New figures show that sellers tend to visit an estate agent’s website prior to instructing them to sell their home.
Property Academy has released their latest Home Moving Survey which was in conjunction with a nation estate agent. The survey saw 2300 buyers and sellers ask about their moving home experience during 2021.
Did you know that despite most sellers staying with the agent they originally picked, 20% of home movers changed from one agent to another during the sales process?
The majority of the results from this study show the importance of having a good website and a strong digital presence.
It was revealed that the most important features on an agent’s website are the quality of images, the property search function, and for the website to be easily viewing on a mobile.
Other aspects of a website that are important to sellers included video tours, local housing market information and the ability to book viewings online.
More specifically, respondents said that in relation to property information, 72% of respondents said that floorplans were essential. The quality of images was mentioned again, along with the description of the property and map/street view.
Nicky Stevenson, who is the MD of a recognised UK estate agency, commented: “The pandemic both prompted and accelerated new ways of marketing a property digitally. Many respondents pointed out that they would like to see more virtual tours on agents’ websites, along with more virtual tours on the portals.
“Virtual tours and videos continue to grow in importance and are becoming a must-have in an agents marketing quiver. It opens up the property to a far wider audience and helps buyers to view a property from the comfort of their home.”
Sellers may want to search for houses digitally, however their top choice for how they would like to be contacted by an agent was by phone call. Email was their second preferred choice.
She added: “Interesting to note that Zoom or chat was the least preferred method. With many people working remotely and conducting much of their business over video calls, we are perhaps seeing signs of people feeling a certain fatigue when it comes to this type of communication.
“People are looking for trustworthy, knowledgeable agents who have the ability to successfully market their property, who are willing to provide regular feedback and expert advice over the phone.”