Simon Taylor

Some businesses seized the initiative in lockdown, finding competitive advantage by adapting fast, but also securing their future with new ways of working.

A huge side effect of Coronavirus is the rampant debate about whether changes in customer behaviours will be permanent.

Change was always happening. But a crisis accelerates it dramatically.

Place restrictions upon people, and they will adapt fast. They find new ways to achieve their ends, and this could not be clearer than in online property market behaviour.

In our updated tracker report this week, we saw the exceptional increase in Live Chat usage on property websites maintained at its new high, with no sign of a return to normal pre-COVID levels.

It's here to stay and it's not really surprising. Perhaps it's already no longer exceptional?

Video is everywhere you turn now, or so it seems. But should you invest?

In this brief insight, we're sharing some simple stats that suggest customer expectations are definitely changing, and we should take this seriously.

In our updated tracker report this week, we see continued evidence that customers are returning to property websites in overall numbers, equal to average levels of the previous 15 months.

But they also continue to use Live Chat in much greater proportions than before the Coronavirus Crisis and Lockdown, and crucially are pro-actively requesting video enabled services. 

Watch this week's webinar if you missed it:

If you didn't catch our webinar this week, it's right here on video, featuring 4 expert panellists within property, conveyancing and removals.

Everyone is talking about 'New Normals'

Quite honestly, I rather like it. Change always happens, bringing with it both positives and negatives, so I try to take a very optimistic view to change, because we can only make the best of it. Any other attitude seems regressive.

Coronavirus is unquestionably a massive catalyst for change, in all areas of our lives: social, economic and behavioural, and we're only just beginning to see the lasting impacts. So it's understandable that when faced with seismic shifts, we want to understand them and get to grips with them as fast as possible.

Customers are desperate to do business, but Business has its hands tied!

That's just some of the reaction we've had this week to our Property Sentiment Tracker update published on Tuesday.

In our updated tracker report this week, we evidenced an apparent customer rebound from the depth of the initial Coronavirus shock, with a resurgence in consumer engagement via Live Chat. But from some of the reaction there's little doubt that many businesses are not seeing that. Why is that the case?

It's truly amazing and awe-inspiring to see the positive energy on show right now, with businesses, partners, suppliers and even competitors helping each other to get the better of what we can mildly call 'new market conditions'.

Even more amazing, as so many people are confined to their homes, and having to do this through means of communication they rarely used previously. Surely these changes will remain too, when hopefully COVID-19 is beaten?

Property Market Tracker update – last week shows incredible surge in consumer online activity!

Live Chat engagement increases significantly across all consumer groups - vendors, buyers, landlords and tenants.

Following our initial report on consumer engagement via Live Chat, the latest update (to Sunday night 19 April) shows all groups now rising steadily, and some almost back to pre-COVID average levels.