Making the most of the ‘mini-boom’

ICG’s property experts came together recently to explore ways in which estate agents could benefit from lead management opportunities offered by the post-lockdown property boom.

Their discussion was recorded as part of ICG’s popular webinar series, and you can listen to a summary of our panellists’ top tips here:

The ‘mini-boom’ may have been welcome after many anxious weeks of inactivity, but there was no gentle easing back to work for estate agents. Businesses were forced to hit the ground running in response to the  huge surge of enquiries that had built up during lockdown.

Thanks to this flurry of activity, many agents have been fully occupied, which has left them little time to consider the long term implications of the pandemic. The panel warns that next year could be much more challenging, so what steps can agents take to help agents work harder and smarter in future?‍

Building relationships‍

“I’d be obsessive about data quality,” says Richard Day of Reapit, who advises nurturing relationships with the new contacts you’ve made. Richard says it’s all about asking the right questions now so the information can be used at a future date: “What can you ask today that you can pick up in six months/two years time?” 

Andy Soloman from Yomdel agrees, advising agents to treat new leads “like gold” from the initial contact onwards. “Put yourself in the shoes of the customer, what level of service would you expect?”‍

Act now to automate‍

When it comes to introducing automated systems and services, Ed Mead of Viewber wants you to “throw away your existing prejudices and start again,” while Bradley Kieser of SMS Speedway urges: “Look at your workflow to see where you’re adding value and where you can increase your efficiency, and use tech and automation to add value.”

Starberry’s Ben Sellers recommends investing in cameras and headsets for viewings and valuations so staff members can “get their faces in front and create relationships straight away.”‍

Re-trench, re-engineer and re-imagine‍

Business growth specialist Christopher Watkin warns that many agents are so distracted by current business pressures that they are not anticipating challenges coming down the line. His message to them is: “Don’t be so worried about getting in the current crop that you’re not planting seeds for next year.”

Peter Knight of Property Academy advises agents to “re-engineer and re-imagine your business from top to bottom”. He quotes Winston Churchill’s famous line “never waste a good crisis” as a starting point for businesses to retrench in order to face the difficult times ahead. “It’s a great opportunity to relaunch your business, set your stall out and improve on all areas.”

If you’re not sure where to look for the products and services you need to transform your business, ICG is the ideal place to start. Simply sign up free of charge for help with lead management or any other aspect of your business. ‍

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