PropTech service expansion promises new opportunities for agents

Online digital valuation service The ValPal Network (TVPN*) is expanding after creating a reservoir of what it calls “sufficient quality data.”

It’s moving into Northern Ireland for the first time, where some agents have already signed up to the tool, which has been growing on the UK mainland since its launch in 2014, generating almost 9m sales leads and an estate agency network of over 4,300 branches.

TVPN director Craig Vile says: “Our ValPal tool has been available in England, Scotland and Wales for years and we’re absolutely delighted that we now have the quality of data available to invite agencies in Northen Ireland to join our network – something we’ve worked to achieve for six years.

“During that time, we’ve been refining and innovating to ensure that ValPal offers not only a service to customers but also provides agents with as much sales intelligence as possible.

“We know from our experience on the other side of the Irish Sea that roughly one five valuation requests go on to sell. And this information is gold for agents. By following up on online valuation requests, they can discover exactly who is actively considering putting their home up for sale. Agents can then nurture those leads and market their services to potential clients and win more business.”

Vile points out that traditionally, in Northern Ireland, agents have marketed themselves to both buyers and sellers.

He continues: “But these days homebuyers do not go on the individual agent’s website to see what’s on the market – they go online, do a search for a three-bedroom home in Belfast or Bangor and immediately get directed to one of the property portals where all the homes for sale are listed.

“If that’s what the buyers are doing, agents should be concentrating their efforts on sellers and winning more instructions. That’s where the ValPal tool is invaluable – it offers sellers an instant valuation at the click of a button on an agent’s website in exchange for their contact details.

“Just about every estate agent on the UK mainland offers this service but those in Northern Ireland who are quickest to join TVPN will definitely steal a march on the competition because in a couple of years’ time, everyone will offer the service simply because of the precious sales intelligence that it provides.”

* TVPN is a product of Angels Media, publisher of Estate Agent Today and other Today industry titles.