Agencies adapt to a Future with PropTech
Necessity is the mother of invention. And what constitutes a safe working space or an adequate customer service experience in the world of e-commerce has been completely upturned in the time of COVID-19.
Over the seven months, the PropTech industry has stepped in to provide solutions to problems that developers, 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 connectivity and the removal of onerous tasks, which could be supplemented with a more focused customer service and customer care approach to work.
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.
Our Advice Line - a Source of Comfort during the Pandemic
The last seven months have been pivotal on so many levels, it really is difficult to know where to begin. We witnessed the country stop in its tracks in late March, as businesses, our clients transitioned from the office environment to WFH. A task which seems straightforward but not so; where do directors, MDs, office managers, negs, property managers and administrators begin with such a gargantuan undertaking? And yet, they did up until the 12th May when the housing market re-opened to the surprise of everyone working within the sector. What followed was a flurry of activity to get Covid-19 protocols in place for the safe re-opening of the sector, a soft-opening if you will do so many letting agents, estate agents, conveyancers, surveyors - tentatively venturing into unknown territory to be certain that health and safety came first.
Our Role
We, like everyone in business, have been affected by the virus. Our CEO, Susie became ill with virus on the day of the first Lockdown, a worrying time for us all, hoping she would make a swift recovery. Our face to face training was put on hold and with the support of Tony at Pixels and Puzzles, we moved seemlessly online, not just to train but provide clients with extremely important webinars, put together to guide letting agents through what must have felt like relentless changes to existing legislation. Susie came to the webinar party in mid-April when she was certain she could cope with the level of questions being asked; we remember after every webinar or training session, she needed a nap - post-Covid fatigue was a real thing.
Unlocking Property Management
The great property freeze has lifted, with estate agents now allowed to open back up and property moves given the green light again. But as one of the first industries to reopen, how should letting agents prepare for the next phase of their COVID-19 response?
Staff
The first question many agents will be dealing with is how to unfurlough furloughed staff. There are no hard and fast rules. As agents navigate the new situation, it may be worth considering:
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The different skill-sets of your staff – which parts of your operation are on the front line may determine which of your staff should be brought back first.
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Some agents may choose to operate a ‘first-out-first-in’ policy and bringing back those members of staff that have been on furlough the longest.
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Assessing which of your staff may have children at home with nobody to care for them while schools are closed or those that may be more vulnerable make provisions for remote working where possible.(pregnant women or those with health concerns for example).