Viewber Diaries – Karen, Kent Coast
Who are the Viewbers?
What do they do?
What can they do for me?
Are they professional?
Do they have property experience?
It is so important to the Viewber HQ team to share more ‘behind the scenes’ insight so you can see the humans behind the platform.
After all, this company is all about PEOPLE, a service for people – yes, we’re serviced by tech and this is a huge part of the company but we are incredibly passionate about.
This series of the ‘Viewber Diaries’ follows different Viewbers who are based all across the UK – sharing their experiences of being a Viewber.
These are the people who conduct the many property appointments and services that we offer. This is your chance to get to know them better!
Here is Karen’s story from the Kent Coast area…
I live in Kent so close in proximity to London, Essex and the Kent Coast where you will find me working for Viewber. I was attracted to working for Viewber as I am interested in property, like driving and exploring new areas and talking to people.
I left full time work and living in the City of London when I was 48, so too young to retire and eager to find some part time flexible work. So, after 30 years of wearing a smart suit, I changed into some work clothes bought some properties to do up and rent. It led me to getting a City and Guilds in tiling – bathrooms not roofs! Once a small portfolio was established, I had more time on my hands and found Viewber in 2018.
I started like most agents carrying out viewings. I went on to be a keyholder and in 2019 got a bright orange mad venture 360 camera. The tiling knowledge was perfect for doing floorplans as I am used to measuring.
Fun fact: I switched to a hybrid car in late 2018 too so I don’t feel so bad about all the mileage I do. I have also upgraded my phone so my pictures of small rooms are taken with wide angle lens and cannot wait until Viewber want volunteers to take drone pics!
As you can see, to carry out the full spectrum of Viewber offerings it is helpful to love gadgets too.
There is the cost of these gadgets and I have subsidised these through my Viewber income but I quite understand some agents do not want to go this route and are quite happy to stick to viewings. Personally, I like the variety and challenge that being able to accept all types of work.
The 360-degree tour work gives me the greatest buzz. I see all sorts of properties in all different states of repair all over the South East. It is all loaded on an App called Immoviewer and I find it fascinating to see the stats over the last couple of years.
My first tour was in July 2019, which is still on the App was an eight-bedroom, four storey home in Herne Bay – not an easy one to cut your teeth on! I would then do about one every few months only completing two in 2019. Then of course we had COVID.
However, who could have known the request for these tours would become so popular – in 2020 from May/June after lockdown 1 it went crazy, and I completed 65 tours in 6 months! I have now completed 125 360-degree tours for our clients, so 58 so far in 2021.
Looking at the statistics on the on the App gives you a clue as to why our clients are so keen on 360-degree tours. On the 125 I have carried out, there has been over 110,000 views by potential buyers. That is on average over 875 on each! No wonder the auction houses and agents are keen to add these tours to their property descriptions.
Another aspect of the work is a love of detail and stats. Which leads me to my top tip if you are a Viewber, carrying out a lot of auction housework for Viewber:
– Sign up to their Newsletters
– Have the auction dates in your diary and you can see when it will be busy as a photographer or key holder – better still keep a record of the work you carry out and which weeks are busy
