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I’ll tell you what I want…

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Mike Griffiths imageMike Griffiths,
Founder and Chief Executive, Expert Agent
He says: “The same tools as the online agents.”
“Many of the traditional agents have realised that they haven’t got that much to fear from the online agents, and instead have a lot to learn from them. It’s struck them how well the online agents have concentrated on interacting with their customers be they vendors, buyers, landlords or tenants,” says Mike.

“So we’re working hard to ensure that our high street customers have the same tools as their online competitors – so for example, control panels or portal performance statistics – the sort of thing that Purplebricks’ customers are given.

“One element is that it makes sense that a landlord and their tenant want somewhere where they can log-in and assess how the tenancy is progressing.

“There is another side to this, though. These new tools also enable agents to be more transparent. After the Foxtons exposé some years back, many of our clients have asked us to ensure that all of their processes are transparent for both vendor, buyer, landlord and tenant. It’s still high on their agenda after all these years.”

nick-hubbard-estates-it-sofNick Hubbard,
Sales Manager, Estates IT
He says: “To be legally compliant.”
Most of the clients I – and my sales staff – talk to these days are worried most about being legally compliant. For example, that their Section 21 is up to date, and in general ensuring that their documents and processes are compliant. It’s a pretty hot subject.

“So we’re about to launch a new technology that will automatically update the letters, tenancy agreements and other paperwork that are sent out with the latest compliance requirements. It is all about peace of mind for the agent, too; why wouldn’t you want your terms and conditions to be most up-to-date and watertight?

Clients are worried about legal compliance. Our new technology updates letters, tenancy agreements etc. to the latest requirements. It’s all about peace of mind; why wouldn’t you want your terms and conditions to be watertight? Nick Hubbard Estates IT

The other thing our clients want is improved, and more flexible, workflows. For example, all lettings agents work hard to get people moved into properties. But
the way that happens differs enormously
from client to client. So our agents want
systems that are flexible and can be
tweaked.

Al Chetwode imageAl Chetwode,
Commercial Director, CML
He says: “Our clients want to integrate.”
“We deal with the larger and more complex agents like Savills and KFH and for them it’s all about integration at the moment. So we’re working, on the lettings side, to integrate for example reference providers or the tenancy deposits schemes. Our big push is really on that at the moment.

It’s all about integration. We’re working, on the lettings side, to integrate reference providers and tenancy deposit schemes. It’s any integration that will make the work of the agent quicker and easier and give their staff more time to do their real job on the client facing side. Al Chetwode CML

“It’s any integration that will make the work of the agent quicker and easier and give their staff more time to do their real job, which is renting out houses and working on the direct client facing side. “Secondly, agents want software that helps them deal with today’s multinational, 24-7 world.

“So it’s all about engaging with clients in and out of office hours. So for example, we’ve been developing a landlord portal suite where landlords can manage and see their properties, transactions and paperwork in one place.

“But it’s really about every connected party in the lettings process being plugged in together online.”

Freya Davies imageFreya Davies,
Head of Product, Dez Rez
She says: “To take control of their systems.”
“Our agents really tell us what they want from our product, which is a key part of my job. And while functionality in the industry is much of a muchness, what agents really want is greater control of how they talk to their customers.

“It’s what you might call software with no restrictions or with a customisable element – it’s what we’re focusing on at the moment. By that I mean we’re enabling agents to put their own businesses’ processes into the software and make the system work for them, rather than the other way around.

“The technology isn’t that scary any longer and a lot of agents are instead taking the attitude of ‘what can it do for me’ rather than ‘how do I use it?’

“I also get the feeling they want to connect together – and for example link all their branches together.

Lastly, it’s also about flexibility. We have a system (called an open API) that enables software and this means our systems can talk to the chosen accounts, reporting package or CRM.

Richard Murray imageRichard Murray
Director, Eurolink/Veco
He says: “To have one system for sales and lettings.”
“The one-system approach seems to be the topic on everyone’s agenda at the moment – but it’s a big leap from using multiple systems that are dyed-in-the-wool sales or lettings to creating a complete and central database for someone’s business,” he says.

“We’ve had clients over the past 18 months go from lettings only to sales – because they had been giving away instruction to friendly local sales agents for many years and they realised that they could make the transition and take the business opportunity.

“A good example of that is Linley & Simpson in Yorkshire. They have a 15-year old business, that had previously focused on sales, that have rolled out lettings successfully over the past two years, on one database.

“More recently it’s been all about third-party integration – so many agents want things like digital signatures, maintenance reporting suites like Fixflo, inspection and reference checking all integrated into their systems.”

Mark Howlett imageMark Howlett,
PropCo
He says: “To have software that makes employees more productive.” “I think there is a continued but growing
drive to improve user experience – software these days is not just something that delivers [and outcome] and serves a purpose but has to be something that people enjoy using,” he says.

“Therefore, the argument goes, people will get more out of the software and want to use it more. So I think agents now want software that achieves this and therefore delivers greater productivity from their employees.

“And I think what’s also changing is that the kind of people joining the industry expect technology to deliver as second nature, whereas until recently that wasn’t true. And this is really helping pushing the boundary of what agents want from their software.

“Also, I think that agents these days don’t want software that is just about ‘solutions’ but rather long-term embedded system that help achieve their long term goals.”

Peter Grant imagePeter Grant,
Chief Executive, VTUK.
He says: “To win more instructions.”
“In property sales the driver for development has remained unchanged for six months. Our clients, above all else, want stock and we are being asked to focus our attentions on anything that will contribute to new instructions,” he says.

“To get new instructions, the business has to be holistic and provide a one-stop shop from cradle to grave, as we now call land purchase, through developer, to sales agent, to buy to let investor.

“So our mission here is to seamlessly integrate this and then enable constant communications with all of the stake holders such as staff, suppliers, buyers and above all sellers.

“If we can provide 24/7, meaningful data on demand as well as accurate feedback, constant communications with the seller, then they will tell recommend and agent to friends and new instructions are delivered.

“Pre market appraisal generation, point of purchase referrals for the potential sale, all of these things are possible with our connectivity and communications portal, that’s what sales need in 2016 as stock levels drop lower and lower.”

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