The Guild of Property Professionals has given its backing to the concept of mystery shopping as a way of improving agents’ service to customers.

In the latest episode of the Guild’s The Home Stretch podcast, the group chief executive Iain McKenzie reminisces about the evolution of mystery shopping over the past 30 years. 

He is joined by Annabel Goulden – she’s head of KnowYourMarket, a mystery shopping and market research company operating within the homeowner and home mover sector.

In the podcast Goulden sheds light on the reputation management component of digital marketing, focusing on monitoring lead management, sales processes, and identifying missed sales opportunities.

“Mystery shopping is not about micromanaging staff, but rather a training tool designed to help businesses improve processes and grow. It is identifying areas that require improvement and investing in targeted training that will help staff members” Goulden adds. 

“If you’re not investing in your staff members, your growth is going to be limited, because if you can’t help them handle inquiries in the right way, then how are they going to maximise sales opportunities?

Amongst other topics, the episode also touches upon regional variations in mystery shopping scores, revealing a surprising North-South divide. Goulden discloses findings from negotiator mystery shops, indicating a significant difference in scores between the Midlands and the South, challenging preconceived notions about the correlation between fees and customer experience.

She also explains her collaboration with industry trainer Tony Morris, saying: “After we have the result of the mystery shop and assessed the data, Tony will go into the branch or agents can have access to his estate agency university online. We would mystery shop again the following quarter and measure whether there’s been any improvements, or what areas still require attention.” 

To listen to the full episode, visit The Home Stretch Podcast.