Seven scenarios where PiPoffice improves sales efficiency, reachability of the agent, and general communication with potential buyers and sellers.

A day in the life of the estate agent is far from average. It can be varied, with no two days being the same. However, no matter how varied, there's one everyday activity guaranteed: conversations out of the office. Whether with purchasers, vendors, landlords, and tenants, or finalising contracts. The day is full of discussions from start to finish, and most of these conversations don't happen on the desk phone in the office.

Having a business phone system that gives agents quality communications out in the field seems like an obvious must-have. And before now, it has been hard to come by. Mobile phones do half the job. They deliver reachability and voice quality calling in most locations. But they are disconnected from the office phone system and all its functionality like voicemail ring groups, call recording, and a corporate contacts directory.

The PiPoffice mobile app gives agents the best of both worlds. The call quality of the cellular network and the functionality of a desk phone. The app is the UK's first phone system for mobile optimised for use out and about and on personal smartphones.

We have identified seven scenarios in a typical day of a real estate agent where PiPoffice is vital to improving sales efficiency, reachability of the agent, and general communication with potential buyers and sellers.

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Scenario 1. Morning Calls

The morning is typically the ideal time to make telephone calls. It is usually the best opportunity to get up to speed on the progress of current contracts with parties outside the agency. These could be to anyone involved, from solicitors to mortgage lenders.  Sometimes it isn't easy to balance important morning calls with getting to viewings on time. But with PiPoffice, you don't have to be in the office. You can get to the site early and make calls knowing that your CRM is recording your activity, the call quality will be high, your voicemails are accessible, and you will still receive inbound calls from customers calling into the mainline number or passed to you from reception.

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Scenario 2. On-site and in between viewings

Viewings are an essential part of the day. It may go without saying, but applicants will not buy or rent a property unless they have seen it, and preferably in person. Viewings, therefore, eat up much of the day, so to save as much chasing time as possible during the working day, agents need to be on the phone to keep in contact with other applicants. Staying connected to the CRM system and great call quality is vital.

The PiPcall app uses the cellular network, so call quality is high in the locations you need it to be. If most business calls are made away from the office, and the business phone system doesn't go beyond the desk, the agent is essentially disconnected from the business. Agents using their personal mobiles without the app, communicate via their phone number and contact directory, which means contact info and call activity is kept on their phone and lost to the business.

With business-supplied mobiles, the same applies. The information is on the mobile and not on the business system. PiPcall extends the phone system features to staff mobiles using the app. If most of the staff are out of the office, they can still be connected to ring groups, IVRs, and voicemail, so the business never loses business because agents are mobile.

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Scenario 3. Tying off loose ends

If the applicant is happy with the viewing and everything has gone to plan, the next stage is getting an offer on the property, which applicants often do quickly. When an applicant has made an offer on the property, and the vendor accepts it, it is then the agent's job to navigate both parties through to the final exchange of contracts and, finally, completion of the sale.

Acting fast means making calls away from the office. But often, these calls need to wait until agents are back in the office where the many third parties that form part of the sale are easier to find, e.g., owners, buildings, or lawyers. The PiPoffice app has a business contact directory built-in, making this easier. Also, a clear and quality voice connection is vital to stop the agent from becoming the bottleneck because they are unreachable.

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Scenario 4. Connecting the office to the agent

New business comes into the office in a variety of ways.  Potential clients like to either email their requirements to the office, step into the office for a face-to-face chat, or phone the mainline. Missing calls at any stage of the sales process is a no-no. One of the criticisms of agents is that they can be challenging to get hold of, and this is where the PiPoffice improves the sales process. Agents are connected to the phone system via the app on their smartphone, just like a desk phone.

Calls can be transferred directly to the agent by the receptionist to introduce the call or as part of an IVR group where the phone caller can access agents through dial pad options, e.g., "Press 1 for lettings, 2 for sales, 3 for admin, and so on.  It doesn't matter that the agent is away from the desk; they are still interconnected. If the agent cannot pick up the phone, the call goes to voicemail, and an email alert is issued. Ring groups are available, meaning the call is passed to multiple agents until someone picks up to ensure no lost business.

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Scenario 5. A clear line

An agent's primary skill is their ability to build rapport quickly, particularly over the phone. They need to clearly understand the client's requirements to create a working bond swiftly if they will successfully match those needs. Having that line of communication hosted by a high-quality phone system connected to the office is essential. The PiPoffice mobile app uses the cellular network, not Wi-Fi, to make calls, and is optimised for use on personal mobiles, providing clear, professional call quality over the cellular network anywhere at no cost to the agent and without draining the phone battery.

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Scenario 6. Welcomed advice

One of the great things about having business phone features in a mobile app is that managers can coach agents while out in the field, with the call whispering feature. Commonly only available on desk-based systems. Managers can enter PiPoffice calls on the agent's phone, listen in, and offer instructions without the other caller calling knowing. New estate agents can be allowed to hit the professional ground running from their first day, which is another great advantage.

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Scenario 7. Killing two birds with one stone

There will always be times when information gets mislaid; confusion can occur over a piece of information that has come to light, like a survey issue. Agents out and about don't have time to swing back and forth on one-to-one calls. Jumping onto a three-way call can be the answer and resolve the issue quickly. It's usually the case that these things spring up towards the end of the working day and leaving it to the following morning isn't an option.

Being away from the desk certainly can have its difficulties as an estate agent. Still, the PiPoffice phone system enables agents working out of the office to stay connected, improving sales efficiency, the agent's reachability, and general communication with potential buyers and sellers.

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Interested in a virtual demo? Contact us directly by phone 0330 0948080 or email info@pipcall.com to organise a suitable date and time.

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The PiPcall Team

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