Adapt or Die – Property Industry
The property industry is unrecognisable to what it was 5 years ago let alone the launch of the internet! It has brought us convenience, instantaneous answers, the power to search property from the comfort of your home – the list is endless. Large online firms like Purple Bricks and Yopa have sprung up offering further convenience by selling your house without you having to step out of your front door into an office! But interestingly, traditional, high street agents have not moved on. Evidence of this is easily attainable – look at the launch of On the Market.com – a portal high street agent collaborated on to try and EXCLUDE the threat of online agents thus preserve their own position in the industry. However, this type of thinking is unsustainable and, as we have seen through all walks of life, there is eventually comes a point where agents will have to adapt or die.
So what options are on the table, especially for local agents in Witham who may struggle in a digital world where money talks and those with a large marketing budget can effectively create a barrier to entry? Here at WitLet, we have decided to embrace #PropTech in an effort to minimise cost while increasing service. We are looking at the role of the agency itself and we have an idea of how we wish to evolve our roles to differentiate ourselves from those who think the traditional model is the only one that will work. While salesmanship will always be a factor within the industry, our clients’ journey is at the forefront of our thinking (the very definition of customer, who they are and what we can offer to enable their lives to be easier are all factors of our thinking). While an independent agent will never be able to match the manpower of a large corporate agency, #PropTech can help us provide 24/7 facilities for all to be able to check/report issues themselves without the need to speak to anyone – which many in fact prefer!
If you would be interested in our plans and how we offer a different service to most others in Witham, Essex, please call us on 01376502500 or email us on 01376502500!
