Countrywide Signs evolves during COVID-19

The franchise has seen its busiest recruitment period for quite a while

We have all had to change the way we work and live under the COVID-19 lockdown, none more so than companies that work in sectors which appear not to be able to profitably function at this time. However, it is not all doom and gloom for Countrywide Signs who have seen its busiest recruitment period for quite a while.

When speaking to prospective franchisees, Countrywide Signs discovered that people are using this ‘enforced’ downtime to re-evaluate their work-life balance, deciding what is most important to them and, for some, choosing to move to self-employment. Those looking for a fresh start, a new challenge and the freedom to take the direction they want are finding that Countrywide Signs is an ideal franchise – full support and training, working in the fresh air, physical work and freedom to expand where possible fits the bill.

Some of the prospective franchisees had looked into the franchise previously but never made that leap of faith but now they appear to have a new perspective because the UK property market is continually playing catch up regarding supply and demand. Therefore, whatever dip the market may have taken, it is expected to bounce back and industry articles seem to back this up.

For instance, Estate Agent Today states the following on its website:

• House sales edged down only slightly in March compared with February according to HM Revenue & Customs, despite the lockdown in the final week of the month.
• Across the UK, 99,440 residential property sales took place in March – that was 0.2 per cent down on February but 0.3 per cent higher than the same month a year earlier.
• Agents are taking an optimistic assessment of the figures, indicating how strong the market may well be when the lockdown finally ends.

Property Industry Eye also reports that:

• London agent Chestertons states that it has kept busy over the lockdown period and has registered 2,369 new tenants needing to move, conducted 3,432 virtual viewings, received 396 offers and agreed 199 new tenancy agreements over the past four weeks.
• In the same period, it has also conducted well over 500 video market appraisals for landlords and brought nearly 800 properties to the market for rent.
• The company hasn’t carried out any physical viewings or market appraisals since 23 March when the government announced the lockdown rules but prepared for the lockdown by getting video tours of around 50 per cent of its properties before the restrictions were put in place and was quick to introduce virtual market appraisals, which it has been relying on since.

The estate agency and property industry are proactively reacting to this changing world with innovations that will undoubtedly continue after lockdown is lifted as they remain efficient while employing different ways of doing business.