Notice anything different about the shop fronts of your competitors lately? Let’s hope not as you could be missing out on valuable leads as your competitors take advantage of interactive window displays.
Although window display screens have been around the real estate industry for a few years only recently the touch screen style display has become popular amongst agents, vendors and property seekers. The recent edition of the Australia Real Estate Bulletin has a lot on replacing traditional Window Display Cards with interactive window display screens.
There are basically two varieties you can install. The first is the window display screen which allows an agent to choose a number of properties to display and the screen rotates through this selection. The other type is an interactive display screen which allows a vendor or property seeker to browse ALL of an agency’s listings and even make an enquiry. From out the front of a real estate agency users can pretty much do what they would normally perform at their desk with their computer browsing an agent’s website.
Is this a benefit? Well, I’m never hanging around out the front of my local real estate agency so I would never use such a device. However, I can see a use for this particularly in tourist areas as people on holidays always have a tendency to look for real estate.
Other benefits include:
- Agencies who have installed the touch screens have indicated people are staying out the front of their shop fronts longer resulting in more buyer and vendor enquiries.
- These touch displays highlight an agencies technological superiority over its competitors.
- The inclusion of these touch screens and being technological savvy boosts the morale amongst agency employees.
- It allows an agency to better market their properties on the ground, through virtual tours, videos, audio and maps.
- It’s completely automated saving time and money compared to window card displays.
- It could be argued its better for the environment as unlike window display cards no paper and ink is involved. But then there is the argument about how much electricity is consumed to power a large HD screen.
At a cost of roughly $10,000 to $16,000 per touch screen they are not cheap, but over a period of time breaking this cost down per listing makes it appear more reasonable. Many agencies are on-charging it as an advertising cost to the vendor, charging them a fee of $20 to $30 to display their property for as long as it is listed. Do the calculations here and over a 12 to 18 month period you’re likely to recoup your investment.
12 Comments
Glenn Batten
These screen boosts Morale in the team??? That might be stretching it a little…..
I think these screens certainly have their place and if used right they can look amazing but they have been around for quite awhile now and have never really gained real traction.
The technology has certainly got better and some screens now provide close to an acceptable experience outside with sunlight friendly screens and high contrast ratings. Maybe this new crop can make it where plenty of past models have failed.
The funny thing was I had the pleasure of being visited by a salesman selling these types of systems two weeks ago. He assured me they were the best in Australia. Big claim but he could not provide me with one client they were installed at locally so I could view them at nor did he have a sample screen.
I asked him about the technology involved. What was the make of the screens, the contrast ratios, how they coped with direct sunlight and what type of touch screen technology they used. He had not one single answer.
What could he tell me?.. Well he was in real estate and he first put in a competitor product and then pulled them out to put in a bunch of these screens. Seemed like a Remington moment in that he liked it so much he bought the company… although he was just the salesperson.. so he went to work for them instead of buying the company.
Anyway, I asked if I could view photos of the units he put in his ex office. Unfortunately he could not show me anything as he had to close the office down because it was losing money.
In essence I was asked to take his word on buying something that he as the salesperson knew nothing about and he as an ex customer could not stop his doors from closing. Confidence was not real high at this stage.
He promised to get an answer to every question I asked sent through to me. I have still heard nothing which is a pity because I was interested in knowing more. I think he was more use to agents who new less about technology than he did 🙂
These screens or any other initiative out there is not the single answer or savior of any real estate office. They can certainly provide a piece of the puzzle.
The other thing to watch out for that was not mentioned is that most of these companies charge a monthly maintenance fee on top of your massive capital outlay.
If you have little direct sunlight on your window display then they are definetly worth checking out. I have yet to see a unit handle sunlit windows very well… has anybody ??
Paul
When you say “The recent edition of the Australia Real Estate Bulletin” how recent? I haven’t seen a copy for months, even the link to their website is showing an emag from last year which you have to input a user name and password to view.
