AS THE COUNTRY emerges from over two months of lockdown, companies around the country have started to re-open.
For most businesses, resuming work won’t be as simple as just lifting up the shutters again. Stephen Garvey, CEO of property developer Glenveagh Homes, says plans for re-opening the company’s construction sites and showhomes began almost immediately after the initial closures were announced:
We had seven weeks to prepare for a return to work, during which time we developed and implemented enhanced health and safety procedures across all our construction sites, both for staff and visitors.
And the preparations have paid off: 80 per cent of Glenveagh’s sites are now back open, with staff working hard to deliver all new homes as soon as possible. “We’re continuing to update our customers at each step of the journey,” says Garvey.
There’s a new normal for house-hunters too, and Glenveagh has adapted its processes to ensure buyers can view prospective homes as easily and safely as possible.
As part of a new pilot scheme launching this week, house-hunters will be able to book an interactive private home viewing without the need for an agent walk-through. House-hunters will receive a time slot to arrive at the showhome, and will be able to unlock the front door simply and securely via their phone using smart-home technology.
From there, they can take a self-guided tour of the property, with an estate agent joining them live via video call, either on a screen in the home or on a smartphone screen.
“We have always endeavoured to facilitate a best in class home viewing experience. This, coupled with the current climate, led us to innovate this process even further,” Garvey says of the new capabilities, which he hopes can be rolled out to more Glenveagh showhomes soon.
House-hunters who live outside of the legally permitted radius of a showhome, or who do not wish to travel, can opt for a remote virtual viewing, taking a VR tour of a Glenveagh showhome via Zoom, Skype or Amazon Chime with the help of an agent.
They’ll be able to ask questions in real time, move through different rooms of the home, and even view site and floor plans.
For Garvey, the focus is on giving customers the level of quality and service they have always expected from Glenveagh, while also adapting to a changed working environment:
“The safety of our people on our construction sites and customers viewing homes has always been the number one priority.”
Explore Glenveagh Homes developments, and find details on how to register for a viewing, by clicking here.
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