Have you ever heard one of your friends or family describing the property transaction process with a positive adjective?
For home buyers, sellers, investors and renters alike, property transactions are typically stressful, admin-heavy and emotionally charged experiences.
Combine the compounding stress of a major life change, potentially risky long-term decision making, uncertainty and significant financial commitments with one of the most complex and administration-heavy processes of your life and you have a recipe for drama and dissatisfaction.
Home sweet… horror.
After making a decision to proceed, interacting with an estate agency is often the first step in a client’s property journey, closely followed by a deluge of admin, stress and chaos.
As property professionals grapple with gigantic workloads, regulatory requirements, bureaucracy, commercials, the ‘other side’ and relentless email requests for updates, clients are fighting their own battle.
Research, instructing, decision making, collating, calculating, signing, approving, proving identity, verifying funds, the list goes on and on. The amount of administration in the process is enormous by professional standards and completely overwhelming for the average individual.
Heavy on the admin and significance, property transactions are often once in a lifetime events for clients. They remember how they felt during the process long after the keys have changed hands.
Each interaction, from the initial valuation to completion, creates an impression that shapes not just their satisfaction, but their willingness to return or recommend your services.
So what can be done?
Many providers, services and tech products position themselves as the solution to client stress and dissatisfaction, could the combination of technology and services which focus on client experience delight rather than disappoint and drive recommendations for you and your firm?
Pain-points you in the right direction
Stress levels are high but the bar is low when it comes to client expectations surrounding the administrative components of property transactions.
Unfortunately due to past experiences and the grapevine, clients won’t typically be over the moon about the hundreds of hurdles they face prior to move in (or out) day.
Lucky for modern Estate Agents, every challenge in the property journey presents an opportunity to stand out. Necessary steps can be transformed into seamless, secure experiences that reassure clients of the quality of your service rather than frustrate them.
When a potentially frustrating touchpoint becomes surprisingly straightforward, clients notice and appreciate the difference.
Stressful to successful, step by step:
Client perception of you, your firm and service is established through consistent, positive interactions at every stage of the journey – it’s the combination of hundreds of moments.
Ready to lay the foundations for better client experiences? Start at the beginning:
- Audit the complete client journey: Identify pain points and potential moments to impress from initial contact through to completion. Really consider each piece of communication, documentation and technology your clients are interacting with. Experience the journey yourself by completing it end to end to make sure you understand where your clients are coming from.
- Gather and act on feedback: No one wants to read a bad review or a complaint, but they are a goldmine for things to improve and build on. Property processes feel very different for clients than they do for experienced professionals, and feedback is a direct line to the things triggering your clients.
- Integrate, integrate, integrate: Use products and platforms that speak to each other, make the process better for everyone involved by eliminating duplicate data entry, reducing client confusion and frustration.
- It’s the support that counts: Make sure you understand the support systems of each of your providers. Ideally your clients should be able to get help through their preferred method, whether that's in-app guidance, phone support, or email.
- Communication is key: When clients can access straightforward answers, receive prompt support through their preferred communication channels, and feel informed at every step, they develop confidence in your service. This confidence translates directly into loyalty and recommendations.
Taking care in business: Commercial impacts of positive client experiences
Beyond generating referrals, positive client experiences can deliver tangible benefits to you and your firm:
- Reduced acquisition costs: Retaining existing clients and securing their repeat business is significantly more cost-effective than constantly chasing new leads
- Higher conversion rates: Clients who have positive experiences are more likely to progress through the transaction process without delays or dropouts
- Competitive differentiation: In a market where services can seem similar, customer experience becomes a key differentiator
- Reduced operational friction: When clients can easily complete required steps, your team spends less time on follow-ups and more time on value-adding activities
Agents of change: Client first technology
In today's property market, the difference between a satisfied client and a frustrated one often comes down to the quality of their experience throughout the transaction journey. By embracing technology that puts clients first, you're not just making their lives easier, you're transforming your business.
In an industry where word-of-mouth remains a powerful currency, investing in client experience isn't just good service, it's good business. Turn those potential moments of rage into opportunities for referrals, and watch your reputation and revenue grow.
Download Thirdfort on the App Market or book a demo here.
