HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
• New update to the Area Price Tracker.
• Tips and tricks from our Support Team.
• Q2 market performance overview.
Introduction
Dear Property Professional,
I hope this message finds you well and that you have had a chance to enjoy a well-deserved summer break.
I would like to start by thanking everyone who provided feedback on our inaugural newsletter. Your insights have been invaluable, and I am pleased to announce that we will be producing these newsletters regularly as part of our broader communication strategy. Our goal is to engage more closely with you, our valued customers, and keep you informed about the latest developments at PropertyPal.
Over the past few weeks, we have been hard at work making several enhancements to our platform. We have dedicated resources and investment in the underlying tech infrastructure, aiming to improve overall website speed and performance. Beyond this, we are excited to announce some new features that will be going live imminently. These include a refreshed key information section enriched with new data from third-party integrations and an improved homepage design to better showcase recently added properties. Additionally, we have introduced several user-friendly features to make property searches even easier. A significant update is the new standalone section for commercial listings in the main navigation, with early indicators showing improved visitors to the commercial section. This is just the beginning of our focus on improving the entire commercial section of our site.
Your feedback is crucial to us in ensuring we continuously improve our platform and better serve your requests. There is a link to a feedback form directly within this newsletter, and any comments are appreciated. In addition, over the coming weeks PropertyPal will provide further information for planned opportunities for all estate agents to provide direct feedback and input on PropertyPal future priorities and areas you would like us to focus on.
Thank you for your ongoing support, and I wish you a prosperous second half of the year.
Warm regards,
Jordan Buchanan CEO, PropertyPal
PropertyPal Updates
What we’ve been working on
Recently Added Properties
In our previous newsletter, we received valuable feedback that the “Recently Added Properties” section appeared cluttered and was sometimes hard to read on the white background. We’ve listened to your suggestions and are excited to announce a refreshed, cleaner look! Don’t forget, your feedback is important to us. Feel free to share your thoughts via the link at the end of the newsletter.
Commercial Rent Frequency and Price Type
We’re excited to announce a new, highly requested feature in the Commercial section of our website. Previously, when listing rentals on PropertyPal, you could only specify the rental frequency (e.g. Per Week, Per Month, Per Year). Given that commercial rental prices are often negotiable, we’ve now made it possible to specify the rental frequency independently of the price qualifier.
This improvement allows you to list commercial rentals with a price prefix, such as “Offers Over £12,000 per year,” providing greater flexibility and clarity in your listings.
Tips & Tricks from our Support Team
Agent Login
You can now login to the CMS from the main website login page. The ‘Agent Login’ button is below the website user login pane.
Floorplans
Recognising that most users access PropertyPal via mobile devices, we have created a dedicated Floorplans section. This section features a magnifier tool, allowing users to zoom in on individual rooms for a closer look.
Development Sitemaps
There is a dedicated section in the CMS for uploading development sitemaps. These sitemaps will be displayed in their own tab within the gallery, making it easier to view and navigate.
If you have any support related queries, please contact support@propertypal.com and Jane or Declan will be in touch asap.
PropertyPal Updates
What we’ve been working on
CMS - Property list in Invoices
When membership invoices are issued at the start of each month, your accounts administrators now have a hassle free way to see properties that have been advertised in any reporting period. The invoice email issued to your accounts administrators will have a direct link to bypass the CRM login, so it’s easier than ever to be able to see what properties have been added in the previous membership month and beyond.
For customers that remain on a pay per property basis, the list of properties will continue to be included in your invoice.
Updates Coming Soon
Watch this space
Area Price Tracker
The team is currently working on updates to the Area Price Tracker on the Property Details Pages and its standalone page. Previously, we relied on annual data sources to manually analyse markets in specific areas.
Now, the number crunching is done daily, ensuring that the most up to date information is presented to users. This allows them to get a real-time feel for the market where the property is located.
