Would E.T. still phone home?

When was the last time you raised your hand for a taxi, or called your local take away for a delivery? You most likely just tapped your phone didn’t you? When speaking to friends and family, what is the preferred method of communication? Do you still call people or mainly stay in touch over social media? Most people use messaging apps, dominated by the likes of WhatsApp, as they want real-time information, instantly and with a constant flow of it.

Estate agents, like in every industry, have seen massive changes to the way they operate. The amazement in the late 1990s when you could add a “Search “function to your basic website, the improved experience Rightmove gave buyers in the early 2000s and the challenges to that model from Zoopla in 2008, to On The Market in 2015. But in each of these examples Agents supply all the content.

In 2017 content is no longer created just by one side, because in the social media whirlwind where we need to exist, content is supplied by both sides, the Agent and Consumer. Buyers and Sellers need an environment to communicate with Agents similar to the way they do with their friends and family. Relationships need to be nurtured right at the beginning of the journey, at the very first point the consumers have the slightest thought about moving. It is here, in their early baby steps, that the consumer is in most need of quality, experience and advice.

Just like the way Rightmove showed us we are all better off in one place, collectively, online, let’s take this learning and punch up to the next level of interaction. Let’s go into a space where buyers and sellers can chat instantly to the best high street agents, where content is created by both sides and the seeds of an early relationship are planted.

Written by: Daniel Mpceake – [email protected]