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The number of high street estate and letting agents operating throughout the UK is on the rise, despite regular talk of the threat online/hybrid models pose to the more traditional way of doing things.
Research conducted by PwC and the Local Data Company found that more high street offices were opened in the first half of 2016 than those that closed. The data revealed that, in the UK’s 500 largest town centres, 102 shop-front estate agency offices were opened in the first six months of this year.
By contrast, just 76 were closed, meaning a net increase of 26.
Interestingly, high street agents were the second biggest growing sector of the 12 sectors analysed. In fact, aside from high street agents, only fashion clothing shops saw more store openings.
This, of course, is good news for agents, as more branches opening suggests a market that is strong, competitive and healthy, even with the current uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
This doesn’t mean that online/hybrid models aren’t still making waves, or growing in number and influence by the year, it just means that there is space for all models in the marketplace, with traditional high street agents still the dominant force in this respect.
Nonetheless, it’s those high street agents that really embrace technology who get the best results. Those willing to accept the new, technological, modern world – and adapt their services and practices towards this – are the ones that are currently thriving.
Whether it’s a modern, glossy, user-friendly website, a strong social media strategy, virtual reality tours, a heavy presence on the portals or instant valuation tools, making use of online innovations is key for any 21st Century agency.
We can see with the rise of PropTech how effortlessly property and technology are mixing, and that is only likely to grow in the coming decades. New and inventive companies, start-ups and apps are springing up all the time. Agents who embrace these new techniques are likely to reap the rewards.
When you’re an estate agent – whether high-street, online or hybrid – you want every part of your business to run smoothly. That way you can offer the best possible service to your clients, in turn growing, expanding and enhancing your business.
Luckily, at Gnomen, we can offer exactly that. All our services operate together in complete harmony, aided and abetted by our cloud-based system – which means that you can manage your staff, office, customers and multi-channel marketing in one place.
Our software allows agents to stay on top of all the vital elements of their business – call-backs, valuations, instructions, diary, etc. – while customers remain informed at all times. Estate agency is people-led and customer focused. If you don’t keep your customers happy, you don’t have a successful business. As such, customer support is absolutely key.
We offer a wide range of services at Gnomen to make the above a reality, including website integration, integrated office accounting, free training, free upgrades, website design and content management.
For more info about what we offer please give us a call on 0208 123 9019. You can also book a free demo today.
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