Online and hybrid estate agents are ‘good for the industry’, says Andrews boss

The industry should recognise that online and hybrid estate agents are a “positive threat” and the traditional agents who carry on regardless won’t survive. That’s the view of David Westgate, the Chief Executive of Andrews Property Group (pictured, standing left), who says online competition is good because it’s “shaking us all up a bit and forcing us to think dynamically about how we move our businesses forward,” he says. “It’s a threat, but it’s a positive one that enables us to get sharper and focus on what our customers’ needs are. For me, it’s about how Andrews responds to this ‘threat’.” David, who recently received a long-service award to mark his 20 years at the firm, has overseen the introduction of an app (pictured, below) for its customers to help them manage viewings and review offers which, he says, already has 2,700 ‘live’ vendors. “We recognise that a lot of customers haven’t got the time to, or just don’t want to, talk to us directly so that’s why we developed the app,” he says. “The first thing is to define what the customer wants, then launch a service to match that through the appropriate channels. “If someone wants to come…

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