BestAgent – Find your agent, find your home.
In 2020 BestAgent will begin to change the dynamics in the property industry. We will start the shift of power back to the individual agents, the ones on the front line who deal face to face with customers, delivering personal service.
Our mission is to deliver all agents the best-ever quality mover leads, in both sales and lettings, both valuations and viewings, with no subscriptions or contracts.
Pricing is open for all to see, and is the same for all agents regardless of size, no exceptions.
Valuation leads are free, you only pay if instructed.
On viewings, you only pay for the leads you want, because you can see before you buy.
We don’t aim to send large volumes of leads, just very high quality ones as they become available.
Movers will be able to invite all local agents to pitch for a valuation, and search all available property for sale and to let, in one place.
We have spent 2019 building the most powerful industry dataset in existence.
Our strategy is to use this enormous daily data bank we now hold on the entire property market to help consumers to make a better, personal choice of agent when selling.
We will be providing property market insights at a national and local level to whoever needs this information.
BestAgent BackOffice.
The only meaningful differentiator between agents should be service, not technology.
That’s why BestAgent BackOffice, where you can access all your leads, will offer a wide range of everyday tools that all agents need, free of charge. So that no matter what size you are, you can offer the same level of customer service technology as the biggest agents.
Movers need help from humans, not bots.
More than half of all sellers instruct the wrong agent, first time, and have to change agent later.
This hurts everyone.
When a seller has to change agent, everyone loses. The seller, the agent and the industry’s reputation.
Choosing an agent is harder and more confusing now than it ever has been. The choice should be a personal one. BestAgent will help consumers make a better personal choice of agent, based on the individual, not the brand.
Personal not protectionist.
In the last 20 years companies in our industry have pursued a strategy of protectionism. Fee percentages have been falling steadily throughout that period, so the protectionist strategy in business no longer works. It only stifles innovation and progress.
This may have benefited a small number of large companies, but moving home is arguably a worse experience in 2019 than it has ever been, despite the avalanche of new tech.
It can even be argued that some of the new tech that has been released to agents is making moving worse for consumers, by making it harder to find the right agent in the first place.
For example, using a data driven “market intelligence” product does not make you a better agent. But they do help inferior agents look better to sellers, prior to instruction. This is increasing the problem of sellers instructing the wrong agents.
Movers, Agent and Suppliers
Successful moves involve multiple parties on all sides, movers, agents and suppliers.
Every agent has a different, unique selection of suppliers, so for a supplier marketplace to work properly, it has to be open to all.
The Supplier Marketplace that BestAgent released in 2019 is ready for suppliers to connect to when they are ready, bringing automatic integration with agent customers, and easier mover journeys for all involved.
Moving successfully is about choosing the best agent for you.
There are countless considerations when moving home. But by far the biggest is the choice of agent. A seller who chooses the best agent for their personal circumstances first time, will achieve a quicker sale at a better price. But there’s no such thing as the best agent in a town, only the best agent for any given individual customer, because it’s a personal choice.
2019 was one of the most difficult years for the residential property industry.
We hope to make 2020 better for all agents and movers.
Merry Christmas everyone.
