There's only one topic worth talking about today - the rollout of Google Street View across the remainder of the UK. That's right, almost every street in the country is now covered in full, glorious detail.
The arguments about how this will affect property marketing have not changed since we first saw Street View in the UK almost exactly a year ago. Prospective buyers and tenants will love the extra information and property owners will be anything from non-plussed to rather concerned about an invasion of their privacy.
But what about you - the estate agents?
When the internet gained popularity, it levelled the playing field. The small company could suddenly compete just as easily as the big one.
The majority of estate agents in the UK are small independent firms and a growing number, particularly new start-ups, are turning their back on High Street offices and becoming online agents operating from out-of-town premises or a home office.
The reasons for this are well understood within the trade - buyers start their property searches on the internet and owners expect you to go to them, rather than the other way round. So why have the expensive office overhead?
However, understanding how to communicate this to your customer base has perhaps just become that little bit more important. The curious may take a look at your address on Street View and some may feel a lack of reassurance.
You will need to be prepared to counter this with logical incontrovertible argument. Like many other businesses, agency is a people business.
Make sure that a lack of clear understanding of your model doesn't undermine your approach.
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