Rightmove launches Online Agent Valuation to help agents connect with more vendors
Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, launches Online Agent Valuation, a new product for agents designed to give them more ways to reach prospective vendors.
The consumer innovation delivers quality leads by connecting agents with home-owners who are serious about moving, but who would prefer to get a valuation from a local agent online. Rightmove seller insights identified that while potential vendors want the unique insights and experience of an agent valuation, some prefer to engage digitally first before they have an in-person valuation.
Importantly, the new product is not a replacement for in-home valuations, it’s a route to them. Each valuation can be used as a way for agents to build their database from the UKs largest and most engaged audience, and over time to convert more potential vendors into new instructions.
Rightmove offers a suite of valuation tools designed to meet the needs of today’s sellers and equip agents with more ways to win instructions.
Serious home-movers will now be given the option to request an Online Agent Valuation, and provide information and images of their home to an agent. The agent can give them an estimated range as well as showcasing their expertise.
Prospective vendors will see the agent’s response within an agent-branded page, which automatically pulls in their branch description and recently sold properties.
As well as the estimated valuation range, agents can include a personalised message to the seller, with an AI-powered writing tool built-in that helps them speed up the process.
With Online Agent Valuation, agents have the opportunity to show how responsive they can be from the first interaction, and before their competitors. Rightmove research shows that being responsive and communicating well is the number one reason why homeowners choose an agent when selling, with 97% saying it is essential or very important.
Following trials of the product, early results show that prospective vendors are highly engaged, with an 83% click-through rate to the agent-branded page.
Christian Balshen, Director of Agency Partnerships at Rightmove says: “Online Agent Valuation is helping agents get in front of prospective vendors earlier in their journey and results from the trials shows strong engagement. We know from vendor research that how quickly an agent responds is critical to have the best chance of winning an instruction. We’ve worked with several agents to design this product to make it work best for their teams who are out on viewings and valuations day-to-day, with an AI-powered writing tool to help speed up the process, instant text messages sent to alert them to a new valuation opportunity, and emails and notifications in Rightmove Plus.”
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