Mystery Shop your Estate Agent
Why we were recently mystery shopped and how you can do it too!
A few weeks ago, the sales team were mystery shopped by The Property Academy, where they undertook the biggest study of the British Estate Agency industry, in a quest to shine a light on the best performing agents.
Using a number of different criteria, they assessed us for four key areas:
- Marketing and Lead Generation
- Results – including whether the property sold or let and how quickly
- Customer Experience
- Market Share
We are proud to say that we have been SHORTLISTED for the Best Estate Agency Guide!
(And we are the only Estate Agency in Aberystwyth that is)
See for yourselves here: THE SHORTLIST
Here’s two important reasons why we made the shortlist…
1. Customer service matters
At alexanders we don’t tie anyone into contracts, we believe if you are happy with our service you will stay with us, if you are not then you are free to leave. Customer service is massively important to us and that is one of the skills you need to have for negotiation and communication with vendors and buyers. We have a NO SALE, NO FEE policy, which means that we work extra hard to not only keep everyone happy but to make sure a house gets sold – otherwise we don’t get paid!
2. Getting to know the person behind the enquiry
An example of our customer service skills was when we met Rhiannon. We asked a few questions about her situation and through a conversation we were able to find out so much more about her position. She originally enquired about a different home that she ended up buying in the end. The flow of conversation allowed us to get to know her, how her father lived in Aberystwyth and that she wanted to be closer to him. How she had two children that would be attending the secondary school here and that she wanted a house with a garden, near the beach with a large space for her studio.
In total, we spoke to Rhiannon for over half an hour. The information we got from the conversation allowed us to match her to properties we had on our books and within 10 minutes she booked her first viewing. She trusted our judgement, and based on the information she told us we matched her to a house that she ended up loving! That time of getting to know Rhiannon, truly paid off when she put in an offer.
Once upon a time, businesses were all about closing the sale. It didn’t matter how you got to that point. These days, we believe that our customers should be treated as a person, who wants more from the experience, and who does not want to be just a number.
How you can test your agent
If you are, or are thinking about putting your home on the market and are considering which agent to use, why not test them for yourself? Here are some of the basics that should be asked when you enquire about a home, but you’d be surprised that some agents don’t! Make a note of these points and award the agent 10 points for each.
- Do they take your name, phone and/or email address?
- Do they offer you a viewing?
- Do they offer to help you in any other way?
- Do they make comments about the property you have enquired about?
- Do they ask about your buying position? Whether you are first time buyer/in need of a mortgage/cash buyer etc.
- Do they confirm the viewing with you via email/telephone/face to face?
What People Remember
“People will forget what you said; they will forget what you did; but they will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou
Whether you are buying or selling your home, it is a very emotional journey. What we try to do at alexanders is make the whole experience as less stressful as possible!
If you’re happy, we’re happy.
Why not test us?
Put us to the test, by calling about any of our properties? 01970 636 000