Posts with tag: apps

Some of us might take to our smartphones to find the perfect partner this Valentine’s Day, but for property lovers, there’s another app that will deliver more promises than any stuffed animal or box of chocolates.

Knocker is the smartphone app that connects prospective homebuyers and tenants with their dream property. Simply swipe left or right to shortlist a selection of possible properties.

“This may sound brutal, but it’s the first stage in a selection process,” explains Jon Grant, one of the app’s founders. “What you then do with a shortlist is really up to you.”

Grant believes that Knocker has “changed the way that people look at properties, and made the whole process more immediate and responsive”.

It seems that the majority of buyers and renters already use the internet to search for their next home. So what does Knocker do differently?

To start with, you can simply walk down the street, spot a house for sale, load up the app and find out how much it costs – ideal for those who know exactly where they want to live and want to find out about prices in the area.

The Tinder-esque app will also help the over 50% of us that buy a property because we’ve fallen in love with it.

“I think most people know whether the property is for them within ten seconds of stepping into a place,” says Grant. “If the stars align, you’ll know if the property is just right, and feelings grow from there.”

So what makes us fall in love with a property?

Grant explains: “The key things are whether the property meets their need and their mental image of what they want from a home. I think if anything exceeds that even slightly, they could be hit by Cupid’s arrow.”

And it seems viewing a property really can be as romantic as that. Grant has found that how the property is presented, how the viewer is feeling, and factors such as the general environment and the weather that day can all play a part.

Although we may assume younger buyers are more likely to use an app like this, Knocker’s largest demographic ranges from 22-44, with most spending time to browse properties, shortlist their favourites and contact agents.

Landlords are also catching onto the trend. Grant has heard from numerous buy-to-let investors who “love using the app and have made purchases as a result of finding properties”.

He believes the benefit for landlords is being able to identify a particular street, understand prices in the area based on experience or what they see on the app, and find investment opportunities that they know will make them strong returns.

But should a landlord do what other buyers do and fall in love with a property? “Probably not,” says Grant. “It would be like a farmer naming his livestock!”

He continues: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong in having strong feelings towards an item in your portfolio, but a polarised emotion – such as love – might cloud overall objectivity.”

Knocker is most commonly used in fast-paced cities, where affordability and availability make it vital to be able to find a property quickly and efficiently. 20% of Knocker users have a property to sell, but are yet to appoint an estate agent. “We’re planning to do something about that really soon,” says Grant.

With changes to landlord taxes fast approaching, could now be the time to take the plunge and enter the speed-swiping trend?

Knocker might just be right up your street, as it’s proved to cast its matchmaking spell for many. “We know that users of our app absolutely love it, because they tell us, and then we blush a little,” adds Grant.

Visit the website and download the app here: http://knockerapp.com/?utm_source=Landlord%20News&utm_medium=Blog&utm_term=knocker%2C%20app%2C%20&utm_campaign=Landlord%20News