Agencies adapt to a Future with PropTech

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Former US President Barack Obama said it well, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Over the last seven months, the PropTech industry has stepped in to provide solutions to problems that directors, office managers, and those working in the lettings industry did not have, or perhaps did not think about in the way that they are doing now. In short, Proptech allowed a huge amount of connectivity and the removal of onerous tasks.

It’s safe to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly altered life and business as we know it. In our current reality, the only constant now is change, and regardless of your industry, successfully navigating an increasingly volatile environment cannot be accomplished with an eye for old practices.

Until Covid-19 is behind us, some uncertainty is here to stay. That said, companies from all industries need to increase agility to navigate future obstacles. As a second lockdown has been imposed , technology is again helping agencies manage closed offices and employees who may again be working from home. Technology not only plays its part in getting tasks done, it allows for intense safety compliance protocols that help safeguard employee and customer safety. 

Technology Improves Efficiency

One of the main reasons to adopt technology is that it increases your business’ efficiency. Imagine having to WFH during the first lockdown and rely on a phone, the post office and a fax machine to communicate with clients and potential customers. Technology helped handle the workload and streamline the agency’s workload in a way that benefited everyone.

CRM systems ensured that data could be accessed remotely, documents signed, as well as allowing accurate records to be kept. HelloSign, DocuSign, AdobeSign, SignNow, SignEasy and so many more meant that transactions could completed without worrying about missing deadlines.

Using platforms that can integrate with your current CRM or property management software makes sense when dealing with large volumes of administration. Goodlord and PayProp are two excellent examples of how admin has been dealt with effectively, all the while ensuring compliance.

Virtual Viewings

In the UK around 80% of house hunters now use the web to start their search for property. In May 2020, post- lockdown , there was a huge demand on virtual viewings and valuations. The coronavirus kept people in their homes, but virtual software, such as my360property became increasingly popular with letting agents allowing them to incorporate new technologies that helped customers view potential homes.

Connectivity with VOIP

One thing that we learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic was that communication is the key for every business’s success. Excellent communication and collaboration with the client's or employees during such crises can lessen the effect of this pandemic. WFH generally means that employees depend on their internet connection to log in and receive phone calls but being in the cloud means easier access to your remote employees from different locations.

Video Conferencing

As WFH became a long-term trend, video conferencing has become the go-to solution for not just business meetings, but employees to socialise and meet. GotoMeeting, Teams, Zoom, Google Meet amongst others have been adopted by letting agents nationwide to become informed, trained, connected and continue to operate.

But it isn’t just tech that’s keeping us safe it the simplicity of good hygiene, a face covering or mask and staying apart.