Tell us a little bit about your business and any unique selling points?
Livingroom has been instrumental in single-handedly improving the quality of service experienced by clients of Guernsey estate agents since inception in 2006. Livingroom has integrated creativity and innovation into the market offering a new kind of experience in a normally staid and traditional business sector. Livingroom was the first local agency to introduce direct email marketing, use of social media for property presentation, professional standard photography and intelligent design. More recently, Livingroom has strengthened its innovative reputation by introducing a new, intuitive website – designed to engage both the purchaser and the vendor. Livingroom is proud to have invented Transparent Vendor Management (TVM) which delivers a new level of client service.
TVM is a personalised platform hosted on the Livingroom website where vendors can see every element of their sale, all arrangements and every viewing, every piece of feedback and every honest remark that can help to explain the process. One of the areas where many estate agents let themselves down, and risk an antagonistic relationship with their vendors, is a lack of communication. Years of experience in selling houses means the Livingroom team knows exactly what a client wants and, fundamentally, what they want is recognition that their sale is important and a level of communication which shows their agents are working long and hard to help them. Having a strong online profile and an ability to “speak” to our clients in real time online is vital. Communication is at the heart of all our relationships.
How has social media and the internet in general changed your industry locally?
Livingroom were the first estate agency in Guernsey to embrace social media when we built a Facebook profile in 2007. As Facebook changed the way in which businesses use their facility, Livingroom then migrated to a business page entitled Livinglifeinguernsey to echo its popular and highly regarded printed publication ‘Livinglife’. In an effort to streamline Livingroom for 2012, and showcase a new level of technical expertise, Livingroom has created a new page entitled LivingroomGSY to match its Twitter page of the same name. As Livingroom has a strong visual brand and reputation for stunning photography, Twitter was not the obvious route to add as a media channel yet it has proved an interesting addition and provided yet another platform for discussion with yet another collective of unique users which adds further variety for the Livingroom customer.
Do you think social media has been helpful in improving the experience your clients have with Livingroom, and how has social media changed the relationship you have with your clients?
The newly launched Facebook page now features direct feeds from the Livingroom website – ensuring people looking for a new property can receive notification of any new instructions within fifteen minutes from the property being added to the website. By embracing new media, Livingroom are able to expose properties to a wider audience within a shorter period of time. Newspaper and printed advertising is based upon lengthy lead times and, within a fast moving industry, social media offers a great solution to this age-old problem. Livingroom have found that people often use Facebook as an online directory to search for contact details. It is not all about talking through computers, far from it. We pride ourselves on our personal communication with our client base. Social media allows us to have that initial contact with interested people and gives us a number of channels for conversations which will then become the personal service which Livingroom prides itself on.
How are you using social media and online marketing in general to stay on top in such a competitive industry?
Livingroom is constantly looking at new ways to evolve: researching and working with like-minded industry professionals on island and further afield to add an international edge to local business. As the industry moves forward, Livingroom is currently looking at new media channels to promote its properties to ensure we continue to be regarded as Guernsey’s leading estate agency.
Have you found that opening your business up to social media has got you greater exposure to a wider audience?
Until recently an older audience have struggled to see any benefits of using media channels such as Facebook and Twitter but this is changing. People are adopting social media for a variety of reasons. For us it is a great way to reach those customers living elsewhere. For instance a local man recently created a Facebook profile to keep in touch with his children in Australia. He had no intention of using Facebook for anything other than this purpose but, while using it, he discovered the Livingroom page. We featured a new apartment development on our page which caught his eye as an ideal investment opportunity. It is a perfect case in point of a different generation being exposed to the powers of viral communication. Social media also means we have access to people looking to climb on, or go up, the property ladder; speaking the language they use on platforms they trust.
Have you come across any problems using social media? For example, were there any immediate barriers to entry for you? Do you find it difficult to measure/quantify your activity?
Livingroom views social media as a generator to help sell or rent residential property. It is about communication and has proven to be a vital tool in the customer service mix. We do not seek to quantify it but the fact we have 1200 unique visitors to the website every day since our re-launch in January shows that social media plays its part in driving people to us.
Have you come across any misconceptions or myths surrounding social media that you would like to comment on – especially for those considering using social media marketing for the first time?
Generally myths or misconceptions come from people who have never used the services that are offered. In reality, providing that any posts or tweets show professional integrity then there can be no recourse. There are clearly two defined uses for social media, as a personal individual or for professional gain, they should never cross paths.
What have been the greatest benefits or opportunities to you/your industry by incorporating a social media strategy into your communications plans?
We felt there might have been a misconception that Livingroom only sold expensive houses. Incorporating social media into the way we communicate has demonstrated to the widest possible audience that we are about selling houses – any houses where the passion of the vendor or the buyer matches our own. Whether selling or buying a £100k studio or a £25m mansion everyone should feel they are the focus of our work and social media has helped us show this.