Millennials prefer to buy and sell homes on WhatsApp

WhatsApp is increasingly becoming the preferred method of communication when buying or selling a home.

EastHaus report that around 80% of offers made this year were over WhatsApp rather than a traditional telephone call.

Whereas even a couple of years ago we wouldn’t have dreamed of taking an offer or putting it forward to the client without at least a telephone conversation, if not face to face, this is method has almost become extinct as Millennials become the prime demographic for property transactions in East London.

This form of communication has its pros and cons. Tone of voice can get lost in written words, whether it be a message or email and this can lead to things being misconstrued. It is also true that a face and face to face conversation is a much better way of gauging emotion and sincerity which is hugely impotent for building trust.

However, with time being a big factor in most people’s daily lives, messaging is a much faster and more efficient way to communicate. It is also recorded which avoids any confusion over what may or may not have been said.

According to EastHaus, 95% of its clients work during the day and answering the phone is often not an option for them. In fact, EastHaus said it regularly get emails enquiries for properties that state DO NOT CALL, email only. So messaging or emailing is the only option.

This shift in the way business is being done should not however allow Estate Agents to become complacent or lazy, the East London estate agent said. Estate Agents are paid a fee to provide a service and that service should not slip just because traditional communication methods are not necessarily being used.

EastHaus reports it has had circumstances where a whole group WhatsApp has been set up between the head of sales and the clients’ entire family to be able to liaise re viewing times and ensure everyone is clear of what is going on. One client even set up a Google calendar so that the family could enter their movements and could add in viewings.

“We find its always useful to text or WhatsApp viewing reminder appointments, as on the occasion where someone needs to cancel, they are must more likely to respond to our message and let us know as its quick and easy to reply,” EastHaus said.