Technology ScoTTiSh mARkeT
Low-cost virtual tours are here ‘Offers Over’
extra cost to clients. An ordinary- be uploaded to complement the
system – is over
looking digital compact camera virtual tour. The system works with
takes a panoramic photo of a any floorplan drawing software, The Scottish
room with a single click. It doesn’t not just The Mobile Agent’s. system of
need any special equipment, The camera costs just £199, setting ‘offers
photographic experience or plus £35 per month subscription over’ pricing
training – you simply stand in the charge (excluding VAT). For more on properties
corner and take one picture. information, call The Mobile Agent is unlikely to
It’s not a 360° video, but gives on 08458 678 222 or go online to ever return to its peak 2007
almost the same result from www.themobileagent.co.uk. level. According to Edinburgh
A new virtual tour package has one viewpoint. solicitor estate agency,
been launched which lets agents When back at the office, Warners, the Scottish property
offer virtual tours to all of their you upload your market has been
clients in a cost-effective, simple photos to a server fundamentally changed by the
way. It turns what used to be a which hosts the recession and the introduction
long and expensive process, often tours, and you’re of Home Reports – making
involving using a subcontractor or given a web link huge ‘offers over’ premiums
investing thousands in training to paste into a thing of the past.
and equipment, into an affordable your site as part Warners believes that
one-click solution. of the property buyers and sellers are now
The Mobile Agent Virtual Tours details. Ideally, more realistic, as they are able
is so simple that agents can offer you will also to use property valuations in
a virtual tour for every property as create a floorplan the reports as a marker when
part of their service, at little or no drawing which can judging how much to buy or
sell a home for. Although
‘offers over’ prices will
PoRTAlS
eventually return to the
Rightmove advert triggers stampede
market as competition
increases, sellers are unlikely
Have you seen estate agent advertisers a but it is an encouraging sign. to ever see a return to the
the new TV record day of site traffic on Many of the potential buyers peak scenario in 2007.
Rightmove Monday 4 January. Over 25 searching will also be sellers Scott Brown (pictured),
advert? The million page impressions were and these people are unlikely partner, said: “Over the past
one with the served, toppling the previous to have their properties on the year, we have seen offers over
estate agents record set in August 2009 of market yet. This offers a great prices dwindle in Scotland as
gathering, like elephants, 22.5m. The views were driven opportunity for the agents sellers chose to market
around a watering hole? Its by over 12.5 million property who stand out and offer the properties using ‘offers
clearly designed to encourage searches from home-hunters best service to snaffle up around’ instead. This trend
the public to visit the as property returned to the top potential sellers early.” was helped by the Home
Rightmove portal because that of the agenda following the The Rightmove advert is Report legislation, which
is where the animals are. Or festive break. aimed at potential sellers meant that prospective buyers
rather, the professional agents. Commercial Director Miles researching their local market could view the valuation of a
It might look funny, it might Shipside (pictured) said, “It’s on site and encourages them property included with each
be slightly offensive to estate too early to say if the record to use the expertise of an report and make a judgement
agents, but Rightmove say traffic is a portent of a further agent once they come to sell on how much to offer – rather
that it gave them – and their uplift in the market for 2010, their property. than making a ‘blind’ offer.
“I don’t think that this has
killed off the offers over
system for good but what is
changing is sellers’
expectations over the values
for their homes. When the
market was at its peak in
2007, many people would set
a low ‘offers over’ price and
would only accept an offer at
least 25 per cent higher. It
created confusion among
buyers and meant that sellers
had an automatic expectation
for huge premiums. Greater
transparency is helping sales,
in the past 20 weeks at
Warners we’ve achieved 263
sales, compared to 186 during
the same period in 2008.”
PROPERTYdrum FEBRUARY 2010 9
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