Tony Brazier
The Press - Wednesday 4 August 2010
Our Pet Hates
Recently we were prompted to conduct our own research regarding the types of behaviour clients and customers dislike when it came to receiving marketing from real estate agencies in general.
The results were not too surprising to us but, the depth of feeling towards various 'pet hates' was. The instigation for conducting the research came partly from a subscription we have to an Australian firm called Best Practice and the most recent bulletin that the founder Robert Bevan had sent us. Throughout Australasia real estate customer service managers have reported the same items that annoy their company's clients/customers as they receive service from a wide variety of real estate company sizes and brands.
Best Practice came up with 10 notable negatives that were common throughout.
1. The Automated Telephone System – You know the kind, "Press 1 for sales, 2 for Property Management etc". If the call was "...important to us..." as they say then they'd answer the phone with a friendly, live person within three rings.
2. Disingenuous Sales Agents – Clients and customers can see what's in it for the salesperson but they want a salesperson who is more interested in what's in it for them.
3. Slow Websites – If the agency's website does not download within a few seconds it is flicked and the client is on to the next one. However, those on 'dial-up' need to realise with what is required of sites these days the company will be presuming you have broadband.
4. Property Managers who don't make recommendations – Any fool can report and alert an owner to an issue. If the owner wanted to deal with it themselves they wouldn't have the property managed. For every problem it needs to be accompanied by the relevant solution and its cost, if you haven't dealt with already.
5. Agent's Contact Details Missing Off Listing Advertising – Clients/customers don't want to have to go through the reception, they want to make direct contact with the salesperson by mobile, DDI or email having found them on the advertising.
6. Dealing with Several Property Management Personnel – Owners get confused about complicated company systems that have different people to talk to for different aspects like arrears, repairs, vacancies and inspections. The property manager should be the owner's 'one-stop-shop'.
7. Being 'Palmed Off' to a PA – Salespeople who list a property for sale and then delegate all future vendor communication to a personal assistant are not appreciated (we have a testimonial from a client who gave us the listing after being treated this way).
8.Two and Four Hour Responses – Property Consumers get upset if they do not get the courtesy of a reply to a telephone message within two hours and an email within four business hours. These time frames are becoming shorter and shorter as the techno-savvy clientele become more active property consumers.
9. Automatic Voicemail – Consumers want to be asked if they are happy to have their call placed through to voicemail and not be passed on like a 'hot brick'. Leaving a recorded message makes some people very uncomfortable.
10. Inexperienced Property Managers – Owners get frustrated when they are asked to deal with an inexperienced person who regularly responds "I don't know".
Apart from this range of 'pet hates' our own research into 'Pet Hates around marketing' found that customers continually mentioned a few things that frustrated them. In no particular order the ones that stand out are.
11. No Price – Consumers indicate often that they will go no further with their inquiry if the advert has no price. This is backed up by the stats of one property website that quoted 72% of buyers will not inquire if a property has no price indication.
12. Poor Quality Photos, Grammar and Spelling – Photos especially are a must to be clear and should give a full range of indoor and outdoor shots regardless of whether they show the property in a good light. Consumers want a realistic view and no surprises when they turn up to the Open Day.
13. Inaccurate Descriptions of Suburb and Property – Telephoto lens shots, bedrooms that are actually cupboards and calling the likes of Bryndwr, Fendalton, are examples that could be construed as misrepresentation or at best, wasting consumers' time.
14. Calling Simple Residential Houses, Investments – Investors dislike having to wade through copious hard to sell houses that have been dumped in the investment market when the likely return is nowhere near a good investment.
15. Others Include – Quirky headings, clichés, no address, hype adjectives etc.
You may have your own pet hates. It is only by real estate agents doing their own research into such reactions by their consumers that they will become aware of the public's reaction to what they consider to be acceptable practice. Some of these may just explain why they may not be getting the results they require.
Footnote:
Tony Brazier has worked in the property industry for 23 years and owns a real estate company selling and managing residential and investment properties.
This columns information is of a general nature only. Readers should seek professional advice before acting upon it.
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