A Midlands estate agent has attracted more than 3,500 potential house buyers and tenants to watch 500-plus virtual property viewings in its first year of using an Australian-designed live streaming app.

Matt Nicol, managing director of Worcestershire estate agents Nicol & Co, was an early convert to using Gavl to keep his business thriving throughout pandemic lockdowns.

He and his staff carry out around 10 livestream viewings a week where multiple potential purchasers or renters safely tour properties at the same live event.

The app enables them to ask questions there and then and to direct the agent to specific features they might want to see in more detail.

Mr Nicol said: “We are now a year on since we started using Gavl livestream at the end of the first lockdown, and in that time we’ve carried out over 500 livestreams with over 3,550 interested parties joining.

“We continue to see its popularity as the first opportunity to view properties to let or buy without the need to travel.

“Gavl has proved more engaging than just photos or virtual tours, and the attendees like the interactivity.”

The leadership team at Nicol & Co, who sell and rent properties from the company’s three offices in Droitwich, Worcester and Malvern are full of praise for the Gavl app.

Erica Hinwood, the sales manager in Malvern, said: “Buyers out of area find it really useful, as they’re able to view the property in detail before deciding if it’s worth travelling to view in person.

“This makes for better quality physical viewings for the vendor; the fact you can interact while using it is what sets it apart from standard video recordings that many other agents provide.

“We find it works best doing it 24 hours after going live on the market when the property is very fresh.

“Some viewers will drop out after watching but this means it doesn’t waste anyone’s time doing physical viewings with the wrong buyer.”

Sarah Jenkins, lettings manager at Nicol & Co, said: “Gavl has changed the way we operate lettings, allowing us to livestream viewings as part of the initial marketing which has resulted in real interest from many prospective tenants.

“We then take the most suitable applicant to physically view the property, which means we save the time that was previously spent on multiple viewings, making us much more productive.

“This has been a huge benefit, as we’re attracting more stock, achieving more lettings, and yet we’re able to do all that with the same numbers of staff.”

Coralie Walrond, sales manager in Droitwich, said: “Gavl has proved to be a good instruction winner, with vendors liking that buyers are screened via a live virtual viewing prior to a physical viewing, meaning also that people who are not yet proceedable still get the opportunity to do a form of viewing.”

Mr Nicol was so impressed with Gavl that within a month of discovering it he struck a deal with Gavl in Australia, through his company In-House Design & Marketing Ltd, to promote and sell the system to other agents throughout the UK.

Interested agents can discuss Gavl with Matt on matt@ihdm.co.uk or call 01905 799072.

Ends (529 words)

For further information, please call:

Matt Nicol, Managing Director, In-House Design & Marketing Ltd, 30 St Georges Square Worcester WR1 1HX

Tel: 01905 799072

Prepared and issued by Andy Skinner at ASAP, 01608 651203, mobile 07990 978257.