Never had to do that before.
Peter Ricci
Glenn, I would not hesitate in saying that most sales people work on the principal that no real estate agents have a clue with technology and the Internet ! You my friend would be their worst nightmare.
Glenn Batten
Peter,
It’s one thing for a salesperson to not fully understand the technology he is selling, but it is another not to have that information at his disposal along with a working knowledge of the basics of that technology. He should also have had full specs for the product or at least followed up with that information and some sort of sample. Most of these screen manufacturers don’t just do one size. I am not suggesting he could carry around a 42 inch screen but a 20inch screen using the same technology from the same manufacturer could be used and trialled on site.
I think these types of screens are the future for window displays but not until they get to a price point lower than a new car to outfit your window.
Peter Ricci
Glenn, yes I think they maybe the future. But then again, are flashy offices the future? I really think the mobile salesperson is the future. If you have a shopfront in a busy location – go for it. But think about he investment and where else you could spend your dollars for same – possibly better long term grunt.
Robert Simeon
Interesting debate although from our experience purchasers are looking at the internet not shop fronts. Yes for passing-by pedestrian traffic a professional presentation indeed. As against years gone by less and less people are walking into real estate offices simply because they can’t park their motor vehicles. Just last week the Roads Traffic Authority decided to remove ten available car spaces to now be a permanent clearway. This is not an isolated case it is happeneing everywhere where main roads will in time become permanent clearways because infrastructure in the CBD and outer suburbs are choking.
I did lodge an objection only for the RTA to respond that their research identifies that few people now walk in today as our business model usees newspapers and online – so even they get it. .
Glenn Batten
Robert… that was seriously there official response ???
Peter… We are sort of thinking alike.. I think these are the future as in with a few of these and a good user interface you dont need as large a shop frontage to display the same number of properties. In fact I reckon someone could operate fairly successful with these just on a wall downstairs and an actual office upstairs.
The best applications of these I have seen was in an internal arcade with a very narrow frontage. A traditional paper A4 based window card system would have been very limited. Of course with no direct sunlight they looked amazing.
For agencies with large window displays, they are going to need serious dollars to fit these out though. When the pricepoint reduces thats when they will become popular.
What would create more real business for you. A $30,000 digital window display or 30-75,000 clicks on your website through a PPC campaign with Google Adwords. I know what I reckon.
PaulD
What about all the millions of people running around with their real estate enabled applications on their new Mohbe phones. They will have to use one hand dialling up the properties on the phone and the other tapping on the real estate window getting information from the Window Display Screen. It could be very confusing, because when they get home, they will be getting email updates with all the new properties in the area that they are looking in. It will become a full time job looking for real estate 🙂
Peter Ricci
Actually having a window display system outside your office in an high traffic area like a shopping centre could make some sense. But again, cost. We always should sit back and say hmmm, ok, $30,000, now what would that buy me in other mediums? Then weight up the options!
Robert Simeon
Glenn,
Correct response where I can see it applying to us more than the others who received the very same response. My adjoining neighbours are Mosman Hotel and OfficeWorks 🙂
The Insider
Paul, it was the June/July edition. I haven’t seen a more recent edition yet.
Greg Vincent
I’ve personally visited over 2000 real estate agencies & I was amazed that during all of this time, I’d say that I’d be able to count the number of people looking in the agency windows on one, at a stretch two hands. (Maybe, I was there at the wrong time, I was there while the agents were open.)
If an agent wants to look innovative, then using an effective online marketing strategy would be a better place to invest their money.
I believe a good company website (with blog) designed for SEO & linked to Social Media is the go.
Include a professional video, a Social Media marketing campaign & any agent could be located upstairs or even become a mobile agent & meet clients at the local Gloria Jeans & write more business than a lot of their competitors.
Just like the travel industry experienced a number of years back,the necessity for a real estate agency shop front is rapidly diminishing. (Imagine trying to open up a travel agency from scratch in this day & age)