Out with the old, in with the new.
The speed with which the quality of mobile phones would go on to increase would only accelerate, more and more features and functions were added and refined until we arrive at the smart phones of today. Today our phones are capable of doing things even computers a decade ago could only dream of doing. As consumers we’re always expecting more and more from our technology, and as developers it’s our responsibility to keep ahead of the game.
With that said, it’s about time we officially launched the latest version of our native apps!
What’s new? and benefits to estate agents..
New UI:
Our new user interface has been totally overhauled since the previous version. Keeping with modern trends and with usability in mind, the clean and uncluttered look will be easy to use for both you and your users to get to grips with.
Enhanced search features:
We still offer the same great search features we always have. However, now for users really looking to narrow down their search criteria, we offer a more in depth search criteria than most of the national portals. In addition to the standard price and bedroom filters, we offer a location filter that allows you to search in one particular radius or even multiple locations at once.
Maintenance:
We’ve made reporting maintenance issues a breeze for your tenants. If you use a comprehensive maintenance reporting software like Fixflo we can build that directly into your app. If you don’t, we’ve built our own version. Via our own repair/ maintenance form your tenants will be able to take photos of issues through the apps and send them straight to the relevant department.
Maps and directions:
Finding your way somewhere new can be a pain, finding a specific property can be even more so. We’ve made the life of your users (and maybe even yours too if you’re on the way to a new property) easier by building in mapping and direction features. Your clients will no longer have an excuse for being late to a viewing with door to door navigation using the phones native GPS.
Push notifications:
If you’ve just got a great new property that you want everyone to know about you can send a notification directly to your users’ phone. With emails getting low open rates and text messages being unable to display pictures, a push notification is an engaging way to advertise your properties.
Presentation mode:
Presentation mode is perfect for iPads when not in use, be this in a window or just on a desk. Presentation mode will cycle through all available properties, making full use of the tablets’ screen size and retina display to present your listings. This feature provides a great backdrop when meeting with potential new sellers, buyers, tenants and landlords, showing off the range of properties on your books along with how many other people have trusted you with their sale.
Request valuation:
After talking with many agents, we noticed a common issue was that you didn’t have enough stock, selling it wasn’t a problem. That fact that so many agencies provide free valuations, it makes sense to make booking a valuation as easy as possible. Directly from our apps home page, your users can book a valuation on their property, easy to use for them and a potential new property for you.
Multiple adverts:
As a local estate agent, you know all the best local businesses to help your customers. As a larger agent, you’ll have partnerships with some bigger companies. We’ve added you the opportunity to place adds in your apps for relevant business. Now it’s up to you if you want to charge for these but for some more information read here.
Sharing:
The best way you’re going to get your app out into the pockets of new users is from it being recommended by an existing user. We’ve made it as simple as possible to share your agencies app with other users via text, email and social media. We’ve even added a feature for your users to share properties straight from the property detail page. This will make it easier for house hunters to share their findings with potential housemates, spouses and family members, speeding up the process for them and for you.
In addition to everything else, we’ve made it a breeze for your users to download your apps. We can provide you with a redirect script for your website which detects what device is connecting to your website and should you have the appropriate app, it will offer your user the opportunity to download the app there and then. It really couldn’t be easier.
Will an app help my agency?
App downloads are consistently hitting record highs. As of October last year, Apple was reported to have 85 Billion app downloads, of which nearly 7 Billion were lifestyle apps, the category under which property agencies fall.
An app won’t make you a millionaire overnight, but they’re great marketing tools. With the mobile market the way it is today it’s just a case of getting your agency into their pockets. Once you’re there you’ll be making your clients lives easier and, by extension, your own too.
Get in touch with us today to see how we can get your agency on the app market and start winning you new business.
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