Press Article
METRO - 6 October, 2011
The impact of technology on the property world
By Jo Eccles
The sad death of Steve Jobs has highlighted just how much of an impact he had on the way we communicate today – his contribution to technology has filtered through into everyone’s lives and changed the way we communicate forever.
iPhone applications and mobile technology have become part our day to day lives, and this is certainly evident in the property market, which has come on leaps and bounds in the past decade. The importance placed on technology can be seen everywhere, from the way properties are presented to the way their details are sent on to prospective buyers. A number of property adverts now carry ‘QR Codes’ so that when you hold your iPhone or Smartphone over the code, you can view further details and information about the property and company. The smart phone has also meant that property details are easy to access when you’re out and about, with applications that allow you to stand in your favourite street and use your handset to research what properties are for sale within a certain radius of where you are. Estate agents are also using the mobile phone to notify prospective buyers about new properties by SMS.
These advances in technology are amazing considering a large number of estate agents and developers didn’t have a website ten years ago! Websites are now the first port of call for most prospective buyers, UK and overseas based. The usability and initial look is paramount to whether the buyer will then go on to contact the estate agent. We’ve seen a huge wave of estate agents revamping their websites over the past few years. One London estate agency chain is recently rumoured to have spent £500,000 doing so. Mobile phones have become increasingly important to the look and feel of web design too. Some companies specialise in building mobile websites that have been specially adapted to be viewed on mobile phones. According to Google, "Approximately 15% of all Web traffic now is mobile. That means not having a mobile site is like closing your website one day each week."
One major new search function which a number of the more sophisticated websites feature is the ability to draw your preferred search area, as opposed to searching by postcode alone. Property particulars have become more high tech as well. Some estate agents have started using 3D floor plans, although the early designs of these aren’t overly popular and most buyers prefer straight forward floor plans. Others have interactive video tours of each room within the property.
This all goes to show just how much we rely on and use mobile and internet technology today, and how Steve Jobs legacy extends to the property world.