Reputation is more important than ever to a real estate agent, and good one could directly generate more sales. According to Trustpilot, the 84% rating of one estate agent led to 39% more click throughs to their website, generating more interest, more sales and more data. Reputation is managed in a number of ways and one of the most visible of those, the internet and advertising aside, is through high street presence and corporate livery. This includes the company car.
Many real estate agents deploy cars as an effective way to roll out the red carpet. It allows your to get to know the customer, to manage their expectations and first impressions. Crucially, it acts as a moving advertising campaign for your business. Having a well designed logo is only the start, however, and there are a few important steps to consider before deploying the company vehicle.
The customer experience
First impressions are really important and are made on the fly. A study of over 3,000 people, reported by the Independent, found that impressions are set in 26 seconds. That seems like a vanishingly small time, but there’s a lot that can be done in that time. Start by considering the impression your commercial vehicle gives. It should be properly working and not have any obvious mechanical or physical defects or issues. The vehicle should, of course, be fully insured with the appropriate level of vehicle cover. If you give a client a lift to the property, is the inside clean and without bad odour? Whilst these aspects seem minimal, a client could infer a negative impression from the level of upkeep. Keep your company car well maintained, fully documented and in a good state of upkeep. Both on the road and when transporting clients.
Tailoring your livery
Consider the livery your company uses itself. Whilst there needs to be consistency with the company, it’s entirely possible to use the colour scheme and signage and adapt that for your usage. An example of this is the recent Buzzfeed design. Identifying that much of their user base was mobile based, at 75%, the website tailored their design for their audience.
What does your real estate agent specialise in? Student lettings have a very different audience to luxury homes, for example, and you may find it easier to engage with your target audience using suitable graphics on your company car. It’s worth considering what vehicle you use for the company on this basis, too. A rural-based lettings agent might find it practical and suitable to use a car or van suited to country settings, as opposed to a smaller car suited to whizzing around urban streets.
Your car is a moving advertisement for your business and should be treated as such. With first impressions and the customer experience crucial to getting a sale or new rent agreement, it pays to ensure that your customer is completely tailored to. Assess your company car today – make sure it’s in great working shape, and if necessary, conduct a complete overhaul for the benefit of your business.