Fine & Country boss promises 'autumn of innovation'

Fine & Country founder Jon Cooke has promised an autumn of innovation for the agency brand’s licensees.

Cooke released a bullish statement yesterday where he said the coming months will see “biggest technological innovation since the brand’s inception 21 years ago.”

It comes as Fine & Country this month launched its new website that includes a lead management and nurture platform, with plans underway to launch its referral system in the months ahead.

Cooke said: “Essentially the network will have access to a technologically advanced lead generation and nurture platform with the new website at its core. 

“Over the past two years nurtur.group has acquired and aligned itself with lead generation and proptech innovators to ensure that we are able to continue to create products and services that enhances our network of agents. 

“As an international premium estate agency brand, we wanted to ensure that our Fine & Country licensees had the proptech tools at their disposal to be able to harness the power of being a part of an established, recognisable brand, interacting with property professionals in various sought-after locations to attract buyers and sellers looking for upmarket properties.” 

Integrated into the new website, developed by Starberry, will be the lead management system powered by LeadPro, which will allow agents to both track and nurture leads, supporting the new referral system, which will pass on out-of-area leads automatically.

Cooke said that while the lead management system will initially role out to UK based licensees, the plan is to extend the management system to international licensees.

He added: “The new lead management system will enable Fine & Country licensees within the UK to track their Service Level Agreement (SLA) of how quickly they respond to buyers and valuation enquiries. 

“This will have a huge impact on the customer service licensees are able to provide, as they will consistently be able to track and improve their engagement with all customer types.

“There is a lot of data from portals that suggests it can take around three months to go from an enquiry through to instruction.  

“If an agent does not have a nurture system in place, which includes multiple contacts points and following up calls throughout the three-month period, they are likely to lose the business. Integrating technology that will assist agents to nurture the lead will ensure that they do not miss out and are able to maximise the conversion of the leads received, which will be a huge plus for the Fine & Country network.”

Cooke said the various proptech elements will work together to make it easier for Fine & Country agents to engage with their customers, while delivering an enhanced customer service journey.

He added: “Agents will also be able to use their own CRM, as the technology will be able to integrate with most CRM systems within the sector.

“We will continue to enhance the products and services we provide the Fine & Country network, pushing innovation and seeking ways that will help our network to grow and thrive within the premium sector.”