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March 2008
View the full PDF documment here
Intelligent Property, the UK’s largest provider of mobile phone services and marketing solutions to the property sector has recently introduced its Location Based Services (LBS) into mobile property searching, specialising in SMS, WAP, email, mobile video and mapping solutions.
The technology works by delivering pictures, floor plans and property details to mobile phones on instant request – anytime, anywhere – adapted to suit users handset. Users send a text message to a number specified by Intelligent Property detailing a brand name or a unique property code, chosen by the agent. The system then returns details and pictures of the agent’s properties within the requested area to the user. It works on all handsets and with all mobile phone operators.
The original text message will be at a standard rate. After that , the service uses data via GPRS, 3G or WiFi. One text can access as many properties ‘near me now’ as desired. Once used, the message is stored in the mobile phone’s memory and by clicking on it again, the system can find properties in the users new location, meaning there is no need to text again.
Estate agents using the service include Chesterton, Douglas & Gordon and Marsh & Parsons. Managing director and co-founder of Intelligent Property, David Ferguson, said 'Texting a well-known agents brand name in return for property details can be done by everyone on any handset at anytime, it's so simple and easy to use. The system works because it’s 100 per cent user driven, so when a negotiator makes a follow up call, the user is expecting it and feels in control having viewed the property details first. Agents adopting the service benefit by having a new marketing channel that is a proven instruction winner , and as the service becomes better know by the public, the number of enquiries generated is increasing month on month.'
George Franks, area manager at Douglas & Gordon, commented: ‘Since using Intelligent Property’s text service, we have seen an increase in the number of vendors and higher conversion from valuation to instruction. Vendors like the additional marketing tool when they see and use the system.’
View printed article here [PDF document]
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7th January 2008
Article from http://property.timesonline.co.uk/
View the full PDF documment here
After weeks of looking in vain for their dream home, John and Jane Smith spot a contender while driving down a leafy suburban street. A solid late-Victorian terrace, it appears to be in a reasonable condition and, as far as they can tell from the street, has a decent-sized back garden for the children. As John slows the car, Jane reads a few digits off the estate agent’s board outside and taps them into her iPhone.
Seconds later, full details of the property, including floor plans, a video podcast of the interior and the estate agent’s details, have been pinged back to her. The message contains useful local information, too: council-tax rates, a list of cafes and restaurants, even league tables for the schools. The couple text back to arrange a viewing. They make an offer and, in the weeks that follow, they monitor the progress of their sale by logging on to a secure website.
Science fiction? Far from it. The various features that help our hypothetical couple are all already being used, to varying extents, by some of the more sophisticated estate agents. Within a few years, they could be commonplace for anyone buying property.
...Lee, an expert in computer search with a PhD computational fluid dynamics: Although most people’s property searches begin with the internet, often – as far as our hypothetical buyers – they can be sent off by the glimpse of an estate agent’s board. Douglas & Gordon, an agency active in the west and south west of London, offers a service that allows people passing a property to text a dedicated number and have details of the property, including floor plans, texted back to them. It also sends a list of other homes in the area.
“So many people say they want to know details of a property right away when they go past it,” says Ed Mead, a director of the firm. “Rather than ringing up the agency, it is much simpler and quicker to text.”
The service, introduced on a fee-paying basis since 2006, has been free since the start of the year.
Continue reading here [PDF document]
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August 2007
The number of mobile phone users accessing the internet on their handsets is rising. According to figures announced by the Mobile Data Association (MDA).
 A total of 40.7 million users were recorded as having used their phones for downloads and browsing the mobile internet in the UK during the third quarter of 2006.
The common perception is that usage in the mobile and IT sector is exclusively dictated by the “young demographic”. In fact almost all those who give IT a go are hooked. Two-thirds of IT users in the 55+ age group agreed that the Internet has had a positive impact on their lives. Older IT users are more likely to own a mobile phone if they already own a PC (77% compared to 68% of non users). A survey by Age Concern and Barclays
”With mobile technology growing more and more advanced and mobile usage growing more and more widespread, we seem to be moving towards an era in which mobile devices will replace desk top PCs as the primary way people access the web.” – Deep Nishar, Director Google Inc.
