Practical ways housing marketing professionals are working through lockdown

At this point, with several weeks of lockdown behind us, the majority of people are beginning to grow more accustomed to working remotely.

But some industries are notoriously face-to-face which makes the switch to remote working more difficult, and one of those industries is the housing market.

Housing marketing professionals are being urged to work from home as much as possible, which is changing how this sector operates. These are some of the practical ways that professionals working in the housing marketing sector can continue to work efficiently during lockdown.

Remote working

The primary way that housing professionals can work more efficiently during lockdown is by adopting remote working practices. This means having a stable internet connection, using collaborative communication tools like Skype or Slack to keep in touch with your colleagues and making the most of project management tools such as Trello.

It’s also important to stay in touch with everyone – projects and deadlines still need to be met, so it’s a good idea to have regular catch-up meetings as a team or one-to-one to keep everyone on the same page. Remote working has a number of benefits, such as greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. So, finding ways to make it work for your company can be beneficial – now more than ever.

Video calls

It’s no surprise that over the course of the lockdown, the use of video conferencing technology has increased significantly. Software such as Zoom has become the go-to for colleagues to ensure that meetings are continuing, and teams can collaborate effectively. These tools have changed the way we work but they can be of particular use to housing professionals as a way of working with others remotely and even calling prospective buyers or renters.

Video calls provide a more personal feel compared to email or even telephone calls, so they can be a great way for professionals to maintain a rapport with their clients.

Social distancing in the office

Sometimes, working remotely isn’t practical or even possible. When this is the case, taking the proper precautions to adhere to social distancing guidelines will ensure that everyone remains safe. This is something that companies around the world are already taking into consideration.

“While we work from home wherever possible, there are some aspects out work that we simply can’t do away from the office”, says Scott Buchanan, Managing Director of Squarepoint Surveyors. “Whenever we do need access to the office, we closely follow the government’s guidelines on social distancing and carry out a thorough cleaning regime”.

Government guidelines such as keeping a two-metre distance from others, regularly washing your hands, wearing face masks where possible and avoiding going into work at all if you’re displaying symptoms are key to staying safe.

eSignatures

Documentation and contracts are a large part of the housing sector, which can be a problem in the current climate of social distancing and working flexibly. But using eSignatures ensures that you can still complete contracts and continue working effectively, while also streamlining business activities.

There are several tools to do this, such as Signable, Eversign and Pandadoc, and they can be enabled quickly. Most importantly for remote workers, eSignatures allow for the freedom to sign and return documents electronically from almost anywhere in the world and from a range of devices for added convenience.

Wearing PPE when necessary

Where necessary, workers also have the option of wearing PPE or personal protective equipment. This can vary from disposable gloves to masks and face protection. In situations where workers need to go into the office to work and don’t have the option to work remotely, protecting yourself further by wearing PPE can help keep the spread of germs and bacteria to a minimum.

For example, housing marketing professionals may need to visit sites or work from offices on certain occasions, which is where having PPE as a guard against bacteria is beneficial.

Conclusion

Certain sectors have felt the impact of Covid-19 more than others in terms of flexibility and working practices, and the housing sector is one such example. But with the use of remote working, maximising the use of digital tools and software, and adopting safe working practices through social distancing and PPE, we can ensure that we’re working as safe as possible during lockdown.

Kindly shared by Annie Button