Housing Market Snapshot
Q2 2024
No. of ‘Sale agreed’ properties by quarter, 2016-2024
Sales during Q2 2024 vs Q2 2023 -4.0%
Q2 2024 vs Q2 2023
+3.0% House Prices +10.0% Rents
+2.0%* Inflation
Website Users
*Data includes New Homes
The full Q2 report can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3LsqDL9
*June 2024 vs June 2023 2,000
+5.0 %
Jordan Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer at PropertyPal commented on the housing market:
“The Northern Ireland housing market demonstrated stability in the second quarter of the year. Overall prices have stabilised at an annual growth rate of 3.0%, with supply of new listings increasing by 1.0%. While sales volumes have decreased by 4.0%, the typical time to find a buyer is approximately one week faster than the long-term average, indicating strong underlying buyer demand.
High mortgage rates and the uncertainty surrounding the UK general election somewhat restrained market activity. However, with UK inflation now back to the Bank of England’s target, it appears more a question of when, rather than if, interest rates will fall. Market traders are currently divided on the likelihood of the first rate cut occurring next month.
Additionally, the UK economy experienced an unexpected rebound in May, supporting the growth ambitions of the new Labour government. The impact on the housing market will become clearer in the coming months, but the new Chancellor has stated that proposed planned reforms will unlock housebuilding and stimulate the construction industry.”
Marketing Overview
June 2024 Activity
Tips & Tricks
How Often Should You Post on Social Media?
We often get asked how often as a brand you should be posting on social media. Whilst there’s no magic formula, the key is to find what works best for your audience while staying consistent. Experiment with different frequencies, track your engagement and remember quality content is always better than the quantity of content you are pushing out.
Key Takeaways:
• Focus on creating engaging, valuable content
• Stick to a regular posting schedule
• Use analytics to determine the best times to post
Social Spotlight: Most Popular Property
Social Update
New Instagram Announcement
431,076 impressions*
June 2024 Performance
1.2M website users
20M impressions* across social media
1.1M post views on TikTok
495 likes
128 comments
*The number of times the content was seen, including multiple views from individual users.
Instagram has said it won’t focus on long-form content any time soon, so short form videos and content you would want to share with friends will be prioritised. This means you should focus on creating bite size videos that grab attention in the first few seconds.
170 properties featured across social media
If you would like to speak to our marketing team or fancy grabbing a coffee, reach out to us at marketing@propertypal.com
Life at PropertyPal
What’s been happening in PropertyPal
Meet the Team
Jane Hughes, Support Manager
Having been with PropertyPal for over 16 years, Jane is someone many of you know very well! For those who don’t, Jane manages and oversees our customer support, taking care of all telephone and email enquiries. Her expertise ensures that every customer gets the best service possible and she’s always working to improve our support and make things run smoothly.
Staff Summer Kick-Off Party
To mark the start of Summer, our team participated in an afternoon of team bonding activities followed by food and drinks. It was a great way to relax, catch up and have some fun together as a team.
All the latest news from PropertyPal
Home Buying Survey
We’ve just completed our survey analysis exploring the preferences and trends of firsttime buyers and home movers across Northern Ireland and are pleased to give you a sneak peak at some of the key findings from the report. The full analysis will be sent directly to your inbox soon.
Spotlight on Partnership with Simon Community
We recently welcomed Rebekah from the Simon Community who gave an insightful presentation on the homelessness crisis in Northern Ireland. She detailed the challenges faced and introduced our new partnership in which we will support their mission through volunteering and fundraising.
To further enhance brand awareness for Simon Community, we’ve added a link to their website in our footer.
To find out more about SCNI or to donate visit: https://simoncommunity.org/
Feedback
Your feedback helps us improve and better serve your requests
Please take a moment to share your thoughts with using one of the options below:
Filling in the form via https://wkf.ms/3WTXFL8
Emailing us at help@propertypal.com
Calling us directly on 02890 999 999
