Marketing
What got you here isn’t working any more
Over half a million people work in estate agency in the UK, probably three times the number employed in the industry when I was a child. Transactions, however, have not trebled in the same timespan. Which means one thing: HUGE competition for instructions. Where your predecessors could rely on word of mouth and goodwill to…
EAN Content
Why I love independent estate and letting agents
I love independent agents. I love you because you give your heart and soul to what you do. You miss parties and nights out; you stand in the rain on a Saturday watching your kids run around a muddy field, then go straight to a viewing. Your alarm clock always goes off too early; you…
Sam Ashdown
Estate Agents _ What do you really sell?
It’s been cold recently. And it’s been getting dark earlier. Before you start thinking I’m indulging in National State the Bleeding Obvious Day let me explain where I’m headed. I was shuffling down the High Street where I live the other day freezing my face off. It was that horribly dusky 4pm ish time of…
Jerry Lyons
Estate agents who outsource their viewing services…
Estate agents who outsource their viewing services… will have best chance of success in 2017. One of the most significant business trends in 2017 is likely to be outsourcing. And, with estate agents increasingly expected to do more with less, this makes sense. Just think about it, with time the one thing none of us…
EAN Content
Letting Agents – Don’t let them bash you without a fight
My old man was a 11 year-old Irish immigrant from County Cork when his family landed on these shores in 1950. It was a time when boarding houses displayed signs saying no blacks, no Irish, no dogs. Rough times. And being one of the first of the new small wave of Irish kids in his…
Jerry Lyons
Who’s Your Pacemaker?
Do you ever watch the London Marathon or the Great North Run? I do, with a mixture of awe and guilt. Awe that so many people had taken on such a momentous challenge, of their own free will, and guilt, that I was enjoying the event from my sofa, while many people less fit than…
Sam Ashdown
Is Your Agency_s Marketing and PR Super or Sh*te? Take the 11 Step Quiz
I once went to an expensive conference which featured an American marketing guru (I despise that term, guru shmuru). I was struck by how shiny his face was and his equally glossy suit. I imagined him sitting on a chair and sliding right off it. Shiny Sid said a lot of things I didn_t understand….
Jerry Lyons
Houseviz to revolutionise property marketing in the U.K.
Revolutionary marketing experts Houseviz has launched in the UK to drive how forward thinking estate agents present properties to the market and attract new clients. Houseviz is the only company in the U.K.to offer smartphone enabled augmented reality (AR). A full range of innovative marketing services are also on offer to include professional photographers and…
EAN Content
AGENTS ARE MISSING OUT ON ‘OUT OF OURS’ ONLINE LEADS
Consumers are increasingly contacting estate and letting agents out of normal business hours with 50% of website visits now made when branches have closed for business. According to new research* from Yomdel, the leading fully managed 24/7 live chat service used by estate agents across the UK, 34% of the weekly haul of new leads…
Christopher Walkey
What makes a good estate agent snap?
Pressure does funny things to people. Some grow, some shrink, some growl and some shriek. Being in front of a camera also does strange things to people. Some freeze, some pout, some glare and some hide. I’ve seen cameraphobia a fair bit during my career as a journalist and now as a PR man. I…
Be PROUD of your Independence
Don’t hide your independent status: it’s what vendors want. Small, local, independent estate agents are often slightly embarrassed to be seen as such. Creating a website that looks like you’re a corporate is a mistake. You’re independent: be proud of all that entails: personal service, attention to detail, high level accountability. Vendors tend to look…
Sam Ashdown
LIVE CHAT INFLUENCES CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ON ESTATE AGENCY WEBSITES
The latest research on live chat from Forrester, a global research firm, reveals that 38% of online consumers had made their purchase decision due to a live chat session* (*Source: Forrester Research Survey, 2016). The research shows that 44% of online consumers believe that one of the most important features a website could offer is…
Christopher Walkey
Getting More Valuations – Traffic is worthless without CONVERSION!
Winning more instructions is the biggest challenge for 99% of estate agents. . As a result, many agents spend a fortune on digital marketing agencies and who-knows-what else – often with virtually no return on their investment. I recently had a conversation with an agent who had spent £2000 per month on AdWords and Facebook…
Christopher Walkey
How to increase your Social Media engagement.
I am sure that many will be using social media and just like myself, always take an interest in the notifications telling us who is engaging with us be in likes, retweets, comments or shares. Now many will surely want that engagement to grow, see some real results from their social media activities so I…
Christopher Walkey
What should you be posting to Social Media?
I have seen a strong usage and great diversity from businesses using social media during 2016 and I really expect 2017 to see even more time and finances being dedicated to the likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. I see more and more success stories from social media be it new businesses launching simply…
Christopher Walkey