‘How much is my home worth, Alexa?’ Hunters launches first valuation tool using Amazon tech
2nd April 2019 posted in Hunters News Home Lifestyle
Hunters are proud to launch our brand new Alexa skill, partnering with Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition service to create a property valuation tool.
Potential vendors who have one of the speech-recognising pods need only say “Alexa, ask Hunters Estate Agents to value my property” and then, after answering a few basic questions, are told how much their home could be worth.
The valuation estimates are created using data from Zoopla’s Hometrack property information business and the service is the first of its kind in the UK and, as far as The Negotiator can tell, in the world.
The Hunters property valuation ‘skill’ is the first of its kind in the UK’s to be launched on Amazon and signals a clear strategy that our 200-branch network is embracing the latest platforms and technology to engage with customers. Powered using voice recognition, homeowners and landlords can now ask Alexa how much their property is worth by answering a few basic questions before being presented with an estimated valuation of their home.
Hunters’ Alexa service is part of the 200-branch franchised network’s relatively new strategy of investing in technology and follows the recent recruitment of former Foxtons tech chief Dan Rafferty as its Chief Operating Officer last month.
Crucial Role
“Technological services will continue to play a crucial role in the industry going forward and Hunters has established itself as one of the innovators in that field,” says Rafferty.
“The launch of the Hunters Alexa application is further evidence of that, and we expect it to be well received not only by existing customers but also people who may choose to engage with it out of intrigue.
“The inception of virtual assistance in the property market is transforming the way people interact with their homes and, in this case, with the initial selling or letting process.”
The Alexa service has been developed by Hunters in collaboration with Leeds based company Webanywhere.