Suppliers to the industry are continuing to come up with free and special offers to agents to try and help them through these very tough times.
One app on free offer to all readers of EYE until the end of June is the I-property report, which can be used for inventories, check-in and check-out reports.
It has a built-in feature which allows tenants to check the reports and add their signatures remotely, thus keeping social distancing, although it still means that the property itself must be visited and inspected.
The feature has been incorporated in the app since 2013 but founder Paul Campbell says it has come into its own in recent weeks as it allows reports to be carried out without physical contact with tenants.
The inventory clerk or agent carries out the report in the normal way; it is sent to all parties, including the tenant, landlord and agent, within minutes of leaving the property.
The tenant can then remotely sign, date and time each page of the report, which is then auto-distributed again to all parties.
Campbell said that that all agents and inventory clerks who read EYE are welcome to use the app completely free, with no strings attached until June 30.
He said: “If we are still in lockdown afterwards, I will extend that further.”
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Meanwhile love2move, which allows high street agents to have a digital estate agency platform with its own branding, is waiving its usual joining fee.
It has not disclosed the actual sum but the offer means agents can try their hands at offering an online-only sales service, with no upfront cost. Sellers pay £895 to list, with agents receiving the fee from love2move within three days.
Co-founder Mark Worrall said: “This crisis is not only isolating people from their friends, families and colleagues, it is leaving businesses detached from each other.
“This is proving to be particularly true among independent high street agents. However, the network we have created at love2move is providing the opportunity for agents to talk to each other and give support.
“They are also sharing ideas of how we can come out the other side, which has included opening up our network to more agents. This not only will increase the size of our network, but also offer agents another way to rebuild after the outbreak.”
Some 40 agents currently use the brand.
