With the lockdown now lifted, the property industry is preparing to re-open offices and adjust to what everyone calls “the new normal”.

In this new normal, we believe the only way forward is virtual. Whether it’s virtual valuations or virtual viewings, video calls with customers or video property walkthroughs, virtual is here to stay. That’s why all throughout the lockdown and after, we’ve helped our clients and other estate agents with advice on how to set up virtual systems, integrate them on their websites and how to use video as a medium for  competitive advantage.

If you haven’t caught me talking about it in one of the webinars done on the topic, we’re unpacking the key elements you need to know in this article for you. The following videos are part of a webinar done on the Rightmove Hub.

Video everything as an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)    

We’ve been saying to our customers to video everything as fast as they can, even before the pandemic. And that is because virtual viewings and valuations have benefits beyond business continuity in a lockdown.

Video calls and virtual meetings are a more sustainable way for estate agents to do business, they can be conducted at almost any time of the week and at shorter notices (thus giving you a competitive edge) and they save you and your customers time and effort on properties that they don’t like or are not interested in.

They are also a great way to show how innovative you are as a business and to start engaging with your customers in more meaningful and productive ways.

More on why you should embrace video calls and virtual meetings as the only way forward and starting practicing it as an MVP:

Virtual meeting tools in review

It almost doesn’t matter what tools you're choosing for your virtual meetings, as long as you feel comfortable using them. From Whatsapp and Facetime to Skype, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, they all have great features that any estate agent can use to their advantage.  

Our favourite is Zoom, among other things because of some great features that come with the paid plans: cloud recording with transcript is one, allowing you to save a lot of time on meeting minutes, sharing information and keeping everyone in the loop within your team (an essential aspect of team work especially when working remotely).

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Another great feature of Zoom is that it’s integrating with appointment tools such as Calendly, allowing you to save even more time in managing your virtual appointments and making it super easy for your customers to book them in.

If you want to find out how to set-up your business virtual platform using Zoom and Calendly, watch our 3-part video demo.

For more tips on how to use Calendly and make the most of it to run virtual appointments efficiently, watch Ben’s quick video guide:

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Prepare your website and your team for virtual appointments

Going virtual with your valuations and viewings is something new for both your team and your customers. That’s why a certain amount of educating will be required at first, in order to make the most of your new virtual process.

Besides having clear messages and marketing landing pages created on your website, as well as having the call-to-action buttons on your website updated, it’s good to train your team on how to best use these tools and then have them support customers through the new process.

For examples and more practical tips on how to prepare your team and your customers for virtual meetings, watch this short video:

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