Business Showcase : YourBricks

By @SimonCocking

Describe the company – the elevator pitch …

YourBricks saves homeowners thousands in estate agent fees by offering flat fee pricing and using clever technology, while offering all the services of a traditional estate agent.

How are you different?

YourBricks is an online (or hybrid) estate agent and so we don’t have retail outlets and expensive overheads. We pass these savings on to sellers as part of our transparent pricing. Sellers can save upwards of 75% on traditional fees, the equivalent of a new kitchen or a family holiday! Sellers can be as involved in the process as they like and can choose to host their own viewings. If they aren’t comfortable with that we can do that for them too, all at a fraction of traditional estate agent costs.

We differ from other flat fee agents in that we offer a unique platform to manage the entire selling process.  All enquiries from sites such as Daft and Myhome are aggregated and sellers and buyers can message each other directly. Sellers can set viewing times for buyers to choose and can filter buyers based on their financial position. This unique platform really sets us apart in the market.

Why will the company / product do well?

Over that past number of years many industries have moved online and this is now naturally starting to happen with estate agents, particularly in the UK.  It’s very similar to the trend that occurred in the travel agent industry.

As a business we have an excellent mix of estate agent, tech and marketing skills and that means we can put the seller first in everything that we do, offering a combination of personal service and technology to deliver value and choice nationwide.

Where are you based?

Our head office is currently based in Malahide  and we will be looking for larger offices in the next 6-9 months. We have agents operating throughout the country.

When was the company launched?

Our site went live in the beginning of November 2015. We launched November 2015, we spent 4 months building the site, we feel we have a unique product that allows buyers and sellers to interact effectively.

What have been your biggest wins to date?

We have had an amazing response in such a short period of time. We have properties listed already and a large amount to come in the New Year from all over the country. The interest and appetite from sellers has been huge, which is really exciting!

What type of people (market segment) are you trying to attract to your product?

Our target customer is simply any homeowner in Ireland who is looking for a fast, efficient way to sell their home while saving themselves unnecessary cost.

Tell us about your team?

I run the day-to-day operations of the business. I am in the estate agency business for more than 10 years, I am a member of the SCSI ( Society of chartered Surveyors Ireland) Yourbricks is fully licenced by the PSRA (Property services regulatory authority) the rest of the team have backgrounds in the digital and IT space, digital marketing resource, admin and licensed property experts. It’s a great mix of skills and personalities and makes for great discussion in the office!

What are your long term plans for your product / company?

Our aim is to become the number one online estate agent in Ireland, offering the perfect balance of technology and personal service. We will continue to the develop our product to make life as simple and efficient for sellers and buyers.

What are your favourite tech gadgets?

It’s not the sexiest answer but mobile is simply huge for us and our mobile-friendly platform makes it easy to manage a property sale whilst on-the-move. We are also interested in live streaming platforms such as Periscope and Meerkat and how they could start to influence our industry when it comes to viewings and property showcases.

How do people get in touch with you?

You can get in touch with me at john@yourbricks.ie

You can learn more about us by visiting our site www.yourbricks.ie

We’re on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/YourBricksIre/

We also have a blog with some great tips  at blog.yourbricks.ie

Our phone number is : + 353 (1) 244 7505

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If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at Simon@IrishTechNews.net or @SimonCocking