These trends are becoming increasingly relevant to the Property sector and, in particular, to the UK’s top 20 national estate agents, most of whom are considering or are about to make announcements on how they intend to implement their mobile marketing strategies.
Mobile coverage in the UK is 115% (with 67 million handsets) compared with 57% of UK households having access to the internet (National Statistics 2006 survey). All the research indicates that consumers will move from desktop PCs to use their mobiles to obtain rich digital media as the barriers of usability and cost are being removed by easier to use handsets and fixed tariffs with unlimited WAP, (picture delivery) usage. Provided that property information is relevant and can be accessed quickly and cheaply (no more than 2 or 3 clicks) on a mobile phone then it seems inevitable that successful agents & developers will have to embrace this technology.
This point has already been picked up by a number of leading names in UK property who have opted for the solutions being provided by Keytxt and Intelligent Property.
A number of leading national housebuilders and residential agents have recently embraced mobile marketing and are starting to add text codes to their property boards, press and on-site marketing. Leading London agents Douglas & Gordon and Jackson Stops & Staff and Farrar&Co were the first to adopt a Location Based Service (“LBS”) in the UK and are now set to be followed by a number of the top 20 national agents and developers.
The reasons for doing so are, according to Ferguson, based on tangible results:
”The most obvious benefit is that vendors immediately see the value in the service and agents adopting the service benefit by having a new marketing channel that is a proven instruction winner. In a national trial last year, offices using our service experienced a minimum 15% increase in instructions against those that didn’t. As the service becomes better known by the pubic, the number of enquiries being generated is increasing month on month and have become significant. ”
“As past experience with the Internet has proven, agents will be shortchanging themselves by waiting for the mobile revolution to arrive. It is here now!“
The main point, according to Deep Nishar of Google is that what people expect and need from the mobile experience is in many ways different from what they expect or need from the desktop PC experience:-
”This is particularly true when it comes to mobile search, where the experience is much more likely to focus on a “seeking” a specific property, an area or price, rather than a “browsing” experience in front of the PC which involves a completely different mind set. Both actions are complimentary with “mobile seeking” revealing an entirely new market for an agent/developer’s vendors.
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May 2007
Intelligent Property and Keytxt formally announced today the completion of their merger, creating the UK's largest Mobile Phone services provider for the Property sector.
 The conclusion of the transaction follows approval by the shareholders and boards of both companies.
Today's merger represents great news for clients and customers. It creates a new force in the property marketing sector, with the scale and resources to fully exploit the unique capabilities of mobile phones. The merged company will be able to accelerate the development of next generation services, while maintaining the programme of ongoing improvements to existing products and customer service.
David Ferguson, Managing Director of Intelligent Property said; “We are delighted that this merger enables us to be the first to be able to offer a complete mobile information solution across all sectors of the property market. Together we will be able to quickly reach our goal to greatly increase the number of vendors for our clients; which now includes estate agents, commercial agents and property developers throughout the whole of the UK.”
Peter Orr, Managing Director of Keytxt, believes that together the companies can offer expert advice in a specialised area and a cost effective solution: -
”The merger brings together Keytxts’ extensive product lines, strength in the North, high penetration in the Developer market and a strong sales force, with Intelligent Property’s penetration of the top end of the estate agency market and ground breaking technology. It is very exciting to be working with Intelligent Property who have pioneered the use of LBS and mobile property search and have an outstanding product.
The combined company will represent the largest company of its kind in the UK, with a client base of over 90 leading property companies. There are offices in London and Edinburgh with a dedicated sales & fulfilment centre in Hampshire. Together the companies represent a total of 6 years of direct mobile phone property experience in a sector half that age.”
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Dec 2006
The UK is one of the leading users of mobile internet services, outstripping even the US.
 According to research from comScore and Telephia, 5.7 million people in the UK used a mobile device to access the web during January 2007, compared to 30 million people age 15 or older who accessed the web from a PC. By comparison, 30 million of 176 million US internet users were accessing data from their handsets.
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Dec 2006
Intelligent Property have released version 2.1 of the market leading Estate Agency further enhancing a service that has been operating for 2 years.
