'A fax machine, photo copier and SLR camera were the tools of trade'
Charles P Beretta
Director, James Sellicks Estate Agents
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Things have changed significantly in the world of estate agency since my first foray into the business in the mid-1990s.
I remember having left university with a degree in Land Management and a basic grasp of the use of a word processor and being thrown into what, at the time, seemed to be the world of hi-tech business. Looking back, it all seems very basic indeed, at that time a fax machine, photo copier and an SLR camera were the technical tools of the trade.
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One of the first major technical advances I noticed in the business was the much wider use of the mobile phone allowing instant contact with my office and clients.
The very thought of our smart phones being able to connect to the office server to access diaries, receive e-mails and surf the web was inconceivable at that time.
Digital photography followed and has allowed us to provide instant high quality images that can be viewed, sent and altered at the click of a button.
These quality photos allow us to produce modern, crisp, professionally printed glossy brochures for all our properties, and thankfully the days of the traditional flimsy photocopied details are long gone at James Sellicks.
Laser measurers have largely done away with the traditional tape measure and sites can be viewed and mapped via satellite technology which is fantastic when advising a developer client or trying to measure an awkward garden.
The internet has radically changed how the speed of information is transferred in the estate agency world. James Sellicks were, in fact, the first estate agents in Leicestershire to have a website and are constantly updating it, using innovative ideas to keep it fresh and user friendly; national sites have subsequently followed.
Advanced computer software systems allow our offices to communicate and monitor progress. This can involve the arranging of viewings, monitoring of sales progression to the management of more than 3,000 applicants on our mailing list. The IT systems we use now allow us to be able to market properties efficiently and effectively throughout Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire.
What changes can we expect over the coming years only time will tell, what is clear, however, is that with all the technical advances we have seen in the past few years, they can only complement the professional advice only experience will teach you.
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