All of these estate agents have achieved this status by consistently using 90% or more of the entire dezrez system. We can monitor your usage of dezrez from our specially designed software, making it possible for us to tailor training specifically for your agency. We can also offer you advice on how to improve efficiency in your estate agency.
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Zoopla are now delivering a TV campaign as promised. The advert looks like it might cement them in the public’s eye as a credible and serious alternative to Rightmove, possibly moving them to number 2. What do you think?
I have always maintained that the main reason for Rightmove’s popularity with the public is their clever advertising strategy (aside from the fact that their website is very functional and easy to use). Whilst agents show disdain at their high charges, Rightmove are extremely competent at justifying their fee and therefore business remains brisk. Zoopla are using a new tact, a sort of social networking tact. This offers their site as a resource centre for buyers and sellers focusing on values and sold prices among other things.
As an impartial observer, the dezrez team are of the opinion that Zoopla are certainly now ingrained as a commonly accepted portal by our agents. No small feat! Many have tried and failed but we won’t mention names! You can quote hit counts or unique visitors but it’s what the client remembers on a viewing or valuation that counts with agents. The right TV campaign certainly helps and only time will tell how this one pans out.
Starting last year, we were one of the first estate agent software providers to begin uploading your properties to Google Real Estate. New improvements have been made, giving us the ability to customise your property listings online.
Currently your properties will display the dezrez.com domain and direct potential house hunters to your portal brochure on dezrez. We can customise your feed to Google, advertising your brand in their maps, linking directly to your website.
Let us make the changes!
Call or email us for a quotation
0845 465 2222 | mail@dezrez.com
According to Stephen Fry on Last Friday’s QI entitled “Fakes and Frauds”, the average estate agent has the same vocabulary as a budgerigar called Puck (which holds the record at 1728 words). I was appalled at this statement and spent the weekend attempting to prove him wrong. I have been successful and have proved Stephen was mistaken! Unfortunately the average vocabulary of an Estate Agent is only 667!
This ridiculous statement has sound statistical backing – I looked at the main property description for all properties our agents currently have on the market and calculated the number of unique words used. Only 19 agents exceeded the 1728 words of Puck with the most verbose agent being LetSureUK in Billericay! Unsurprisingly the most used word (other than “the” and “a”) is “property”. Interestingly LetSure prefer the use of the term “home”. A much more important useless piece of information is that as a group Dezrez estate agents have used over 35360 unique words. This thrashes Shakespeare who used a measly 28,829 throughout his plays (thanks http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/stats/).
So which do you prefer: Less verbose than a budgie or more eloquent than Shakespeare?
It’s that time of the year when all the 18 year olds go out and get drunk to celebrate whatever A level results they achieved. Here at dezrez it reminded all us oldies just how long ago we last sat exams.
I’m a software developer so since my A levels I’ve had the option of sitting computing exams in an effort to become Microsoft certified. The idea being that it will improve my professional standing as well as skills. As I’m not a negotiator, I’m not sure what professional qualifications are equivalent for an estate agent.
I was wondering what people in the Estate agent industry thought of their professional qualifications. Does anyone have advice for new negotiators or letting agents on what qualifications or courses they should undertake? Should they be following the NAEA professional development courses or the ARLA equivalent? Or is there something else you’ve found invaluable. Or is the best advice just get out there and learn on the job?
The Dezrez Legal department is being invaded by pregnant woman at the moment. Luckily we are an office full of girls and so are coping quite well with the swollen ankles, hot flushes, and the comedy tying of shoe laces. The mothers to be are keen for people to know they are expecting small people rather than just rapidly putting on weight, but the uncomfortable split second decision people who cross their paths have to make can be a minefield. Luckily the BBC have given a helping hand:
We must be over working our head of support – when he answers the phone he always says “Hello Dezrez, how can I help?”. All very commendable, but perhaps not appropriate when he’s using his own mobile and its his girlfriend calling!
All of which is just an excuse to let you know we are working on expanding the integration of your phone system with our estate agency software.
Computer–telephone integration (or CTI) is one of the best ways to improve customer service levels and efficiency. It really is the dog’s bo**ocks!
The phone starts ringing and you…
a) Instantly answer it wondering who might be calling.
b) Look at the phone number and try to remember who it might be (realise that it’s your wife and get someone else to answer it!).
or If you have integrated your telephone system with dezrez…
c) Look at the Customer card that has just popped up, read the name of the person calling and as a good boy scout ‘be prepared’.
We are always looking at new ways for agents to market properties. So how about advertising your properties in 3D? Sounds garish, well there is a simple, amazingly powerful tool for creating and presenting 3D models of property. The product is called Google SketchUp. You can model properties & its surroundings, giving your customers a 3D view. You can even print to high resolution devices, post it to Google Earth or the 3D Warehouse.
So is there a future for Estate Agents to create their own 3D models of property? Let us know what you think and any comments if you have already used Sketchup.
Whats the best thing about losing an instruction? Not all is lost when all is lost! When you put work into a valuation its always disappointing to lose it, but the best thing about estate agency is that you might get another bite at the cherry. Be smart and organised and you can maximise the business that you eventually get from these lost clients:
1. Diagnose the problem: Ask the client a short series of questions and determine why your service isn’t suitable. Remember to record the results for future analysis
2. Empathize: If any of the reasons for leaving are related to issues within the control of your estate agency, such as product or service problems, apologize for the problem, state the importance of the customer relationship, and ask if there is anything that could be done to keep the customer from leaving. If its price, explain why your prices are higher. Ensure you have a well written script with some benefits over all of your local competitors.
3. If appropriate make a counter offer or offer assurances to rectify the service issues.
4. Whether or not the employer is successful in keeping the customer from leaving, a follow-up letter should be sent to the customer within one day.
5. Analyze the data relating to lost business. Understand where you are losing business
6. Make Adjustments to Business Practices: The data analysis should clearly identify areas in need of improvement. Management should address these areas, which may consist of the treatment customers receive from employees, product problems, pricing, etc.
7. Ensure the timing of your follow up is good. Having established the clients agency period in step one, a well timed call and letter can do wonders. Include some USP’s of your business, good local price information and some information of your recent sales. These may well add some doubt into the clients mind and give you the second bite at the cherry
Give us a call at dezrez. We can show you a simple way to set up a workflow to do exactly the steps above, and if you win any instructions as a result, I will let you buy me a beer at the next property computer show.