Key enhancements include:
- "Adaptive Search" ensuring users can find properties even quicker
- Easier to search for rental properties
- Improved support for older mobile handsets
- Support for mobile customers using network portals such as T-Mobile, Vodafone Live or Orange World
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Nov 2006
Today Graham + Sibbald officially launched a revolutionary mobile information service for people looking for commercial property.
FULL property details can now be sent direct to their mobile phone, whilst ‘on the go, 24/7, by texting the codes displayed on Graham & Sibbald “For Sale” and “To Let” property boards.
Graham + Sibbald is leading the way with this instant reply service, which will enable buyers to view photographs, floor plans and price information on their mobiles as well as automatically order full PDF particulars to their e-mail address. This means that if a party is interested in a property they can now get all the information they need to know about that property in a matters of seconds at anytime and from any place.
This commercial property service has been trialed in Edinburgh over the last 6 months and will now be rolled out in Glasgow and throughout central Scotland. Other leading UK agents are set to follow Graham & Sibbald’s lead.
Les McAndrew, Partner of Graham + Sibbald commented, “Keytxt is a terrific innovation because it will enable us to process enquiries more quickly whilst reinforcing our commitment to client care. It falls very much in line with the way that technology is leading us at the moment. Our retail business has grown significantly in recent years and we recognise the importance of moving forward with technological advances to keep ahead of the competition and provide a straightforward, accessible service to property buyers.”
 David Cobban, Associate of Graham + Sibbald adds, “By using this technology, we are able to offer a better service for both buyers and sellers, 24 hours a day. “
Peter Orr, Managing Director of Keytxt said, “We are delighted to be able to offer a complete mobile information solution for the commercial property market. Our text reply service has already proved a hit with the public. Over 90% of users independently surveyed said that they thought the service was “good” or “excellent” and would use it again.
“All industry trends indicate that the mobile phone is fast becoming the device of choice for people looking to view property information. In a recent survey* only 18% of people said that they would opt to receive sales information by post and with the exponential growth in WAP usage and mobile e-mail, it is inevitable that successful agents will have to embrace this technology. The agent that offers the best service to both the buyer and the seller is going to be the one that comes out on top”.
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Oct 2006
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Sep 2006
As part of the continuing programme of product development we have now released Intelligent Property - Version 2.0.
This release incorporates the latest technology unique to and developed by Intelligent Property. Some of the enhancements are:
- "Near Me Now" providing Properties in the immediate vacinity of the mobile user
- search entire agents listing on the mobile
- text the agent's brand in addition to unique board codes. For example text IP to 83080 and search for the Properties nearest you.
- maps from ViaMichelin designed specifically for mobile phones
- a map displaying located properties
- zoom in and out on the address map
- nearest road junction and railway station provided for all properties
- improved look and feel with meaningful icons aiding navigation
Expect many more new developments as we continue to invest to keep Intelligent Property way ahead of the game. Contact us and find out how you can get mobile with Intelligent Property. |
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Sep 2006
Following a 3-month trial of leading mapping products, Intelligent Property have selected ViaMichelin to provide maps for all our products including our groundbreaking Intelligent Property mobile system for estate agents and the amazing Gander range, due to be released soon.
ViaMichelin's maps offer style and the outstanding clarity necessary for mobile applications. ViaMichelin also opens the door to innovative features such as routing between points on the mobile map.
James Rosewell of Intelligent Property said “The simple interface provided to all ViaMichelin’s services made it easy for us to integrate and upgrade our mapping components. The ability to render a map specifically for a mobile device was a decisive factor in our selection of ViaMichelin.”
In the coming months expect to see driving directions and other points of interest added to all Intelligent Property products.
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Sep 2006
PropertyPro today announced that its powerful and comprehensive software for estate agents, has been enhanced by adding the Intelligent Property mobile system.
Hugh McClean of PropertyPro said, "For some time now our customers have been asking for a mobile solution. We considered a number of texting options but Intelligent Property offers a great deal more and was very simple to integrate seamlessly with PropertyPro."
