Hybrid estate agency, Leadhome, has appointed Lloyd Hobson as its national sales manager. Hobson, who previously headed up the Johannesburg sales team, assumes responsibility for national growth and overall performance of the expanding sales team.
Hobson says that Leadhome is in an active growth phase, having increased its local property experts from 2 to 53 since launching in November 2015: “As a brand, we have developed a good understanding of the modern consumer and the associated property trends. We have a well-developed sense of agility and knew from early on customers needed an alternative when buying or selling a home.”
He says the market was ready for a company like Leadhome to be the game-changer – the fact that the company charges only R 39,995 plus VAT (payable on successful transfer), instead of commissions, typically between 5% and 7.5%, charged by the traditional agents, was considered a real win for customers. However, he says there is more to Leadhome than value for money.
“I agree that the price point was, and is our real disruptor,” says Hobson. “But what we set out to do was provide that alternative because of the use of technology. We looked at the antiquated business model of yesteryear, pre-internet, and thought to link the best of the people in the industry with the best technology.”
Hobson believes that the technology offered by Leadhome is ground-breaking in terms of customer service: “We give transparency to customers. We give instant gratification to customers. We give real-time feedback. We give just a better user experience for both the buyer and seller.”
He is adamant that the human element is critical in the Leadhome model. “South Africans really want that human touch, so we call our model a hybrid estate agency, where it is the best of the traditional model and the best of 21st-century technology combined.”
According to Hobson, Leadhome will continue to grow its national presence and will ultimately target international markets too.