Property Natter - It’s not what you know…it’s all about connections

I don’t want to frighten any professional scribblers and wizard wordsmiths out there, but as a matter of geeky interest, this week I asked the new AI content generator tool, ChatGPT, to write me a 300 word press release based on the wording in a mailer about our new ‘ValPal Connect’ service and this is what it came up with….

 ValPal Launches New Service "Connect" to Help Estate Agents Increase Lead Conversions and Improve Response Times

ValPal, the leading provider of online valuation tools, has launched a new service called "Connect" to help estate agents increase their lead conversion rates and improve response times to incoming enquiries.

 According to research, responding to a lead within the first minute increases lead conversions by 391%. In contrast, responding within five minutes is 21 times more effective than responding after 30 minutes. After five minutes, the odds of qualifying a lead drop by 80%. With Connect, estate agents can connect with new ValPal leads as soon as they make an enquiry.

 The process is simple: when a prospective vendor or landlord uses ValPal to get an online valuation, their office phone rings telling them that the lead has just made an enquiry for a particular property address. The estate agent can then choose to accept or decline the call. If they are a MovePal user, the ValPal team will also follow up via email after the call, asking where to move the lead (Valuation Booked, Nurturing or Unsubscribe)……..

 And so it went on. It even quoted my friend and colleague, ValPal Director, Craig Vile. Take a look at this…

 "We understand how important it is for estate agents to respond quickly to incoming enquiries, and that's why we've launched Connect," said Craig Vile, Director of ValPal. "Our aim is to help estate agents increase their lead conversion rates and improve their response times, ultimately leading to more business."

 For more information about Connect, please contact the ValPal team at 020 8663 4930 or email team@valpal.co.uk.

It’s good, isn’t it? Frighteningly good, if you work in PR!

An ARO close to my heart

And speaking of lead generation, if you’re in the lettings business, you should take a look at one of our partner companies, ARO (Advanced Rent Option).

ARO offers landlords the opportunity to get their year’s rent in advance – it offers peace of mind and security to them but it is also a great lead generator.

These landlords often already use an agent but it’s a competitive market out there and ARO has proven to be an effective weapon in the drive to win new landlord business – giving members a cutting edge over the competition.

Licensed members can advertise and deliver a year’s rent up front enabling them to attract and retain more landlords, which in turn helps them to build a larger, long-term portfolio. It’s a great conversation starter and a very effective lead generator.

Inflation’s finally making it’s way down, but cash in hand is a serious attraction right now. A bird in the hand….and all that.

Finding your voice

I heard this week that In March, boutique consultancy Unchained.Marketing will conduct a comprehensive research study on estate agents in the UK called 'Voice of the Agent'.

The study will explore the current state of the UK property market, marketing practices, and the impact of PropTech.

The study will involve an in-depth survey of estate agents and an extensive market data analysis. The findings will provide insights into the challenges and opportunities facing estate agents and inform best practices in marketing and PropTech.

It will also contribute to understanding the UK property market and inform the strategic decisions of estate agents.

Simon Leadbetter, founder of Unchained.Marketing, was formerly Marketing Director of Countrywide, Global Head of Marketing for Knight Frank, CMO of Keller Williams and Global CEO of Fine & Country.

He said, "The survey will provide a vital tool for understanding how the property market is evolving and how individual businesses compared to their peers."

If you would like to participate and receive a copy of the results when they come out, please email simon@unchained.marketing.

Until next time…