When you start something it’s exhausting, nerve wracking, exciting and frightening.
If you’re young it’s all of the above and probably involves someone else’s money, but when you’re not it’s double everything, and probably IS your own money.
There’s so much that’s new at the moment, and if one had the luxury of sitting back and watching, it would be fun but still something of a lottery.
For any start-up there’s the challenge of getting off the ground and on to the first step, and it would be fair to say that after nine months of blood and sweat, despite knowing we had something worthwhile, we are arguably on the first step – i.e. just off the floor.
Two funding rounds for Viewber have elicited far more than was envisaged and a real appetite to support something that many agree genuinely fills a service gap.
Resistance is to be expected, but my experience, and the reason it exists, was that people often despair at being forced to fit viewing times into an agent’s schedule – and increasingly that’s not acceptable – especially in such a fast-moving environment when a missed viewing is followed by a dozen properties in their morning inbox to distract them.
“Just try to get a weekend viewing….” I was told over and over and over again. I know, I’ve tried.
We’ve had some stern tests over the course of thousands of viewings, agents deliberately giving us remote locations to service, keeping a close eye on the quality of those we’re sending to do viewings, giving us shorter and shorter notice, early morning requests, etc.
Many have been from hardened agents, initially inured to change, where the possibilities were obvious but who were determined for it to not work for them. But so far it has.
It helps that the service is no longer an idea but is now an easy-to-use tool guaranteeing a service at the click of a mouse.
Many have their own arrangements, including part-time staff to help out, but for the very first time all agents everywhere have access to a huge network of sensible vetted locals via the sharing economy requiring no management input at all. This must surely a good thing from a service perspective even if only used for overflow.
Do I miss what I used to do? Yes, but the excitement of what I’m doing now has more than made up for it and as I sit here and write this, whoever wins the latest bit of political interference, in this case the General Election, isn’t going to liven up London property any time soon.
I’m expecting the usual negativity below, but I’d ask those with an alternative view to call me as I’m genuinely keen to provide what agents (and what I would have wanted when running an office) want – or even better, try it out and make your own judgement. You never know, you might like it.
BTW – congrats to Nick, Ros and everyone for their award, well deserved.
It isn’t negativity Ed it is objection; people love to share their objections and tell you why something won’t work. Understanding that is the greatest gift any business can be given, it is one key to being successful. People tell you what’s wrong with the product or service and the smart thing to do is assess if the objector is right, wrong, badly informed or a competitor and then make a decision whether to fix, change or leave alone based on who is knocking what you are doing and why.
Transitioning from Agent to service supplier is something a lot of people have tried. Getting it right requires understanding how to be the very lowest person on the ladder and taking in all the negativity people want to throw at you.
Personally I think your talents and connections aren’t being best employed on Viewber. You have certainly spotted and filled a gap in the market but you are missing a bigger opportunity that you in particular are stood upon
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Viewber is without doubt one of the most ridiculous ideas to surface in a while. There seems a real desperation out there throw money at unnecessary and unneeded services. Letting a hairdresser or bus driver who doesn’t know my properties or my vendors or my company or my ethos show potential buyers round one of my properties would be bonkers. No going to happen. Viewber will be history this time next year and we’ll all be talking about do-my-valuation-for-me.com
Have a good day
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Dear FromTheHip64, hopefully you can hear me from up there on your high horse.
Viewber may be a service that you do not want to use but to state it will be history this time next year shows your incredible levels of arrogance. Viewber is a service that agents can choose to use or not use, its success will not be determined by a keyboard warrior but by the demand for that service.
From what I understand there has been significant demand for the service and as it progresses in terms of its own development I would expect that demand to grow. I say, fair play to Ed Mead and good luck in your venture, I also agree with Robert May that there are bigger challenges out there waiting to be conquered.
Just as an aside, my local hairdresser has a batchelors degree in business studies and an NVQ in hairdressing. She has started her own business, does her own accounts and has made a success out of her passion. In my mind that makes her significantly more qualified than one of my local estate agents who does viewings in our area who left school at 16. My wife taught him at that school and knows exactly his capabilties. In this instance I would prefer the hair dresser to show me around the house as she has life experience, has bought her own home and has excellent people skills.
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There are an awful lot of people who are very good at selling property who are able to provide the service to fit in around, work and home commitments. Being a plain simple viewings negotiator is one of the greatest jobs there is. I can see the attraction of a bit of cash, a bit of company and the joy of people finding a new home.
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ah but this is a latch key kid venture. They are not allowed to sell the property, they are encouraged to say nothing. Then on the other hand they are rated by the viewer on their experience of the viewber, better the rating the more work they give the viewber. How is that done if they are not allowed to try and sell the property. And what if they say the wrong thing, they are not using estate agents!
Still awaiting a reply to why they are operating without a licence in Wales. Fixed penalty notices should be winging its way to viewber for every viewing since November 2016? Risk of liability for agents has never been answered other than we have insurance, not what it excludes or what a claim entails that indemnifies the agent, Very silent on this subject, but a question any agent using a third party should be asking.
Still can’t work out why I would pay viewber £30 per viewing. Lets look at it sensibly. Over a weekend 10 viewings would cost me £300 and no certainty of a sale, some properties are on the market for months with more viewings. May work for some but most of the country agents out of pocket.
This is nothing more than a commercial venture using EYE to promote it. Broken the first rule of business, it is only a good idea if people want it. I’m not sold on the idea and neither are many others.
You came on here to promote your business, to expect negativity could be just the reason why it is after all a bad idea with good intentions.
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Am I wrong, but are viewings not the most important part of my job for my vendors?Where are my properties sold?
The internet just generates interest along with other forms of advertising and marketing.
The property is sold on a positive viewing where the buyer sees most of their boxes being ticked, and engages emotionally with what they see to be their new home.
Why would I let anybody other than myself or a very trusted and well known person (to me) carry out such an important role?
The most important part of my job is to sell my vendor’s property for the best price I can attain from a capable buyer. The time and place where that buyer makes their decision is where I or a very trusted colleague should be.
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My respect for Ed has made me hold my tongue.
I think its a massive loss for the industry with Ed partnering with viewber.
Although maybe a bit premature, about this time next year it not being here i do agree with the sentiment.
I cannot for the life of me see why a full service agent would want somebody to do viewings for them? – Its the opportune time to sell a house and also build a relationship with the viewer and try and get their property on.
If my competitors heard i was “Outsourcing” my viewings they would have a field day taking my stock.
The only way this would work is an online agent with little or no reps offering “accompanied viewings”.
If we were in “The Den” i expect a dragon to say “You have come up with a solution to a problem that does not exist”
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Many a new instruction is gained from a viewing. Must really impress the viewer that the agent couldn’t turn out and he/she who did, didn’t try and sell the property. Would they expect to be treated this way as a potential vendor (that “commissary” feeling is appearing on the horizon!!!!) and tell their friends the agent does a half hearted job? Good for the agents reputation and winning instructions!
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