Further Information:

Window Talk

At first glance, you might think that interactive sales boards are a gimmick, but according to agents using them, they are hugely successful.

David Donnelly, of Compass estate agents in Bedford, has been using Windowtalk for about six weeks arid describes results so far as 'phenomenal'.

The system means that people who spot a For Sale board can dial a special four-digit number and hear a voice description of the property; their telephone number is captured in relation to that particular property, while the system also gives callers a menu giving them the choice to leave a message requesting an appointment to view, or transfer to the agent.

Donnelly says: "In the first weekend of using the system, we had over 400 inquiries waiting for us on the Monday morning. It has been very well received, not just by applicants but by people thinking of selling. It is already proving itself a good instruction getting tool."

He thinks that Windowtalk works so well because it is so instant: "People seeing a property at, say, nine in the evening can immediately get information on it. Yes, of course they can look up the property on the internet, but they still have to go home and switch on their computer."

Windowtalk has another plus as far as Donnelly is concerned - it is sold exclusively to just one agent in any particular town: "It definitely gives us an edge," he says.

The cost per office per week for all their properties, seems reasonable, and the system has generated considerable local publicity for the firm.

Windowtalk managing director John Quinn says that his system is an interactive resource that generates leads around the clock."When we first spoke to agents, some were sceptical. They were concerned a barrier would be put in the way of a potential purchaser talking to their staff: But the more forward-looking agents quickly realised our system would do the opposite.

"Purchasers want to access information when they want to and how they want to - and an awful lot of them do not want to talk to an estate agent initially. Generally the public feel much more comfortable doing their own groundwork at first before taking the next step when considering any major capital purchase - it is the same if they are buying a car or house or even shares.

"Our Windowtalk Access system helps solve all these issues. Information about properties is accessed when, where and how the potential purchaser wants to access it. and they are then led gently but quickly to a negotiator, or the negotiator is given their number to contact them.

"The agent can phone them back knowing they are genuinely prospective property buyers, and the negotiator now has an idea of the area, style and price of the property they are likely to be interested in.

"The results generated by Compass show how this really works for an agent. It's a bit like the internet - at first many agents saw that as a barrier, but now I do not know one agent who would be without a website."

Portions of this page are taken, with acknowledgments, from "Negotiator" magazine, 26th March 2004. You can download the entire article (PDF 470 kb) by clicking here.