Are letting agents really charging for viewings?
As any letting agent will understand, ‘no-shows’ are a common frustration, but is charging for viewings the answer? Since the lift of covid restrictions both estate and letting agents have seen an unprecedented surge of booked viewings. However, with this comes lots of missed appointments which wastes both valuable time and money for the agent. But how can this common issue be resolved? ‘View Rabbit’ are confident they have the solution…
View rabbit – the future of viewings?
ViewRabbit launched in July 2021 in a bid to make house viewings simple, and hassle-free. With ViewRabbit’s Priority View, you can secure early access to the most in-demand homes from just £30. They state that priority bookings are guaranteed and therefore removes any disappointment from cancelled viewings. They quote ‘Agents using ViewRabbit allocate a batch of pay-to-view slots when properties are first launched to the market. So that the most credible and committed movers can secure access before free viewings start. Currently, the platform is being tested by a small number of agents, who are trialling it for properties with high enquiries.
Will charging for viewings catch on?
Agents have voted against the concept in trade polls and have left dismissive comments about it on trade press websites. Largely, the concept has been challenged for not connecting with buyers and sellers habits or considering the process as a whole. Could this be just another tech startup looking to dominate the market but fall flat? For the lettings sector charging fees to students or residential properties could be challenging, especially when demand is so high.
There is no doubt this concept is here to evolve the housing market. But only time will tell if this idea revolutionises the way we book house viewings.
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