Inquiries to letting agents are running at triple the number per property than inquiries about properties for sale, Rightmove has revealed.
Research by the portal also showed that most people expect to hear from the agent almost immediately – often within an hour but definitely within 24 hours.
But in a test involving more than 200 agents, nearly 40% took over 24 hours to respond.
Furthermore, a number of agents apparently failed to spot that the inquirer was not only asking about rental accommodation, but also requesting a valuation on their own property.
Nearly 70% failed to respond to the valuation request within 24 hours.
Altogether, there have been 18.8m inquiries sent by Rightmove to letting agents in the last 12 months, the portal’s head of lettings, Timothy Bannister told Eye.
Bannister said that research by Rightmove shows that both tenants and landlords expect prompt responses from agents.
One in five landlords who have made preliminary inquiries (17%) say they expect contact within the hour, and nearly two-thirds (61%) say they expect it within a few hours.
Tenants – a total of 133,000 were questioned – rate speed as well as quality as things that would make them recommend agents.
Rightmove also asked landlords how they would choose an agent. Nine in ten said reputation and recommendations were essential or important.
Bannister said: “One way of getting recommendations is to get tenants to become promoters. That is because 7–10% of landlords are tenants, and 25% of tenants want to become landlords.”
Based on its research among landlords and tenants, Rightmove carried out an exercise among 213 agents. The following enquiry was sent to agents:
“I would like to view this property, any time next Tuesday works for me if this is possible. I have children, is this going to pose an issue? Also I’m looking to let my own 3 bed property, please send me details on your services.”
The results found that 61% of all the agents responded to the query within 24 hours – the key cut-off point.
Bannister said: “The fastest response was an automated response within one minute, and agents were quick out of the blocks on the phone too, with some making a phone call in under two minutes.
“One in ten agents responded by both phone and email within one hour, and nearly one-third (31%) directly responded to the appraisal opportunity within a 24-hour period.”
He added: “Our research has shown that the key is to beat both landlords’ and tenants’ expectations on speed and on quality.
“Consider not only the speed of responding, but also the method, as we found people are more likely to recommend an agent if they use both phone and email to follow up.
“It’s important to remember that every lead may open up an opportunity to create a promoter for your business.”
Comments (23)
Live chat operators is very important because we can get live chat software from any company but the success of company or leads is depends on the <a href=”http://www.rapidlivechat.co.uk”>live chat operators for website</a>
What is interesting from the above, and the original storyline, is that RM – the forefront of UK property portals – the market leader – appears now to be lagging behind others in their development of features.
Thinking they are 'Teflon', they have sat up high on their pedestal ignoring the competition and what is going on round them – and others have crept up to challenge them for their rooftop perch.
What was their last big achievement – the last 'toy' on their website to delight and amaze 'consumers' – somebody remind me?
It seems sooo long ago… 😉
Was it the day dream facility? the bit where slightly scary girls get to run amuck through other people's property during their lunch break?
How about the fact that they are providing a public service to people with nothing to do on Christmas day, surely that is an achievement, something to be celebrated?
Tech wise they are stuck at 2002!
Maybe we haven't caught on to that add to cart mentality, is it hubris or are we just lazy, wilko & phoenix are probably right but however you chop it up its really not a good look. I've got faith in the professionalism of my colleagues but we need to up our game and start practising what we preach because there's no excuse, leads should have us all at hello.
I might be drinking my lunch (wardy I've saved you a bench) but the enthusiasm for listing shouldn't drop off the curve once we're hired, that just sucks and given its open season on agency credibility why are we prepping their needle for our lethal injection?
We're not perfect but this is an easy fix so don't expect me to write a song, I'm over it but Ros, I'm guessing you're waiting on those 3 little words when really we should be making out like the planes going down so quit playing hard to get and pony up that comment of the week…pretty please?
She's just deciphering your offerings, Tuf Luv – give her a chance matey… 😉
Seems PeeBee is on the money! Yomdel is in close contact with Mr May, and we are the brains (or it that brawn?) behind Yomdel Live Lead, the free 24/7 live chat service for estate and letting agents.
We're open to anyone wishing to test it, just let us know. But (placing the sales pitch to one side) it is important for everyone to think about how they can create competitive advantage while also find ways to be seen as trailblazers in offering an unbeatable customer experience.
The digital world is changing everything. The bricks and mortar agent needs to have a virtual persona as well as a high street address. People will still visit the branch, but they are also just as likely to visit the virtual branch any time of the day of night.
You don't ignore visitors in the branch, in fact it is just the opposite as cups of tea and maybe even the occasional biscuit are offered. Online there is no biscuit, but there could be a warm greeting! And then there are the leads…
The above is an interesting and innovative way to deal with the situation – but of course, like everything – it then depends on someone attending to the resultant phone call!
At the risk of sounding like a 'Field Agent' for Mr May, I have been following him recently mainly as a result of the AM debate. (When I say "following", he has, in fact, taken out a Restraining Order which does not allow me within 500 metres, so I don't get to hear his every breath – but he knows I'm there, somewhere… 😉 ) Now, a couple of weeks ago, on that Tw@tter thing that I despise so much, he asked for dummies to crash-test a feature for him… so, being the inquisitive (…among other words…) sort that I am, and fitting the 'dummy' profile – I 'PeeBee'd' the feature he wanted testing.
It is a 'Live-Chat' arrangement whereby instead of 'the norm' – filling in an online form and pressing 'Submit' – you actually converse with a real person.
I don't think it will be for every person visiting an Agent's website – but, I firmly believe it HAS GOT legs. I found it quite engaging.
