• Mystery Shopping your Customer Experience

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    Updated: 15th April, 2025 | Created: 13th June, 2022
    Proinsight Staff Chloe

    Chloe Kinch

    Director of Client Success | Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Improving The House Buying Customer Journey

    It’s becoming increasingly common for businesses in the housing sector to work with mystery shopping agencies to gain an insight into their customer journey. Many are paying particular attention to their unique journey nowadays in an attempt to increase the likelihood of them selling properties and this is key to ongoing success.

     

    The house buying process can be lengthy and it’s all about closing the sale, but every interaction you have with prospective buyers will influence the outcome. Thankfully, mystery shopping services can cover all aspects of the house buying process and they can provide you with the insight you need to be able to improve the customer journey you provide. Below we have looked into some of the different mystery shopping services available to assist companies in the housing sector that sell homes.

     

    Market research

     

    Conducting up-to-date market research can be really useful when you’re selling properties and it will give you insightful knowledge of what prospective buyers expect from the buying process. Research programmes conducted by mystery shopping agencies can help you to collect information and develop your understanding of the current market. You can then analyse the findings and make strategic decisions to improve your customer journey.

     

    Face to face mystery shopping

     

    Face to face mystery shopping is the most traditional mystery shopping service and it can be incredibly effective for businesses in the housing sector. By conducting face to face visits, mystery shoppers can help you to understand the customer experience in real-time. A mystery shopper will interact with your business in the same way any other prospective buyer would and they can provide you with feedback about your current customer journey. Whether you use a quantitative or qualitative approach, the insights gained will be very useful.

     

    Telephone mystery shopping

     

    The customer journey doesn’t start when a buyer views a property, it starts from the moment they first contact you and often, this will be when they call you to enquire about a property. Telephone mystery shopping can help you to ensure you’re starting the customer journey off on the right foot and that your customer service is outstanding. Experienced mystery shoppers will call your business and use bespoke scoring criteria to give you the insight you need into how your team is performing when they pick up the phone to customers.

     

    Online mystery shopping

     

    Every interaction your business has with prospective buyers is important and if you have a website or an app, online mystery shopping is a mystery shopping service you shouldn’t overlook. The experience your customers have whilst interacting with your business online will directly impact how likely they are to purchase a property from you and it’s crucial to understand how your business is performing online. Through their first-hand experience, mystery shoppers can help you to understand what’s letting this part of your customer journey down.

     

    Competitor mystery shopping

     

    The property market is incredibly competitive and to ensure your house buying journey is up to par, you need to learn more about what your competitors are doing. Competitor mystery shopping is designed to give you an invaluable insight into what your competitors are doing well and what they’re not so great at. This provides you with an opportunity to make some changes to your customer journey to ensure you’re standing out for all of the right reasons. Making your business that little bit more competitive is always advantageous.

     

    Investing in a mystery shopping programme

     

    If you’re interested in mystery shopping and you’d like to find out more about how the services above can benefit your business, don’t hesitate to contact our team at Proinsight. We specialise in creating bespoke mystery shopping programmes for our clients, based on their needs and goals, and we will be happy to discuss mystery shopping with you in more detail.

     

    Over the years, we have worked closely with a vast range of clients in the housing sector and we are experts at getting under the skin of businesses to help them improve customer satisfaction. We pride ourselves on knowing what to do with the results of a mystery shop to help you boost business growth and we invite you to explore the rest of our website to find out more about how we can assist you.


    David Hopkins

    David Hopkins

    Managing Director at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    David has a long history in the business of doing good business. In 2008, he co-founded Proleisure, a leisure consulting company, where he identified a growing need for deeper customer insights across the industry. This led to the launch of Proinsight Mystery Shopping in 2014, with a vision to provide businesses with the valuable data needed to enhance customer experience.

    Now, as we approach our 10th year, Proinsight has become a leading provider of specialist mystery shopping, auditing, and research programs, serving a diverse range of sectors across the UK including real estate, fitness, retail, hospitality, and so many more. We remain committed to helping our clients achieve excellence and drive meaningful improvements in their businesses.

    David is deeply committed to enhancing customer service across all industries. His passion lies in providing valuable mystery shopping insights that empower clients to take actionable steps towards improvement. By delivering these insights directly, David helps businesses create effective strategies to elevate their customer experience and drive meaningful change.


    Chloe Kinch

    Chloe Kinch

    Director of Client Success at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Chloe joined Proinsight Mystery Shopping as an Account Manager in 2017. Prior to her role at Proinsight, she served as National Sales Manager at Parkwood Leisure, where she gained extensive experience in exceeding customer expectations and developed a deep understanding of the leisure industry.

    Chloe quickly advanced within Proinsight, progressing from Account Manager in 2017 to Head of Client Success in 2020, and ultimately to Director of Client Success and shareholder in 2022. In her current role, she leads client relationships with prestigious brands such as David Lloyd, Dyson, and Apple. Chloe is responsible for designing bespoke mystery shopping programs tailored to each client's specific needs, aimed at enhancing customer service and optimising sales processes across various industries, including real estate, hospitality, retail, leisure, and more.


    Lucy Winn

    Lucy Winn

    Brand and Communications Manager at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    After graduating with a degree in Marketing from the University of Westminster, Lucy successfully grew and scaled her own e-commerce womenswear clothing business over a span of four years, expanding into international retail markets including Japan, the US, and France. With extensive expertise in brand development and digital communications, Lucy has driven commercial growth through strategic initiatives like influencer marketing, digital campaign management, and both online and offline retail expansion.

    In July 2024, she joined Proinsight Mystery Shopping as Brand and Communications Manager, where she leads the strategy and management of all digital platforms, including the website and social media, with a focus on driving shopper sign-ups and generating client leads. Additionally, she oversees event management for both internal company days and major external summits like Connect CX. At these events, we emphasise the critical importance of exceptional customer service across various industries, positioning it as a cornerstone of a brand’s overall UX strategy.


    Robert Brocklesby

    Robert Brocklesby

    Senior Client Success Manager

    Robert is a Senior Client Success Manager at Proinsight, bringing over 20 years of consultancy and industry experience in customer service measurement and development. Throughout his career, he has led numerous high-impact projects for well-known clients across the UK, spanning a wide range of sectors. His work has consistently driven significant improvements in customer experience and contributed to sustainable, profitable growth.

    Robert recognises that each client is unique. He designs tailored Mystery Shopping programmes to monitor, enhance, and elevate the customer journey, aligning with each organisation’s specific goals. In addition to his consultancy work, Robert is a qualified teacher and regularly delivers customer service workshops. These sessions focus on identifying key strengths and uncovering areas for development, empowering frontline teams to drive continuous improvement.


    Deborah Jones

    Deborah Jones

    Senior Client Success Manager at Proinsight Mystery Shopping

    Debs has spent the last 25 years working in the health and fitness, hospitality, leisure, and childcare industries, holding senior management and consultancy roles. She has also enjoyed some backpacking and travel adventures along the way! In her spare time, she loves all things health and wellness, spending time with friends and family, and hiking with her lovely dog!