“The immediacy of the net appeals in a competitive property market,” says Swart. “Potential home owners want immediate, two-way communication with prospective sellers and estate agents, hence the need to list online.”
According to Swart, for an estate agency to succeed at digital selling, it is important to make sure that listings are current. “No one enjoys phoning an estate agent and finding out their dream home has just been sold.”
Swart says that Gumtree, one of the largest property sites in South Africa, has taken these factors into consideration when developing a new property inventory management system that will save time and enhance sales for anyone listing multiple properties.
“The platform, called ProTool for Property, streamlines admin for professional sellers and provides major benefits in both reporting and the delivery of leads,” Swart explains.
Gumtree showcases over 95,000 live SA property listings at any given time. Swart explains that anyone who has used Gumtree will appreciate the massive benefits the ProTool offers; “In most instances, clients are able to upload ads automatically through their feed provider and have these ads bumped back to the top of the search lists, frequently and automatically, without any manual intervention – a massive saving in time and administration.”
“Platforms will have to match estate agents’ requirements for full control and flexibility when it comes to listings. Properties have to be discoverable and listings up to date – ProTool will assist with this,” says Swart.