Of course, it is only as good as
a) the way enquiries are handled at the point of contact (the outsourced 'negotiator'); and
b) the follow-up from the Agent
in order to be a worthwhile feature of your offering – but as an USP, I think it's a winner.
Anybody else take him up on the challenge and care to comment?
Sorry… when I started my long post above it was 9.30 – then a take-on beckoned – de dah de dah – and lo and behold by the time I got round to pressing "post Comment" several others had beaten me to it.
The "interesting and innovative way to deal with the situation" I was referring to was that posted by 'QuickCaller'.
Don't worry PeeBee, you're still on the money!
I hadn't heard of Quick Caller till that post, seeing Rob Wellstead is involved means it is good as well as interesting an innovative.
Is it a case of lead fatigue, I wonder? As urbanite says in the previous comment, those that send in email leads can be lazily clicking adverts on sites. RM and Zoopla are well aware that the quality of some of the leads they supply can be variable (at best). Without strong qualifying information — which comes from a conversation — it is always going to be hard to identify which of those leads are actually worthwhile. Do you keep chasing? Or do you try and cherry pick leads that may have substance?
Here at Yomdel we are focussed on changing this. Our live chat services enable real time engagement 24/7 with website visitors as and when they have questions and are expressing a direct interest. Leads that come out of live chat will not only have all the necessary contact details, but there will be detailed information on requirements and other important elements such as time frame and finance. By the time an agent looks at the lead, they know immediately whether it is worthwhile, and there will also generally be an arrangement whereby the visitor is expecting a call back at a certain time.
Through using human interaction, it is possible to begin building a rapport with a potential client immediately, so that by the time the phone conversation occurs the client is warmed up and receptive.
Beyond this, at a time when so many agents want to find those elusive vendors and landlords, proactive engagement can identify prospects ahead of the competition.
At the end of the day, it is about getting quality leads that you know stand a much better chance of converting. It is not always a volume game.
Completely agree – when it comes to your Applicant list, it should be quality over quantity every time. Madly registering every Tom, Dick and Harry on the system just because they deigned to contact you is like having 1500 'Friends' on Facebook … I have spent all morning on the phone and left at least 30 voicemail messages, not one person has called back! BTW what is the point of having a mobile phone with no answerphone facility?? Just my Friday whinge …:)
We have found precisely the opposite problem. Applicants register on RM or Zoopla and an email comes through. We answer by return and also call supplied number. Our return emails offering the viewing as requested or supply of information are very often ignored and only about one in every ten calls to mobiles are answered with voicemail messages ignored. Having looked at the source of our own successful sales and lettings it has become increasingly clear that serious applicants (those that actually go on to buy or rent the property in question) call straight away from RM or Zoopla and those that send in email leads are quite often lazily clicking adverts on sites.
Totally Agree with you it is the new technology lifting peoples aspiration of service. They click at one end and expect an immediate click response from the you. Life isn't a play station game you switch on and off to suit yourself. We find the same people who demand instant responses are also the same tenants who expect someone round in an hour to fix a washing machine or unblock a toilet they have blocked. They are also the same tenants who will not allow you access for viewings when they serve N to Q. How many agents get the broad brush all embracing email "Looking for a 2 bed flat" Sorry RM & Zoo are we supposed to be psychic?
NeilW,
I think you much have a better class of 'tyre kicker' if you get an email, "Looking for a 2 bed flat".
If I had a fiver for very generic enquiry I would be rich. Ours usually say, "I want a property in Bristol". Invariably when we email them they turn out to be on benefits which we do not deal with,
This just arrived from Zoopla, "I am looking for property to rent in Bristol. Please let me know about any suitable properties you have. Thanks. "
Prime Example – Received this Zoopla lead today, responded immediately accommodating the request. This is for a flat available from next week.
I would love to arrange a viewing over the weekend if that's possible as I am working weekdays from 8am – 6pm. any chance I can see this property on Saturday. Please contact me by email or send me a text message. thank you in anticipation. kind regards,
Yep, you guessed it… received nothing back since 1pm today, specifically asked to email and text response. This is typical of leads in at the moment from RM and Zoopla – the people who send the leads expect to hear back from us in 24hrs but offer no such courtesy in return!.
Agreed….there was a mass exodus of decent people from the industry from 2008 (mostly into recruitment) that have never really been replaced. You 100% right in what you say regarding many of the big boys but its not unique to them. The actual business of Estate Agency and what that means is becoming a dying art form as so many newbies coming through lack any grounding or training.
We took this problem very seriously and use software from http://Www.callwell.co.uk to generate a telephone call to our office each time an email is received. We look at our Callwell screen and then press 1 and the customer is immediately called.
Problem solved, and the customer is blown away!!! Most enquiry emails are called within 10seconds. (We won a Gold (for Best Innovation) at The Lettings Agency of The Year for our involvement in this software.)
Can never rally understand this kind of thing. Why advertise/use RM if your going to ignore the leads. Its no different to leaving the phone ringing unanswered or ignoring a walk in visitor to the branch…
Yep , agree…..don't you think this story reflects the poor level of staff that have been brought into the industry in recent years?…..most of the big boys pay min wage to new staff……you know the type….you ring up an agent to check the chain on a property and they say "sorry , you need to speak to so and so" You reply "can't you just check the file" thay say "sorry I can't find the file at the moment but so and so will ring you back"!! useless….drives me mad.
Maybe Rightmove should try ringing their agents back in time as well, I often had to wait a few days.
Given the high cost of listing properties on Rightmove you'd think those emails and phone calls would be flying out within no more that half an hour! Sadly though, it's true. I have assisted friends and family with property searches over the years and it beggars belief how many agents do not respond promptly.