If no one visits an estate agents' office anymore who is going to see the glossy brochures?
We live in the tech age. Speed, efficiency and convenience are at the forefront of virtually everything we do. We no longer visit estate agency offices so we do not pick up glossy property brochures.
As a general rule, we tend to eschew change. As creatures of habit, we usually prefer to stick to what we know rather than rocking the boat and changing things. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
But, sometimes, this comfort zone can hinder progression. We can sit in blind ignorance that what we are doing is fine when there could be a better, more efficient or more convenient option right in front of our eyes.
This is the case for estate agents.
We live in the tech age. Speed, efficiency and convenience are at the forefront of virtually everything we do.
We value our time now more than we ever have before. We don't wait for a cab anymore; we order an Uber to come to us.
We don't go out for takeaway; we get Deliveroo.
And technology is a part of everyday tasks. We carry a smartphone in our hand capable of booking tickets for the cinema, arranging an excursion, booking tables or taxis. And searching for a home.
We don't visit estate agencies anymore; we email them from the comfort of our living room or perhaps whilst on holiday on the beach. The location of the office or the agent's opening hours are no longer a restriction. And we don't have to wait to speak to an agent in person; we can call, email, or even Whatsapp them.
If you choose a By Design agent, you can register on the mailing list without waiting for the agent to pick up your call or voicemail message. If you decide on a new price range or location, you can update your requirements anytime.
So, if we live in this world filled with technological advancements that give us unlimited scope to be efficient with our time, why would we visit an estate agent's office? The chances are that, in reality, the only time you would need to visit the office in person is to collect the keys to your new home.
As an industry, estate agency resists change as much as anyone else. Suppose you were to ask an agent how they will market your home, particularly in the higher value market. They'll likely tell you they will create beautiful glossy brochures printed like a fabulous booklet to show off your property in its glory, ready to entice a new buyer.
But who will see this brochure if no one visits the office anymore?
My guess is that the stack of printed brochures will shortly find its way into the recycling bin as most viewers will have arranged the viewing online and viewed the 'brochure' as a pdf.
Not to mention the geographical restrictions that printed brochures pose. If you can only get a brochure by visiting the office in person, what about the potential buyers that could be interested in the property but come from out of the area? With the available technology, someone could conduct a virtual tour of a property from their home - possibly hundreds of miles away. It seems that there is very little need for the brochure at all.
Think of the harm to the environment from the unnecessary paper waste and the ink used to print. And if there is a glossy coating to the pages, there is a potential that the brochure can't even be recycled, meaning that it'll end up in a landfill.
Think about your own property search. Have you been online to look at the available properties, emailing the agents from home on an evening? Perhaps even with a glass of wine, wearing your slippers in the height of comfort and relaxation.
Or have you gone out into town and struggled to get a parking space as you battle your way through the crowds to the estate agents' office?
Once inside, you wait until the agents in the office get off the phone to speak to you. You tell them what you are looking for, and they hand you a stack of printed brochures to take away. Then you go into the next agent and the next, repeating the process until you have spent your whole day searching for properties and all you have to show for it is a car parking fee and a stack of printed brochures. Then, you make your way home, looking through all the brochures, selecting those you like the look of and recycling the rest.
In a buoyant housing market, the time it has taken to have a day free to collect the brochures and then call the agents afterwards to arrange viewing appointments could mean that you have missed out entirely on the property. All property searchers that use technology will likely have made viewing appointments already and could even be placing offers.
Technology has helped the market to move quickly and without friction, leaving the concept of property brochures behind.
So, if you have valuation appointments and the agent promotes glossy brochures as part of their strategy, ask them how many they hand out compared to how many get recycled. And what is their plan to promote the property to people outside the immediate vicinity of their office?
Get in touch today to find out about the innovative technology that By Design agents use to promote a property.
