How apps can make tenants lives easier (as well as your own).
This is our first article idea that we’ve received from our social media community! Thanks very much for the suggestion Rentals London and indeed this is a great question.
Focusing specifically on the rentals side of things, we’ll look at not just how apps make your tenants lives easier, finding properties faster and with more information, but how they can enhance your services during and after the initial transaction, looking to keep long-term tenants.
Home Hunting
Home hunting is a stress. As someone who is currently looking to move, I can say that with some authority. What I’ve seen though is some agents are definitely more stress for me than others. most agencies are open 9-6, Monday to Friday which is fine, but it just so happens that’s when I’m at work (writing literary masterpieces such as this). That’s where technology becomes one of my best friends.
Similarly to any house hunter these days, I’ve got the Rightmove and Zoopla apps installed and ready-to-go on my phone. They’re great for helping me narrow down my search on the move, but after I’ve found a potential property, my dealings with these portals are done. From here on in, it’s up to the agent to close the deal.
Unfortunately, living in London competition for properties is high and often, a property I’m interested in has gone before I even make it to a viewing. Nothing is more frustrating than your perfect property being swept out from under your nose, but technology has helped console me after missing out by a whisker.
An independent agents app can really help with the house hunting. Independent agents will establish themselves in a particular area and as a result, it’s highly likely that other properties that agent has to offer will be of interest to me too.
Once the initial connection has been made, if I can search an agencies listings free from the clutter of competitors and get directly in contact with the agent (portals don’t normally provide an agencies website and only give numbers that go through their systems, not to the agent directly), why wouldn’t I take that option? As a potential tenant, I want the quickest route to my new property and nothing makes that simpler than an agencies app.
Making the most of every lead
Apps provide everything that your potential tenants need to search for their ideal home, all on the device that makes it possible to connect with the agent however they choose. Apps can utilise all of the native features of a smartphone to make life easy for the user. With just one tap, they can get all the information they need. They can use the phones GPS to get directions to the property their interested in, they can get directly in contact with the agent via email or phone call, they can even use the phone to share a property with a friend via text, email or even social media, making coordinating a house/flat share easier than ever. All of this for the palm of their hand.
Tenant Retention
An agencies app doesn’t just help bring a tenant closer to a property, it can be an invaluable tool after they’ve moved in. As standard, we include our own repair and maintenance feature, taking full advantage of the phones native features. The report forms not only directly email the agent but allow you to upload photos of the issue directly from your phone. If you (the agent) already has Maintenance reporting software in place (like Fixflo for example), we can accommodate for that too and make that service available from your apps home screen.
An agents app will also do wonders for promoting repeat business too. When a tenancy agreement is coming to an end, an app that’s been of use the entire duration of an agreement will be the first place to look for many clients looking for a new place.
Getting your app to the public
The only problem an individual agent will have is getting their app enough exposure in the first place. As a smaller agent, your business is focused in a much smaller area which immediately limits your audience. Thankfully though, there is loads you can do to expand your reach, and most won’t cost you a penny.
One such way is to use something called a “redirect script”. These little things can tell when someone is accessing your website from a mobile device and notify them of your app and provide them the option to download it there and then. No hassle, no advertising costs, just smooth simple actions for the user. We’ve touched on easy ways for agencies to drive downloads on their apps before in a previous blog. To save us going on like a broken record, check out these tips here for some great ways you can get your app out to those who need it most.
So if you think your agency, and more importantly your tenants, would benefit from having your own app, get in touch today! As a well established provider to Estate Agents, us at Estate Apps can make the whole process as simple and as painless as possible for you start to finish. Start winning new business today.
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