What IT problems do estate agents face?

1. Your IT infrastructure is too complicated

Not only does on-site IT infrastructures take up valuable space but they can also translate to your IT staff spending most of their time maintaining this. This can mean a lot of their time is spent working to quickly fix and amend issues. However, if your IT staff are spending too much time putting out fires this generally means they won’t be available for the bigger issues that may affect you long term meaning they’re not using their time efficiently.

2. IT staff are rushed off their feet

Not only does on-site IT infrastructures take up valuable space but they can also translate to your IT staff spending most of their time maintaining this. This can mean a lot of their time is spent working to quickly fix and amend issues. However, if your IT staff are spending too much time putting out fires this generally means they won’t be available for the bigger issues that may affect you long term meaning they’re not using their time efficiently.

3. Your IT isn’t cost-effective.

If your estate agency has an on-site server there is a good chance that this cost is weighing you down. The cost of purchasing, installing, configuring and maintaining these servers is necessary however if they are not maintained and upgraded properly you could be risking further unnecessary costs down the line. This is where we can help, as an estate agent you’ll know how important speed is within your business and an inefficient IT system will eventually catch up to you.

How can Microsoft 365 benefit an estate agent?

1. Microsoft Teams enables an estate agent to perform virtual viewings

Virtual viewings have obviously increased in popularity over the course of the pandemic. However, they have continued to be a great tool within the property industry. Scheduling multiple viewings can often be difficult especially when you’re trying to match everyone’s schedule. With Microsoft Teams, estate agents can schedule multiple buyers to view a property virtually at the same time.

Furthermore, the benefit of initial viewings being done through virtual technology eliminates any time wasted for both the estate agent and the buyer. By using Microsoft Teams an agent can send the potential buyer an invitation and the viewer can easily download the app onto whichever device works for them and view the property. Virtual meetings through Microsoft Teams are also protected by multi-factor authentication and can be recorded and stored securely within the Microsoft 365 cloud.

2. Increasing the productivity of an estate agent

With the recent ways of work continuously changing and the hybrid work model being introduced, team collaboration and productivity has never been more important. With Microsoft 365 agents will gain access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Planner, Stream and Yammer. All of these tools are designed to enhance the productivity of your team by increasing the ease of collaboration and communication.

3. Security and Compliance

Within an estate agency, the likelihood is that sensitive information for both the buyer and the vendor of the property will be present and viewed by potentially more than just one agent. Therefore, it’s essential you ensure your client’s data and personal information is protected. When configured properly your organisation’s data is highly secure in the cloud from both internal and external users.

The cloud ensures that:

Your data will not get lost or corrupted.

The data is in an accessible location for both internal staff and external partners (security provisions can be put in place to ensure only essential personnel has access to sensitive information).

Your staff can access the data they need from any device and any location.

4. Microsoft 365 provides email, calendaring and contact management

As an estate agent, you will be aware that the role requires you to build, maintain and manage multiple relationships with customers, colleagues and outside partners. Microsoft 365 provides specific tools allowing you to organise your contacts and manage them efficiently saving time, stress and confusion between agents. The calendaring and email tools also increase the ease for all agents when collaborating and communicating with all in their industry.

5. Create interactive stories about your properties and bring them to life

First impressions are everything, in business, in social situations, in purchasing decisions the first impression is always what matters. With Microsoft Sway you can supercharge your presentations ensuring your viewers take a double-take at your listings. The Sway app is the perfect creative tool to make your listings stand out from the crowd You can create and share interactive reports, personal stories, presentations and so much more. Sway is the new easy to use digital storytelling app. Create interactive stories and bring your properties to life!