional investment or risk. It’s no wonder, therefore, that property outsourcing is catching on.
Just as compelling, outsourcing delivers both and offline benefits. So smaller businesses can adopt the newer practices they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world, while enhancing and improving those tried and tested processes that continue to be important.
The value of property marketing outsourcing
One service that offers immediate benefits to estate agents is property marketing outsourcing. Here are just a few reasons why:
Outsourced marketing frees you up to sell more homes
Estate agents are increasingly expected to do more with less. But with time the one thing none of us has in excess, why would you waste yours on mundane and unproductive tasks when you could be getting on with the more important and lucrative aspects of estate agency instead?
Consider viewings for example. It doesn’t make sense for you to waste your time showing a plethora of viewers around each and every property. By hiring an expert to look after the viewings for you, you can free up more of your valuable time with complete confidence that your buyers are in safe hands.
Outsourced marketing is more effective
All too often, marketing is left to the most junior member of your team, while more senior employees concentrate on generating business and sales. However, just because younger staff members are often passionate about marketing, doesn’t mean they have the experience needed to help sell property in a challenging market. Equally important is the risk to reputations should the person doing your marketing not have the necessary skills.
When you partner with a specialist property marketing company, you can be sure that you’re working with marketing experts. So, you’ll have access to the necessary marketing practices, tools, and expertise to ensure your long-term survival.
Outsourced marketing gives you access to the very latest technology
As we’ve already established, advancements in technology move fast. So it’s almost impossible for one estate agent to keep up with all the latest tools. Take the 360 industry for example. At a relatively early stage, it’s only recently that AR technology has been made available to smartphones. However, the possible applications for these new technologies in the property world are very exciting and have the potential to deliver enormous benefits.
Outsourced marketing is cheaper than you might think
Outsourcing is more cost-effective than employing someone to perform marketing tasks for you. Especially when you take training, sick pay, holiday cover, pension contributions, and National Insurance into consideration.
Just as important, when it comes to new tech, not only does outsourcing give the industry access to something new, it also makes such services affordable. This is only possible because the investment has already been made by the company offering the service. And of course, such technology is designed to pay for itself by generating new sellers and sales.
Outsourced marketing helps you serve the consumer better
Put simply, today’s consumers demand a better experience. In the long-term, only estate agents who are able to deliver this will survive. This means adopting the very latest technology to provide the level of enhanced service consumers have become used to when dealing with other industries. So, the question estate agents should be asking themselves when it comes to property marketing outsourcing isn’t “can we afford to?”, but “can we afford not to?”
At Houseviz, we hope to revolutionise property marketing outsourcing over the next 12 months and beyond by supplying estate agents with the tools they need to win more business and sell more homes at a price they can afford. Contact us today to find out how you can use outsourcing to maximise your resources and achieve ROI in an increasingly competitive and challenging marketplace.
Sponsored blog post by HouseViz.
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