Poll Reveals Brokers’ Lack of Online Presence

A recent poll on brokers asking how they felt their own business broker websites were performing, revealed a surprising 40% confessing they don’t actually have one. Just a third of respondents felt they were satisfied with their website’s performance.

Daniel Hegarty, chief executive of online broker agent Habito, stated that it had been shocking that so many agents don’t have any IT web solutions for their business, which he said must be considered as the “complete baseline” for almost any consumer-facing small business.

He continued; mortgage information ought to be available and transparent. Available now means online, 24/7, from any connected device — that is the reason why we interact with clients via live chat such as in the evenings and on weekends, and also our unnaturally intelligent mortgage chatbot is obviously there for clients to speak through their choices.

A mortgage is arguably the biggest purchase in anyone’s lifetime, therefore it is essential that the business begins to embrace technology to be able to empower individuals to take charge of their finances and shield themselves from staying or getting on the incorrect mortgage, broker’s can launch their websites so easily with a readily available mortgage broker website template.

“Understandable scepticism”

David Sheppard, managing director of Perception Finance, stated that for smaller agents there was some clear scepticism around the usage of a custom web design. He explained that a lot of agents are only traders and those will often find business from repeat customers and word of mouth, so to put money into a site and make it good and drive visitors to it will appear an unnecessary expenditure. You might even devote a great deal of time on this that is time which may be spent writing proposals.

But, Sheppard contended that a quality site is crucial for bigger brokerages, however that the emphasis has to be about obtaining a site which represents just what the broker is all about.

There are tons of companies that can design and construct a site but it’s essential that it seems new and reflects the business image. An off-the-shelf site, whilst more economical to put together, could have the opposite effect to what your company is seeking to attain, unless it is something decent like website templates for mortgage brokers. When the site is there however the continuing cost also has to be factored in. Hiring a good search engine optimisation company and spending cash on Google is essential if you want customers to find you.

Obtaining some help

There are lots of options for agents looking to set up a site, with tech companies and networks that offer their experience.

As an instance some businesses provide a site building service for agents, with the choice of a complete IFA site or simply mortgages. The company offers standard text for agents that they may accommodate if they see fit, in addition to integrated best purchase tables or even a mortgage lookup option.

Mark Lofthouse, chief executive of Mortgage Brain, also stated that it had been very surprising that such a great number of agents do not have a site “in this electronic era”. He went on to say that It is actually a very low price, with low costs, such as an adviser to acquire a professional site. All it requires is for them to receive a client that they would not have otherwise obtained for the site to cover itself.

Toni Smith, company operations manager at networks First Compete and Pink, stated that it’s attractive to borrowers — especially younger first-time buyers — leaves using a good site essential.

She continued; we assist our agents design theirs by providing a referral service into a design service that makes sure that a site is acceptable for a phone, easy to navigate and contains a search engine optimization setup. In addition, we make certain all sites are assessed by our Fiscal Promotions team to make certain they do not mislead customers.

Lauren Bagley, Sesame and PMS marketing director, added; we recognise that many consultants need support to boost their digital capacity. Included in our evolving technology approach, we’ve established an internet solution for many Sesame and PMS members that offers pre-approved sales copywriting and content, customisable designs, tools and calculators. The sites will also be fully responsive and price effective, giving an ideal solution to improve a client’s experience and understanding of your company.

There are many options available to help brokers to get started on their digital strategy, and aside from a small investment of money, not much is needed to get a business in the door that is the internet.