Automation

Throughout the years, various companies and individuals have integrated automation with their day-to-day lives in or order to help improve the way their business functions and the productivity of tasks. Automation involves minimising human input and applying technology to drive efficiency – particularly in tasks that are laborious and time-consuming. This is often done to produce and deliver both goods and services. An example of an automated innovation that changed the world is the arrival of the Automated Teller Machine (more commonly known as ATMs), with Barclays bank the first to install an ATM anywhere in the world in 1967, meaning people no longer had to rely on tellers at banks – which typically closed mid-afternoon – to access their cash. Such technology was the pre-cursor to the machines we now see in coach, bus and train stations, and airports too, as well as supermarkets and certain fast-food chains in …

We have all heard the terrible forecasts and listened to Sir David Attenborough’s speeches on the environment and the “We still have time to act” message could not be more central in all our thoughts, including the Government. There can be no doubt that the biggest thing to affect the UK property industry over the next 10 years will be environmental sustainability and the adverse effects of global warming. This is based on the simple fact that a massive 40% of the UK’s emissions come from households. Yet, in speaking to our agents at the coal face we have found that very few (less than 5%), actually have a policy, to achieve net-zero by 2050, especially worrying when this date is set in Law and even more surprising when over 50% of our clients recognised sustainability as a “very serious” issue for the industry. Maybe the explanation is in that …

As the stamp duty holiday on concessionary bandings finally draws to a close on September 30 2021, many across the UK hoping to make use of the discount rush to finalise their home purchases. The surge in demand must be accompanied by automation of tasks and transactions, linked to a seamless communications system, to make the process smoother, more efficient and faster. The tax reduction has contributed to the bounce-back of the UK housing market, making purchasing a property more attainable, but as it ends transactions are expected to decrease in the short-term as some of the incentive to buy and sell is lost. The stamp duty holiday effect Since its inception in July 2020, hundreds of thousands of home movers living in the UK have benefited from the stamp duty holiday. Initially, it was capped at £500,000, then reduced to £250,000. September 30 2021 marks the final end of …

A news story on the 15th of July 2021 (below) will have set alarm bells ringing for agencies up and down the country when it was revealed that a former employee of a high-profile London agency had been accused of stealing the firm’s client database and handing it to a competitor agency in the local area. There have also been other stories about employees stealing cash from an agency and forcing it to close. Mercifully, such incidents are very rare, but they do happen. These incidents highlight the need for agents to have strong security measures and protocols in place, to reduce the chances of databases or money being stolen. This is important for both large corporate agencies and local one-branch agencies alike – who handle large volumes of money and data on an annual basis. How can agents keep themselves safe? Automation really comes into its own when it …

With the stamp duty holiday nearing an end, it has never been such an important time for every stakeholder of your business to work together. Whether it be buyers, sellers or conveyancers, the market is being pushed to its limit as more and more buyers rush to beat the deadline. According to Rightmove, approximately 700,000 homes are nearing completion significantly putting pressure on the resources of agents. From 1st July 2021, the threshold to which stamp duty begins is £250,000, from September 2021 stamp duty will be paid on any property bought over £125,000. First time buyers however will not pay any stamp duty on properties costing up to £300,000. The good news is, should a situation arise in the future, where you’re significantly being put under severe strain to get property purchases over the line, our Openview property software can help. Openview allows every stakeholder of your business to …

Automated processes could be the best solution to meeting increased demand in the housing industry. The Covid-19 pandemic, the stamp duty holiday, and the 95% mortgage scheme have contributed to the increased housing demand across the UK. The surge in activity continues to put pressure on those working within the property industry. Working quickly to meet deadlines and avoid delays with larger volumes of clients, paperwork to complete, and transactions to the process have made the landscape more challenging. On June 30 2021, the first term of the stamp duty holiday will end at a £500,000 house value threshold. After June 30 2021, the threshold will be reduced to £250,000 until September 30 2021. Automating transactions, sales progression and tenant maintenance reporting could allow more time to speak to prospects, network with landlords or carry out viewings. By automating these processes in a way that tailors directly to the agency, …

“Stop fighting the inevitable and embrace the change.” The first and foremost emotion which people exhibit when AI or automation is mentioned is FEAR. Fear of the unknown and the dread of not being in control, all mixed in with a deep set Apathy as there are those that also believe it will take their jobs, or they struggle with the concept of not being in control. Simply put, IT WON’T. We have worked with Letting and Estate Agents for the past 33 years and we empathise deeply with the legislative pain that in particular letting agents have suffered in the past 2 years. However, it is now time to do something about it, take the bull by the horns and embrace technological advancement. We are not talking about machines meeting people at houses and taking them for tours, that’s just a gimmick. What we are talking about is taking …

Taurus is our automation system built to automate those business critical tasks. Click here to read more about Taurus or watch our videos below. Experiencing Problems With Your Property Software? Letting Agents Just Love Taurus Automate Anything? Discover Taurus Automation Software Estate Agents: What’s your Sales Pipeline? Limber Up? Meet Taurus Software for Estate Agents Connect Your Property Software With Taurus Exhausted? Save Time With Taurus Property Management Software Estate Agents: How Are You Communicating With Your Clients? Read the Reviews? Meet Taurus Business Automation Software Is Your Property Software Secure? Taurus Can Help… Find out more about Openview’s automation using Taurus, call 0800 328 0460, email info@vtuk.com or visit vtuk.com.

There’s been an interesting sequence of events happening over the last few weeks. It’s even more interesting when you discover what we have been doing since 2009. #1 – I read a hugely interesting article by Peter Knight of the Property Academy, which talked about getting customer service right and then implementing technology to enhance it. Putting the humans first and then enhancing their performance with technology. #2 – David Pollock recently talked about the difficulties in recruiting the right candidate for agency. His advice was to “implement processes that compensate for the lack of qualified talent” available. #3 – Ed Mead, published an article quoting some data that we had previously released based on research by Oxford University, that quoted an article in the Sunday Times by Nicholas Hellen. This listed 226 occupations that were ripe for automation. Third in that list, with a 97.29% chance of automation, was …