Zoopla Property Group has partnered with prop-tech company Vieweet and is set to launch what is claimed to be the world’s first remote-viewing platform.
Called Smart Viewing on its Zoopla site, it enables house hunters to view property remotely and allows all interested parties to take part in an interactive viewing event via Zoopla, from anywhere in the world.
The viewings are carried out in real time, using live audio and 360-degree panoramic images, with the agent effectively hosting and controlling the Smart Viewing and responding to questions via live messaging and acting as the online guide.
The agent hosting the Smart Viewing can have multiple renters or buyers online at any one stage enabling them to increase their pool of possible offers, with consumers booking slots directly with the agent via Zoopla.
ZPG and Vieweet have been piloting the initiative for the past six weeks with a number of agents including Anderson Rose, Ludlow Thompson and Thomas Morris, and expect to make the offering available to all its member agents in the coming weeks as part of their existing ZPG subscription.
Matt Cohan, group product officer at ZPG, said: “When we launch this it will be a world first.
“What really excites us about this service is that not only does it help our agent partners become more effective by conducting online viewings, it also showcases their expertise to a wider audience with the potential of winning more stock in a highly competitive market.”
Vieweet CEO Marc Haguenauer said: “Despite huge leaps in technology, the traditional way of viewing properties hasn’t changed in the last 100 years.
“The seller or landlord has to prepare the property in question, the agent and prospective buyer or tenant has to spend valuable time travelling there – with the potential for both parties to be frustrated if their client is not fully qualified or their expectations are not met.
“The launch of Smart Viewing marks the dawn of a new era. Why go to the property when the property can come to us?”
Simon Bradbury of estate agent Thomas Morris – the first agent to have a property featured on Zoopla with a Smart Viewing option – said: “Smart Viewing makes us more efficient. We now don’t need to commute to every property for a viewing.
“We can give our customers another option to do the initial viewing online. If they like it they can then book a physical viewing.”
“I just like how it ‘feels’!” The phrase that kills this idea dead except as an instruction gimmick and for some investors/ very high net worth buyers.
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Don’t be a cynic. Even you’ve highlighted that it could help win instructions. That’s good, n’est pas?
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I’m known in my family as ‘gadget-man’, due to my love of new ideas and technology but I genuinely don’t see this taking off in the same way I didn’t see the value in QR codes that everyone raved about few years ago. I may be proved wrong but I won’t be an early adopter on this piece of kit.
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That’s actually really impressive. Well done Zoopla.
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Impressive to who? Vendor or buyer. The latter is the one that matters but then not for those that charge fixed fee’s upfront.
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Simon Bradbury of estate agent Thomas Morris – the first agent to have a property featured on Zoopla with a Smart Viewing option – said: “Smart Viewing makes us more efficient. We now don’t need to commute to every property for a viewing.
Oh I would to see how that is sold to a vendor in justification of a fee. “Well Mrs Jones, I know you haven’t seen any viewings but three people viewed through our fabulous smart view system and just think about how we are saving the planet not having to get out of our chair to drive to your house to show prospective buyers around”
Ridiculous thing to say.
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Has anyone thought of the security implications of this? I can see all sorts of ner’ do wells, who also will not have to move from their armchairs, booking online viewings to see whether a house is worth targeting and your agent wont even be able to give the police a description of the person or their vehicle if and when the property gets broken into. Or perhaps I am just being cynical.
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Emperor’s new clothes
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