Lucky people who received smartphones, iPads and new PCs in their Christmas stockings apparently got into the festivs spirit by logging on to estate agents' websites, straight after downing turkey and pudding.
Andrews estate agency, which has over 80 branches across southern England, says the number of Christmas Day hits on its website tripled the figure on the same day a year earlier.
The firm deliberately targeted keen owners of new devices by unveiling several homes for sale on their website for the first time at 3pm on Christmas Day. This flew in the face of the conventional wisdom of agents advising vendors to wait until the New Year to come to the market.
The tactic paid off - between Christmas Day afternoon and the end of December 27 each of the newly-marketed homes had secured an average of three viewings booked.
"We're delighted but not at all surprised. The feedback from our vendors has been great" claims Andrews' Michael Robson. But he was not the only property professional with the same thought.
Sarah Beeny’s controversial Tepilo website mounted a campaign in early December encouraging would-be sellers to upload details of their homes in time for what it predicted would be hundreds of thousands of online visitors over Christmas.
Comments
wardy - I'm sure that it would have programmed beforehand - even I'M not sad enuf to be on RM at 3pm on Crimbo Day!
...of course, I WAS on at 7am, though... ;o)
Happy new year to you PeeBee, hope its a good one.
Having that, this exercise seems to got the guy some column inches on here so maybe it worked.
On a different note, manually uploading at 3 o'clock xmas day? I was passed out for about two hours by then. How much do you not want to go out for a pint with chap?
wardy - hello and somewhat belated HNY to you, Siree! ;o)
You have looked at this with slightly different eyes to mine - and are absolutely correct in what you say.
Why wait? Proving a point is one thing - but delaying the properties being placed on the market to prove that point may in fact have cost the vendors valuable ADDITIONAL interest.
Buyers - SERIOUS buyers especially - are looking for property regardless of the date, time or 'state of the market'.
Wonder how many made their decisions on Christmas EVE as to what to view.
Lost opportunities...
Interesting one this.
So the agent elected to list a number of properties on probably the worst consumer day of the year for what, Hits?
I assume they were measured up, photos taken, floor plans published by then which means he actually held the listings back from the market to suit his own ends.
Now that's looking after your Vendors.
"...you really don't like EAT, do you. Why read it and bother to comment?"
Mr Bennett - Don't really like it? Explain that comment, please - as I have been an ardent reader of, and 'contributor' to, EAT for several years now.
I comment because I can; and because I have an opinion - and my opinion is what you see.
What's your excuse for YOUR comment, Mr Bennett? It says nothing of anything.
Do I take it, then, that you have no opinion to offer as to the story; either of its' content or how it has been written?
PeeBee - you really don't like EAT, do you. Why read it and bother to comment?
"...This flew in the face of the conventional wisdom of agents advising vendors to wait until the New Year to come to the market."
Just shows, then, that the "conventional wisdom" you refer to is a big bag of cr@p - and by referring to it as that you display zero understanding of the subject you are reporting on.
Oh... and your spelling and composition are suspect, also...
Any need to mention Beeny??
I think if you keep pushing someone you should put 'Ad' next to their name as I guess they are paying somehow!
He who dares...