It is fair to say that 2021 has been difficult for a number of industries. Many spent the last 12 months trying to rebuild their businesses after the restrictions that were put in place throughout 2020 in an attempt to slow the spread of Coronavirus. However, there is one particular industry that has been incredibly busy this past year; the housing industry and the housing market continued to move at pace regardless of what else was happening in 2021.
Lots of businesses within the housing sector have been trying out different tools in an attempt to stay relevant and competitive at such a frenzied time, and mystery shopping programmes have been very sought after. There are a number of advantages to working with a mystery shopping company whilst the housing market is so competitive and even into the future when it finally starts to cool off again.
Housing trends over the past 12 months
Over the past 12 months, the housing market has changed in a number of ways and buying, selling or renting a property has come with a number of challenges. There was a huge shortage of properties on the market in 2021, resulting in multi-offer situations and bidding wars. This is thought to have been due to an increase of first-time buyers being able to get a foot on the housing ladder. Historically low interest rates made it possible for many to consider moving home this year too, not to mention the stamp duty holiday had a role to play.
As a huge percentage of people have been working from home since the start of the pandemic, buyers priorities also changed. There was a significant increase in people looking for properties in rural areas and many chose to move out of big cities like London. After spending so much time at home in 2020 and 2021, the vast majority were looking for properties with outdoor spaces too and gardens became a must-have for buyers. This resulted in less interest in flats and apartments.
It is predicted that the housing market will be just as busy, if not more so, in 2022 and there is expected to be a strong buyer demand as well as a number of homeowners getting ready to sell. For those working in the housing sector, the start of the new year will likely bring another 12 months of a competitive housing market.
Why businesses in the housing sector are using mystery shopping
Lots of businesses in the housing industry, from estate agents to solicitor firms, have started working with mystery shopping companies over the past year. They have been enlisting the help of mystery shoppers for a number of reasons, but predominantly to win over new clients and to remain relevant during these incredibly competitive times.
By using mystery shopper services, such as face-to-face mystery shopping and telephone mystery shopping, businesses can get an insight into their customer experience and ensure that they’re providing exemplary customer service. Using the feedback provided by mystery shoppers, they can make any required changes to prevent them from losing out on clients to their competitors. They can also make sure that clients continue to recommend them to their family and friends, and word of mouth referrals remain to be really effective.
Lots of businesses are using mystery shopper services like competitor shops and market research to learn more about their competitors as well as what prospective clients are really looking for. The information gained from these particular services will help them to stay both relevant and competitive whilst the market is booming, and it will prevent them from being overlooked. When businesses know what sets them apart from the competition and what clients require at this moment in time, they can make strategic decisions for business growth.
Finding a mystery shopping company to work with
Should you be interested in working alongside a mystery shopping company in 2022, feel free to contact our team at Proinsight today. Mystery shopping really is one of the most useful ways to understand the good and the not so great about your business, and we’re experts at getting under the skin of our client’s businesses. What’s more, we know what to do with the honest and objective feedback provided by mystery shoppers to help you boost business growth.
At Proinsight, we work with businesses across a variety of industries and our expertise is extremely vast. All of our mystery shopping programmes are tailored to your individual needs too and we will work with you to create a package that is suitable for your business. We really do have the people, the skills and the experience to help you improve your position in the marketplace, so don’t hesitate to enlist the assistance of our team.
