Agents still rule in digital era

The rapid advancement in technology that we have seen this year, has revolutionised, not replaced estate agents according to the Seeff Property Group.

The fast paced evolution of technology platforms which now provides buyers and sellers increased access to property information and the emergence of new online platforms has forced the traditional real estate sector to re-evaluate its value proposition. This is not uncommon and we have seen it in many industries.

While many newcomers to the industry have sought to use technology and low cost offerings to secure business in a challenging property market, these offer limited services and rely on “do-it-yourself”, requiring a lot more from the customer. These companies are also not backed by a track record and generally staffed by inexperienced interns. Many rely on a lower asking price to entice buyers, all of which means a low probability of sales success.

There has been a hot debate around whether technology will replace agents, and it has quickly become clear that technology has revolutionised the industry, not replaced estate agents. Selling property involves a lot more than just listing a property online and sitting back hoping for a buyer. There are many factors to take into account including the current market conditions.

There is no one-size-fits-all and sometimes things can go wrong with a transaction which can only be mitigated and navigated by the intervention of an experienced and skilled agent. So, far from replacing, these newcomers have actually enhanced the role of estate agents who, in addition to offering the latest digital technology, provide a unique understanding of their local area of expertise and operation and much more.

In a challenging market, your local agent helps you to understand how to price and package your property to attract maximum buyer interest. The CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) is one of the tools used, but you also need to take into account factors such as the state of property, location, current sales and the market trends, and this is where a local area expert such as Seeff makes the difference.

Successful agents invest many years in developing their skills and expertise in an area including being exposed to the various property market cycles. Seeff brings over five decades experience and a track record of successful sales during the many ups and downs of the market.

Additionally, we offer best of breed marketing tools, from quality photographs and descriptions to listing it on all of the digital portals, but we go further by using various tried-and-tested marketing tools including digital marketing to our large database of ready buyers.

Selling property is a complex transaction with many legal intricacies and often require careful negotiation before a deal is struck which is acceptable to the seller and buyer. Once the offer is accepted, a whole process follows which needs carefully management before transfer takes place and the deal is finally concluded. This requires experience and expertise backed by a proven track record and supported by top class systems, technology and infrastructure offered by Seeff.

Visit www.seeff.com for more.