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. 

Right now is the time to re-connect

As we wait for additional clarifications and detail on exactly when and how our shops and services can re-open for business, now is the time to reflect on how you are going to re-connect with your customers.

What does Customer Experience look like now, and how will that evolve over the next few months?

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.

Looking ahead is scary but research can help

There are a lot of research tracker studies going on at the moment, for sentiment analysis and consumer behaviour, looking at how we are reacting to the lockdown and other changes wrought by the coronavirus crisis.

But where are they all taking us? And what role can research play in finding the path ahead as we continue to navigate our way through the coronavirus crisis?

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?

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.

Yomdel Property Sentiment Tracker – Property market activity up for first time since COVID-19 lockdown

New estate agent enquiries via live chat see first increases since lockdown

Despite the coronavirus lockdown, there are growing signs of a stirring in UK property sector activity, with increasing numbers of people requesting contact in relation to selling, letting or moving home, according to our “Yomdel Property Sentiment Tracker”, a new data insight series from the UK’s leading provider of managed live chat to estate agents.