Week three of the lockdown begins – we hope you’re faring well with these temporary restrictions. We’re here to help where we can.

If you have any appropriate advice or guidance to offer to the industry please let us know on [email protected] and we’ll share it.

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Today we start with a pair of PropTech offers to help agents in the current circumstances.

One example is Webdadi which has a vendor/landlord valuation and viewing photo and video walkthrough uploader as a new and free CRM product add-on. 

This enables a negotiator to send a link to a client to allow them to upload photos and/or videos, instantly uploaded from mobile phones or PCs, directly into the estate agent’s Webdadi CRM system, ready to be approved to go live on their website.

More details here. 

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Many agents are offering wider help in the community – we’ve featured many in the past two weeks – and now there’s a new tech initiative called CoronaFriend launched by a group of IT firms.

CoronaFriend has created an interactive map of the UK, using Ordnance Survey’s OS Open Zoomstack mapping tool, which allows individuals to take responsibility for a particular street or area of their neighbourhood. 

Volunteers can use the platform to download a ready-made leaflet to print off and post through neighbours’ letter boxes, offering help with things like shopping and cooking or to simply arrange a chat to combat loneliness. You can see it here.

Now a much wider issue – training and self-development while the lockdown continues.

The Able Agent has pulled together a list of possible training routes for agents and other industry professionals currently working at home, or furloughed.

This is what The Able Agent’s Charlotte Jeffrey-Campbell lists:

– Short Online Courses: these could be simple professional one-off payment courses such Making the most of Linkedin, Health and Safety, First Aid or something to encourage a hobby such as painting or dancing; 

– Podcasts are a fantastic tool and are a great source of industry commentary. Kerfuffle Podcast, The World Class Agency podcast and The Estate Agents podcast are all free and regularly produced to help you keep up to date while the industry is changing;

– You Tube Christopher Watkin, for example, has a fantastic and seeming endless supply of films produced with all sorts of industry experts plus industry hints and tips;

– E-learning – Consider following an Industry online learning course whether that is via a membership body such as the Guild or a commercial training tool such as The Able Agent;

– Apprenticeships – It is also possible to place staff on apprenticeship programmes such as Customer Service, Business Admin and Team Leading;

– Qualifications – Although timing is uncertain, another thing to consider is RoPA.

Whilst we may not know when this is coming and even if, why wait to get staff qualified?  Getting teams qualified will most likely be cheaper now than when it becomes mandatory! So, staff could get qualified and prepared for RoPA now, but choosing industry specific online courses will also give agents a knowledge and ideas boost so that when we do eventually stop working from our beds (sorry homes!) staff will be more skilled at spotting business.

The RoPA report stated that the required qualification for general staff, listers and managers (not directors) would be at Level 3 and Ofqual regulated. Consider the choices available? Everyone is aware of the Propertymark (often called NfoPP) qualifications in either Sale of Residential Property or Lettings and Property Management but may not be aware of the Chartered Institute of Housing Qualifications or ABBE’s L3 Ofqual regulated Certificate in Property Advice & Practice (CePAP). 

There truly has never been a better time to get staff started on new programmes. They now have the time, drive, and determination to learn more.

ABBE L3 Certificate in Property Advice & Practice (CePAP) can be studied online via The Able Agent and covers sales skills & customer service as well as all the relevant estate agency and lettings process and law in one course and exam.

All enquiries to [email protected] or www.theableagent.co.uk for a free 30 day trial.

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That’s it for today – we’re back tomorrow so until then, stay safe…