Revealing the profusion of digital solutions for the real estate agents , one can wonder about the evolution of the real estate agent profession. An OpinionWay study for Meilleuragents confronted the views of individuals and real estate agents on this issue.
French do not want real estate agents to disappear
Faced with the emergence of Proptech in France, the concern of real estate agents is legitimate but the observation is clear, 85% of individuals questioned are categorical, they do not want the profession of real estate agent to disappear . In addition, they believe that no new service will be able to replace the agencies.
However, in this current context of digitalization of markets, individuals are becoming more and more demanding of service providers. They are always asking for more in terms of transparency, the ability to innovate, balanced prices or even trust.
The real estate transaction sector is particularly concerned. If real estate agents have a better image, only one in two French people have confidence in them and the vast majority are not considered to be innovative.
Between better and better informed clients and the emergence of new players, real estate agents must more than ever demonstrate their added value and develop their profession by relying on new digital tools.
President and co-founder of real estate agents.
This perception would be associated with their lack of responsiveness but above all with the amount of their fees deemed “excessive” for 72% of respondents. To meet these challenges of innovation and cost reduction, new players from Proptech have entered the sector.
Low-cost hybrid agencies: a threat to the profession?
In three years, there are already more than 400 creations of French startups. Among them, low-cost hybrid agencies, iBuyers are new players in real estate sales. Although these new services are still relatively unknown to individuals, they are all perceived as a threat for professionals.
The goal of these low-cost agencies is to disrupt the real estate market by reducing costs through technology. They do the same job as an agency without the tours. In this model, human interactions are kept to a minimum to facilitate the process. Finally, they offer fixed packages and a simple and effective offer in order to attract the confidence of the seller.
On the other hand, iBuyers inspire more mistrust than other services. For those who have never heard of it, “iBuyers” offer sellers of a property to buy it in 48 hours, and find them a buyer as quickly as possible.
This is because in this model, sellers fill out an online form and a tool is available to help them determine the correct purchase price. A professional then comes for a face-to-face assessment and within 48 hours, an offer is submitted to the seller.
