London agent Douglas & Gordon which has 19 high street branches has rolled out its new hybrid offering into a new area, telling the public that it decided not to “clog up” the high street with another estate agency.
Douglas & Gordon launched the new model in February last year in Streatham, south-west London.
There is no actual office, but brokers service clients through working locally, in people’s homes and perhaps cafes.
It said in February it would be adding more ‘virtual’ offices this year and next, and has now launched into Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise.
On its website, the agent says: “We have taken the decision to not clog up your high street with another estate agent and instead we work directly for you from within the local community.
“We are able to do this as your local brokers live in the area, meaning they too are passionate about making the most of it and getting the best for its residents.”
The firm is currently offering a 0% deal for the first 100 sellers in Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise who instruct Douglas & Gordon. The model is not cut-price, and works on the usual no sale, no fee commission basis.
CEO James Evans said that Douglas & Gordon is “proud to be embracing change”.
He said: “Without the constraints of a physical office and set operating hours, ‘hybrid’-style services offer clients greater flexibility when it comes to viewing and valuation times.
“This model allows our brokers to provide clients with the service they need, be it an evening or a weekend.
“In the absence of a physical office, Douglas & Gordon aims to operate at a hyper-local level so that our agents understand the charm and hidden opportunities of the areas they operate in.”
He added: “We believe that residents would rather see the high street freed up for local businesses like coffee shops, bars and restaurants or independent shops.
“Our route to working at a hyper-local level is through nurturing these relationships with locals and supporting, promoting and collaborating with local businesses.”
I really like D&G, I even like the idea of this hybrid side of the business.
However, I must say it seems as though the ‘offering valuations and appointments at a time that suits the client’ is nonsense. I immediately read through the lines and thought, ‘appointments will naturally be made at a time more suitable for the hybrid agent, not the client’…. “can you book me in for 9pm at Hyper Local Street, Please? Well… let me see, no, but I can at10am tomorrow morning, or 4pm tomorrow?”
let’s get one thing straight. In order to offer clients appointments and service at anytime you need more staff, that are aware of their working times, as simple as that. Otherwise the service level is only as good as the individual offering it when and where they want too, if they want too at the time!
Whats the betting they use statements similar too ‘flexible working hours’ … when selling the new service to attract their hybrid agents..?
Once again, I can see the Hybrid model doing ok, but I really wish people would stop banging on about how it allows people to have appointments at whatever time they want! Too many variables.
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The rot has set in. Many agents now offer hybrid, nothing more than cost saving and death of a thousand cuts. You were already offering a web outlet as do all agents today. You will all go the same way as Ryanair and Monach, trying to take the cheap option to buy consumer and reduce your overheads. Even PB after several years still to make a profit and £millions spent and still the high street reigns, why? Because the business is a service industry and you can only do it so cheap, the current hybrids and on-line only are not viable, the slightest push and they go over the edge. There is a bottom line for any business, hybrid currently requires £millions in the bank from others to keep going, while the directors pick up fat cat salaries, they are the only winners, certainly not the staff longevity.Google will return and wipe you all out!
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Not sure it’s made clear from the above article but the ‘broker only’ model works on a full fee. It’s not a cut price model as has been alluded to above.
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They were operating this new virtual office in our area (SW16/SE27/SE21/SE19/SW2) and offering 0% sales – I personally lost about 8 to 10 instructions to this promo; which is fair enough, I cannot argue with vendors about this as D&G are a decent agent.
I imagine they processed in excess of 100 sales with this 0% approach, with many streets awash with ‘Sold’ boards.
However, since this promo has stopped, I’ve barely seen any instructions and never had them listed as a ‘competitor’ on a Val. Good gimmick, but probably cost them overall.
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