Almost six in 10 estate agents remain reliant on third-party providers to make changes to their websites according to new research commissioned by Street Group, highlighting the sector’s ongoing struggle to take control of its digital infrastructure.
The survey found that 31% of agents are completely dependent on external developers or providers to make website changes, while a further 28% described themselves as fairly reliant. Just 12% said they were fully self-sufficient when it came to managing and updating their online presence.
The findings suggest many agencies remain constrained by legacy systems and concerns around technology upgrades, despite growing pressure to improve digital performance and customer experience.
According to the research, almost two-thirds (63%) of agents have delayed upgrading or replacing existing systems.
EXPENSIVE UPDATES
The biggest barrier was concern over operational disruption, cited by 34% of respondents, followed by the cost of migration and implementation at 31%.
Agents also highlighted frustrations around ongoing system management, with slow or expensive updates among the most common technology-related pain points.
Street Group says the findings demonstrate how many firms remain tied to platforms that can be difficult to adapt, limiting their ability to respond quickly to changing market conditions and customer expectations.
The research coincides with the wider launch of Spectre Websites, Street Group’s estate agency website platform, which is now available to agencies beyond its existing Street.co.uk CRM user base.
COST CONCERNS
Heather Staff (main picture), Co-Founder of Street Group, says: “For too long, estate agencies have been forced to rely on third-party providers for even the most basic changes to their digital infrastructure.
“Our research shows that this dependency remains widespread across the industry, with many agencies also delaying technology upgrades due to concerns around cost and operational disruption.
“The result is that businesses often find themselves stuck with systems that are difficult to change, slow to evolve, and expensive to maintain.”
COMPLETE CONTROL
She adds: “That’s exactly why we built Spectre Websites. We wanted to give agents complete control over their online presence, without the need for developers, lengthy project timelines, or ongoing change requests.
“By opening Spectre Websites to the wider market and embedding AI throughout the platform, we’re making it possible for agents to launch and manage a professional website faster, more easily, and with far greater control than has traditionally been possible.”
