Simon’s been talking about time. Not in terms of which season or market conditions people should sell or let their property in, but the time of day when properties should be released to the market.
Time was that phone calls would be made, messages left and property details sent out in the mail, but contemporary marketing allows us to take a more scientific approach and use parts of the day previously out of reach.
If you want to get to people when they’re most available, it’s the commuting times that work the best because the audience is captive and amenable to contact. Just look around you on the train or bus heading to or from the office: almost everyone is on their phone.
They could be doing all manner of things: checking social media, reading the news, enjoying a good book, arranging a holiday, planning their day or even finalising a spreadsheet. Whatever it is, they are not yet at work or back home, which makes it the perfect time for them to receive property alerts.
Technology allows us to schedule the launch of new listings in advance. This generates bookings and contact outside regular office hours and at times when people aren’t either embroiled in work or shutting down for the evening.
And this makes home hunting more manageable, reducing interruptions in people’s working days and sending information at times when they’re most happy to receive it.
