Selling homes from home? Possibility or pipe dream?
The rise of remote working is well evidenced. Although a modest number of people were working from home (WFH) before the pandemic, Covid saw the nation’s workforce pivot away from offices to dining tables, boxrooms and breakfast bars.
We can refer to a recent article published in Forbes Advisor to see how the UK’s remote and hybrid working patterns changed. Just 4.7% of UK employees worked from home in 2019 (WISERD) but as of June 2023, 10% of the UK workforce worked from home all the time and 29% worked from home some of the time.
Companies are discovering that WFH has output and financial efficiencies to such a degree that they are rethinking their workplaces. A report by Gallagher, released in late 2023, found 63% of business leaders were planning to reduce office space, 21% were in consultation to move to a smaller workplace and an additional 37% planned to switch to more flexible co-working spaces.
By the end of 2023, the Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 was almost unrecognisable, and a study commissioned by workplace consultancy AWA concluded that Brits average just 1.6 days a week in the office. An additional study by accountancy firm RSM UK found a third of businesses now allow their employees to log in from anywhere across the world.
When it comes to property, the High Street has been king for so long that the concept of an estate or letting agent working from home still feels a little alien. A quick search on job websites Reed.co.uk and Indeed.com, however, finds 100s of property positions that are exclusively WFH or enjoy a hybrid arrangement.
The trend can be traced back to the pandemic, when ‘stay at home’ orders forced agents to abandon their branches. Rather than nosedive, agencies flourished – partly attributed to an ‘everything online’ approach, which included CRM systems, cloud storage, lead management systems and digital communications. Forced WFH was a turning point for Jonathan Handford, Managing Director of Fine & Country Leamington Spa, who discussed the matter with Showhouse magazine.
The agent said the pandemic had given rise to many more estate agents embracing a remote-working, self-employed agency model – a structure that has helped his business thrive over the years. “Our culture and business model are now centred around people rather than physical offices,” commented Handford. “If I am paying between £50,000 and £100,000 a year for the use of an office, I would rather pay that to my people because they are the ones generating sales, listings and enquiries.”
The above point alludes to a potential dimming of branch power and ability to lure in custom off the street. “The number of walk-ins is marginal at best,” says Handford. “In my opinion, branches maybe becoming more of a liability than an advantage because the office must be staffed with at least two people for safety.”
A self-employed estate agent model is the alternative for property professionals who can’t find home working flexibility with their current employer. If recent analysis is considered, it’s a style of operation gaining in popularity.
After looking at the changing number of VAT and/or PAYE-registered estate agency enterprises in the UK between 2017 – 2022, eXp UK concluded that self-employed agency models were behind a substantial rise in the number of registered agencies operating with between 0-5 employees in the UK.
Nick Carter, CEO of Harding Green – an agency that comprises mainly self-employed consultants working within a broker model framework – observes: “we’re starting to see mass adoption of the broker model. We’ve had more people apply to meet with us this year (2024) than we did in the last two years put together.”
Agency owners who thought WFH would ebb away with the end of the pandemic were wrong. Property Personnel’s managing director, Anthony Hesse, spoke to Property Industry Eye about employment trends: “a growing number of estate agents are looking for a greater work-life balance, which includes WFH.”
Hesse says WFH as an agent is “both possible and effective” and a job aspect that is “part of the normal order of things – not just as a perk but a right*”. He goes on to add: “WFH is already part of the working landscape, so there’s no point trying to fight it, hoping it will quietly go away. It’s such a key issue in recruitment and estate agents should ignore it at their peril – employers must offer greater flexibility in the workplace or they will fail to secure or retain the very best candidates.”
Agencies who transition to an exclusive online operation, pursue a broker model or consist of a network of self-employed agents can find invaluable support, that was not available in the past, at Viewber. Acting as an extension of your business, WFH can still provide a full range of professional agency services nationally – something that wasn’t possible until Viewber arrived in 2017.
Viewber can accompany viewings, create property listing packs inc a 360 tour and description, do an EPC, host block viewings/open house events, produce property condition reports, perform Right to Rent checks and deliver a full suite of key management services, including key holding.
As we offer nationwide coverage, Viewber can service areas outside an agent’s immediate vicinity – essential if you are WFH and want to cover the widest geographical catchment possible.
Get in touch to explore your options.
* All employees have the legal right to request flexible working, and this include where they work, as well as the days, hours and start/end times
