Prepare a property for marketing

This guide has been reviewed against our global client base and classed as relevant to all regions

This page outlines the basics for preparing a property for marketing, including adding property details, photos, maps and the EPC plus adding commission/fee details, preparing details and preparing to upload to property portals - finishing with changing the property status to For Sale/To Let

Your company processes may dictate what needs to be entered when getting a property ready to market, therefore you should continue to follow these

This guide covers:

1. Add main description

Your property should already have been added on the system to log details for the market appraisal
If not, click here for more information: Add a property & book a market appraisal

Sales property

Lettings property

In the brief description field (bottom middle pane):

  • Add a short description of the property
    This is normally the summary/initial description used on property portals and brochures

The following settings are dependent on your system configuration:

  • Property descriptions may have a text limit

  • A strapline field may be in use (above brief description field) to allow an an extra shorter summary description to be added

  • The marketing screen may be set up to allow other descriptions to be entered, such as a long description, location & directions - see step 8 for more information

2. Complete property attributes

To add/edit property attributes, in the Attributes panel:

  • Click the edit (pencil) icon

Sales attributes - example

Lettings attributes - example

3. Sales properties - update the vendor record, add price, commission, financial & agency details

3a. Update vendor record

  • Check details entered are correct

  • Click Identity Check to enter vendor ID for all vendors
    For more information on ID, click here: Enter & report on ID

3b: Price

  • Enter the asking price
    Click Asking Price to change the price qualifier, where applicable

3c: Commission

  • Enter the percentage figure

    If using fixed fees, click the arrow beside the % and Change to fixed amount

  • If you use a variable commission (or tiered fee) structure, click the menu beside Commission and select Variable Commission

    For more information on variable commission, click here: Variable commission / tiered fees - configuration option

3d: Fee detail & agency information

To the right of the price/commission fields:

  • Click Financial
    The Financial and Agency Information screen is displayed

    • Ensure post-market appraisal information has been entered
      i.e. Recommended Price, Market Appraisal Price & Vendor Estimate Price and Other Agent Appraisal information (where known)

    • Select the Selling Agency type from the drop-down menu and enter Sub / Joint Agents information at the bottom of the screen

    • Where required, enter an Inter-office Selling Fee and/or click Fee Splits to enter fee split detail
      This can also be done/updated when changing the property to exchanged status

4. Lettings properties - update the vendor record, add commission & financial details

4a: Update landlord record

  • Click Landlord
    Check details entered are correct
    If there is a joint landlord, in the Joint Landlords panel, click button search for (or add) their details

  • Click Identity Check (top left) to enter landlord ID
    For more information on ID, click here: Enter & report on ID

  • In Financial section, click edit icon (pencil) to add/update the landlord financial details
    Bank, accountant & VAT details are held here, along with Non-Resident Landlord information

4b: Rent

From property screen:

  • Enter the rent

    Click Rent to change rent setting (per week, per 28 days/4 weeks, per month, per annum), where applicable

4c: Letting Fee

  • Enter the percentage figure

    If not using percentage fees, click the arrow beside the % and select from options to: 
    Change to fixed amount or Set to multiple of weekly or monthly rent

4d: Letting service (& fee)

  • Select the relevant letting service from the drop-down menu and associated fees, as applicable

4e: Fee detail & agency information

In the fees panel:

  • Click Rent/Fee Details

  • Use the Commission section to enter more detailed fee information can be entered

  • Vacant Management details can be entered

  • On the right, select the relevant Agency type from the drop-down list
    Sub & Joint Agents can then be added at the bottom of the screen

5. Add photos, floorplans & maps

Images are added at the bottom left corner of the property screen

  • Click and drag images over this panel
    Or click the panel to open the Pictures screen (see next step)

From property screen:

  • Click image or blank panel (as shown above), bottom left of screen
    The Pictures screen is displayed

To add images, click Add Picture / Floorplan / Map buttons (top left):

  • Enter labels for each image

    • Yellow star indicates the main picture
      Clicking a grey star will switch the main image to that one

    • Icons bottom right of each image allow you to edit or delete the image

    • Click and drag the images to change their position

  • Click the Picture link under each image to set what type it is

  • Once added, the main picture is shown on the property screen
    Use arrow keys (right/left) to scroll through the images

6. Create EPC

From the Attributes panel:

  • Click EPC

  • Enter the Energy Efficiency Rating / Potential and the Environmental Impact Rating / Potential 

  • Use the Created field to enter the date the figures were generated
    Enter any other information required (URLs / Document Files)

  • Click Make Graph
    A message will be displayed to confirm the graph has been created with the option to view it
    If Yes is clicked, the graph will be shown on screen

  • The graph can be viewed any time using the View Graph button

7. Add rooms

From the Attributes panel:

  • Click Rooms

From the top right panel:

  • Select room Name from the drop-down list or type in your own

  • Enter Dimensions in metric or imperial
    When hovering over the field, both formats will be shown

  • Enter a Description

  • Click Picture and select the required picture from the list

  • Click Add
    The room detail is added to the main panel of the screen
    To make changes to the room, select it in the main panel, makes changes and click Save 

  • Continue using the top right panel to add further room detail

When complete…

  • Click Make Summary to create a summary of the accommodation details entered, or type own summary in this panel
    The summary is usually used as 'key features' when uploading to property portals

  • When the details have been approved, tick Details Approved (top left) and click Save

8. Enter details on marketing screen - including extra descriptions, sale board, internet advertising & using the 'internet check' function

From the top middle panel:

  • Click Marketing

Sale Board

  • Enter Type and Status information
    Depending on configuration, this may trigger an email for sending to your board supplier

Extra Descriptions

What is shown/entered here is dependent on configuration/company requirements

  • Enter the required extra descriptions for this property
    Depending on configuration, these descriptions may be used for property descriptions and/or portals

Internet

If you want to stop the property from being uploaded to property portals:

  • Tick No Internet Advertising

To generate a what3words location for the property:

If the property is not being uploaded to the internet (when it should be):

  • Click Internet Check, a pop-up will be displayed to help pinpoint the issue(s) 

9. Create brochure

From property:

  • Click Details

  • The list of available templates will be displayed
    Templates available and their content are dependent on the requirements of your business

  • Double-click the required template
    Details will be taken from the property to create a set of details in Word format

  • Check over the details produced and make any changes

  • From Word, click Save - save options are displayed

Step 1: save details as a Word document

From the save options shown above:

  • Leave set to Save document in property letters folder and click Accept

  • When asked Convert to PDF? click No

  • The Save file as screen is displayed - enter a File name and click Save
    This will save a Word version of the details in the property Letters folder - see 9a

Step 2: save as PDF particulars

Go back to the Word document:

  • Click Save again (in Word document)

  • From save options (shown above), select Store as PDF particulars for property and click Accept

  • This saves a PDF version in the Details screen in the Predefined Details section
    An option to email the PDF details is available from here, see information below

Email details from property details screen

  • Click E-mail to select an applicant to send the details to
    This would usually attach the PDF to the email and add brief details too

  • An option to log the email in the applicant/property journal is also offered

9a. Word details in property letters folder

After saving a Word version of the details to the property letters folder (outlined in step 9 above):

  • From property, click Letters (top right) 

  • The Word file is displayed in Existing letters and files (right)

10. Complete pre-instruction checklist

Where configured, you may be required to complete a pre-instruction checklist before your property status can be changed to For Sale/To Let - click here for more information on the pre-instruction checklist functionality: Pre-instruction checklist - configuration option

11. Change property status

Beside Status (top middle panel):

  • Select For Sale / To Let - Won Instruction OR To Let - Won Instruction

  • Click Save

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