Hit the ground running in Scotland and Wales
With restrictions on property moves starting to ease in Scotland and Wales soon, we want to help you get off to a flying start. Here you’ll find post-lockdown learnings from agents in England and what they’ve been doing to get business moving. We’ve also pulled together some of our most popular content from the last few months, packed full of practical advice and updates on the initiatives included in our 10 point plan, to help you kick-start your local market.
Catch up on the highlights below, check out your local market stats ahead of re-opening, and don’t forget to bookmark this page to stay up to date with the latest guidance as it’s released.
Hear post-lockdown insights and advice from agents in England
On 10th June, 3 weeks after the property market in England re-opened, we heard from three leading agents in England, who shared their recent experiences on a range of topics including keeping chains together, un-furloughing staff and their tech must-haves. They also shared what they’d do differently when coming out of lockdown, given the gift of hindsight, so you can learn from their experiences.
Short on time? Click here for a breakdown of topics so you can skip to the relevant section
0:00-8:00 – Introductions and top business priorities during lockdown
8:00-20:00 – Talking about market sentiment with your buyers & vendors to minimise fall throughs, whilst achieving asking prices
20:00 -33:00 – Deciding who to bring back from furlough and when, to build your pipeline and get revenue through the door
33:00 -40:00 – Managing your team’s return to work, including tips for opening your office and sharing safety guidelines and equipment
40:00 – 51:00 – The role of tech, now and in the future
51:40 – 54:30 – What these agents would do differently, in hindsight
54:00 – 56:00 – How virtual tours and buyer qualification have impacted viewing to sale conversions
56:00 – 61:00 – Final thoughts and advice from Lucy, Matt and Nick
8:00-20:00 – Talking about market sentiment with your buyers & vendors to minimise fall throughs, whilst achieving asking prices
20:00 -33:00 – Deciding who to bring back from furlough and when, to build your pipeline and get revenue through the door
33:00 -40:00 – Managing your team’s return to work, including tips for opening your office and sharing safety guidelines and equipment
40:00 – 51:00 – The role of tech, now and in the future
51:40 – 54:30 – What these agents would do differently, in hindsight
54:00 – 56:00 – How virtual tours and buyer qualification have impacted viewing to sale conversions
56:00 – 61:00 – Final thoughts and advice from Lucy, Matt and Nick
Get your existing pipeline moving, fast
With cash flow tight after months of lockdown, you’ll want to move more of your properties from Under Offer to completion faster (and get more to Under Offer in the first place).
On 2nd June, we were joined by successful agent and financial services expert Chris Holroyd (Holroyds, West Yorkshire) and leading conveyancer Peter Ambrose (MD, The Partnership). They both gave their unique perspectives on progressing sales quickly in the current landscape, what to do when things don’t go to plan and the advice you should be providing up-front to help further down the line.
Watch “Completing on your pipeline – agent vs. conveyancer” on demand
Take advantage of the increasing popularity of online viewings
Government advice in England states that where possible, online viewings should take place before physical viewings, to reduce the amount of contact needed for everyone involved in the process. As a result, online viewings are becoming increasingly popular with home movers and agents alike.
Whilst most people will still want to view a property in person before making an offer, online viewings and video tours are a great tool for buyers and tenants looking to create shortlist of properties to view physically. It’s great for agents too, saving you time and money.
We’ve launched some new features to help you make the most of this. You can now:
- Add an “online viewing” label to your property listings
- Add a new option on your lead form for people to indicate their interest in an online viewing
- Deliver your video content directly to viewers’ inboxes, automatically or manually
- Track interactions on your branded video page to qualify the hottest leads
Find out how to use the new Online Viewing features
Short on video content? Here’s a quick guide to recording a walk through on your phone
New to video content on Rightmove? Find out how to share a virtual tour or video on your listings
Home movers’ priorities and expectations have changed – update your property listings to match
We conducted a survey to find out how home movers’ priorities when choosing a home have changed during lockdown. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a shift in importance from commuter links to home-working spaces, and more people have now added a garden to their list of must-haves. You can catch up on the full research here.
As a result of this shift, the way you market your properties may need to change. Here’s some of the top things to consider:
Update your property descriptions
Features which previously took second place, might now need to be more prominent. Plus, some home movers may need reassurance of your approach to safe viewings post-coronavirus
- Remove reference to open houses
- Shift focus to features which are now even more desirable, such as home working spaces, gardens, out-houses
- Add details of your online viewing options and safety procedures
Refresh your property photography
People who previously discounted your property may have had a change in priorities, personal circumstances, or just feel ready to act now.
- Add new photos to give properties a new lease of life
- If you can’t get new photos, swap the order of your images around
- Make sure those in demand features are featured early in your photo reel
- Catch up on tips from professional property photographer Alex Stretton
Upload and highlight video content
Online viewings are a great tool for reducing the number of physical viewings required to get sales and lets across the line, saving you time and money
- Make sure all your listings have video tours – if you can’t get in the property, ask the vendor to record one for you
- Use the new online viewing features on Rightmove to highlight your video content and share it with buyers and tenant automatically. Find out more here.
On 21st May, we recorded a new webinar looking at how search behaviour has changed during the pandemic and practical tips for you to put in place straight away when refreshing your listings to make the most of a reviving market. Click below to catch up.
Teach your customers and yourself how to great photos, with professional property photographer Alex Stretton
Alex Stretton of Elements property marketing joined us on 16th April for a session full of tips including:
- Camera/phone settings to get the best results
- Composing shots like a pro
- Quick tips for enhancing images
Track home mover demand in your local market, with the new Local Market Indicator
The Local Market Indicator gives you an early indicator of trends in search behaviour in your area. This can be used to re-assure your customers that the market is reviving or provide extra insight to support business decisions – like when to increase staffing levels.
Need some extra help with call answering or viewings? We’ve teamed up with Viewber and Moneypenny to offer exclusive rates for Rightmove members:
