The evolution of Viewber: 8 years and counting
Viewber: achievements, statistics & growth
In 2024, we celebrated eight years of trading as Viewber. Our ambition took hold when ex-agent Ed Mead, his wife, the ex-head of PR at Savills, Jamie Jago, and tech entrepreneur and former Harrier pilot Marcus de Ferranti, joined forces to provide a solution to a problem troubling the property industry.
The team recognised that accompanying every viewing, conducting inspections, running open house events, letting trades in and handing over keys was proving a real drain on resources, taking professionals away from their desks for hours each week.
Sending a vetted and local Viewber to attend on their behalf quickly found favour among time-pressed agents and property managers, who saw value in being able to delegate low-return but essential jobs to a trusted partner. Indeed, as the range of services increases, Viewber is well on the way to being a one stop shop offering clients all the services they might need on their journey via a single dashboard portal.
Exceeding half a million appointments
Since 2016, Viewber has grown exponentially and so have our statistics. We’ve now completed >650,000 appointments, powered by a nationwide network of 5,000+ Viewber members. Our client base has expanded too.
Our core of agents has been joined by auctioneers, social housing managers, landlords and holiday lettings specialists – especially those who are based miles away from the properties they manage or own. Increasingly, individuals are using our property check service too – particularly by people keeping unoccupied property insurance policies valid.
Viewber now assists literally thousands of different clients, including leading property brands Savills, Lomond, Allsop, The Odevo Group, Purplebricks and Springbok Properties.
Cutting CO2 emissions
Whether it’s an internal decision to be kinder to the environment or a bold pledge to achieve B Corp certification, Viewber is pleased to support the property industry’s drive to reduce carbon emissions.
Almost 40% of our visits are carbon neutral, with a local Viewber traveling to and from the property by walking, cycling or using public transport. We achieve this thanks to our nationwide network – many of whom are so local they can choose the greenest method of travel. Our carbon-neutral statistic is in stark contrast to employed agents, who usually drive long distances or get stuck in traffic when completing visits.
We are also encouraging the use of key safes/lock-boxes and key holding – both of which cut carbon emissions by reducing journeys to and from offices to collect keys. Viewber offers key safe installations and key holding services, bookable online.
Expanding into listing imagery & EPCs
It was only natural for Viewber to expand into other specialisms that involved property visits. Agents and auctioneers see sense in booking a Viewber to create digital photographs, floor plans and 360° virtual tours, while our live [or recorded] video tours remain a popular remote viewing tool.
Our clients can also book an accredited energy assessor to visit a property to produce a valid EPC. We expect this service to become more popular as the Government encourages landlords to prepare for the mandatory EPC grade to increase from E to C from 2030.
Reduce fixed-costs, gain resources
Our ‘pay-only-for-what-you-use’ set up is indispensable in a time when fixed employment costs are under the finance microscope. We will also support property professionals as they navigate changes to employers’ NI payments and the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill.
Proptech early adopters
Viewber has long flown the flag for a more digitised approach to property, centred around our paperless, easy-to-use online dashboard that doesn’t require any specific software. The team has complemented this by venturing into podcasting, live industry Q&A sessions and by running regular virtual wellbeing events for employees.
Such is our commitment to proptech that we were pleased to become a signatory of the Tech Talent Charter – an employer-led initiative encouraging greater inclusion and diversity in the UK tech workforce, supported by UK Digital Strategy.
People & property: our win-win
Viewber has always been dedicated to a holistic approach to work and life, actively seeking opportunities that benefit our employees and member network. One of the most successful has been the development of our ViewBuddy app.
The app is designed specifically to keep individuals safe, especially those who conduct lone property appointments. Users can add ‘buddies,’ who will receive an SMS alert if you don’t check in on time, or they can use the silent alarm feature if there’s any sense of unease, activated by entering the PIN backwards.
We’re also immensely proud of our workplace coaching for colleagues with ADHD and ASD, the introduction of Workations – an initiative that enables team members to work virtually anywhere globally for up to 30 days – and registering as a Disability Confident Employer.
Our latest is a collaboration with Rest Less – a fast growing digital community for the over 50s. Viewber will be promoting its self-employed, flexible roles to Rest Less members, recognising the skill set of this older demographic with a desire to add adhoc earning to their repertoire. This complements our signature on the Centre for Ageing Better’s Age Friendly Employer pledge.
One blog simply isn’t long enough to list all the initiatives Viewber has introduced or become part of but our approach to employee wellbeing and inclusivity earned us 4th spot in Newsweek’s ‘The UK’s Most Loved Workplaces’ in 2024.
Work with us
Viewber continues to offer its nationwide, seven-day-a-week service, with availability during the evening and across public holidays. Even though our list of services is exhaustive it isn’t finite. If you have a property problem, our team is waiting to offer or develop a solution. Get in touch – let’s see where we can go together. You can also contact us if you’d like to work for Viewber or become part of our member network.
