The people behind an online valuation service is warning agents that having a widget on their website is not enough by itself to generate top results.
The ValPal Network, which consists of over 800 agency brands with more than 4,000 offices, says agents need an increasingly proactive attitude in addition to the tool prominently displayed on their websites.
This proactivity can be achieved by targeting consumers who don't complete the valuation process with canvassing material, or discouraging people from leaving the process while still on the valuation page.
Agents can also benefit from actively promoting valuation tools to prospective clients through tracked social media marketing, pay per click advertising and more traditional marketing campaigns.
"We're now past the point where agents just ‘need’ an online valuation tool on their website. To get best results, they need to be thinking about how to incorporate instant valuations into their overall marketing strategy” says Craig Vile, director of The ValPal Network.
"Instant online valuations are the best way to capture contact details of interested vendors and landlords and while the credibility of the valuation is important, it is more an exercise in generating leads and then offering the prospect an expert market appraisal."
Vile says his service has recently released a chatbot for agents’ websites, specifically designed to capture the details of vendors and landlords.
And he adds that nurturing is also an important activity not prioritised by some agents.
"An agent’s database is one of their richest resources for opportunities. Nurturing relationships by speaking to contacts regularly and offering them marketing advice is so beneficial” he says.
Vile adds that when it comes to being successful in all angles of an agency operation, the power of collaboration has never been stronger.
"We have therefore partnered with some of the industry’s best suppliers - such as Loop Software, Olivia, Virgin Media and Feefo - to help agents thrive in all parts of their business. We also partner with established agent and Facebook ads expert Paul Long to help agents achieve amazing results in their campaigns.”
And he concludes: “Successful agency will always be about maintaining meaningful relationships but having a comprehensive marketing strategy provides agents with more opportunities to build long-lasting connections and impress consumers with outstanding service.”
The ValPal Network is owned by Angels Media, which publishes Estate Agent Today, Letting Agent Today and the other Today trade news websites.
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Perhaps the use of the words "meaningful relationships" and "long-lasting connections" is a touch optimistic? The widget is designed to manipulate and fool vendors into thinking the agency has integrity,. Make vendors aware of the usefulness of said tool and their uptake would be minimal. It does agencies no favours.
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