For the user on the move, Intelligent Property incorporates the latest positioning and mapping technology. The Intelligent Property system brings the estate agent’s entire database to the mobile phone, with full search capabilities.
James Rosewell of Intelligent Property said, "We asked ourselves what the prospective property buyer would want from a mobile phone service. We believe that someone standing outside the property is a very valuable individual to an Estate Agent. They have seen the house and the neighbourhood and they know how to get there. If they want to find out more, it’s essential to give them all the information they need immediately without them needing to look at a website or visit the estate agent. A prospective purchaser just uses their mobile phone and follows the simple instructions on the For Sale board.”
With Intelligent Property, every photo on the website is displayed crisp and clear on today’s most popular mobile phones. The behind-the-scenes use of data transfer, rather than voice or text, keeps the call cost low.
Hugh McClean added, "PropertyPro and Intelligent Property together make a very powerful package. A few years ago an estate agent could get away with not having a web site. Not any more. This year it will be the same with mobile systems. Every savvy seller will ask the estate agent if he or she has a mobile system. Our customers will be able to tell them Yes, the best!”
Intelligent Property is just one of a range of mobile products produced by Intelligent Sisu Ltd, a company started by David Ferguson and James Rosewell. Already they have an impressive list of enhancements planned for Intelligent Property, using some of the new mobile developments that are appearing daily. “Tomorrow’s mobile phone will do everything a PC can do today – and more,” said David. “Intelligent Property is a terrific example of what can be done. We are very proud of Intelligent Property and we think buyers, sellers and estate agents will love it.”
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Sep 2006
When there's not enough time to browse through online headlines, email newsletters and trade magazines, simply download The Fonecast.
It's a weekly 30-minute podcast that'll keep you up-to-date with everything happening in the mobile telecommunications industry.
Click here to find out more & download The Fonecast 
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Sep 2006
At Intelligent Property we're always ahead of the game with products that work and provide real value to our customers.
We've analysed 3 emerging applications from Japan and evaluated their potential impact on the UK market place. This white paper is a must read for anyone interested in the next big thing in mobile.
Click here to download and read "3 Mobile Applications from Japan
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Aug 2006
Keytxt today opened its new London office, located at Holborn, London.
The new office is in the heart of Mid-Town and will now be the base for Keytxt’s Sales and Software Development Departments. Customer & Technical Support operations will continue to be provided from Edinburgh.
Managing Director Peter Orr comments:
"We have seen substantial growth in our client base over the last two years and therefore it is imperative that we are able to continue to offer the highest level of quality, service and accessibility to our clients. We are a UK-wide company and having a London base is an important step to consolidating our position as the market leader in the South East."
Keytxt is established as the UK’s No 1 mobile property information provider. Keytxt counts as clients a number of FTSE 250 companies, which include George Wimpey, Winkworth, Taylor Woodrow and the Kier Group.
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Aug 2006
Keytxt is a service that both house buyers and sellers want. Independent market research has confirmed:
Over 90% of users thought Keytxt was either “good” or “excellent” and would use it again.
82% of respondents who had not yet tried the service said that they would use it if they were looking to buy or rent a property.
88% said that if they were selling their property they would like their chosen agent to offer Keytxt.
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26th October 2005
Mid Calders Under 8's |
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26th September 2005
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23rd April 2005
Keytxt, a new property service in Scotland, uses mobile phones to keep buyers up to date with the latest news by sending a them a text message containing edited property particulars.
Potential buyers just dial a unique reference code which is displayed on For Sale or To Let signs outside properties to spark an instant text reply direct to their mobile phone.
The text reply will include the property’s price, outline specifications, viewing and agent contact details.
It will also alert the house hunter if the property is under offer, has a closing date fixed or has already been sold.
The service, which also includes letting properties, is now available in the Edinburgh area and is due to major UK cities in the coming months.
Selling agents, Rettie & Co, Anderson Strathern, Simpson Marwick and letting specialists Dickins have been the first to sign-up and have begun using Keytxt for new properties on the market.
Market research shows that 30 per cent of house sales result from buyers seeing a For Sale sign in the first instance, despite increased use of the internet.
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10 April 2005
Hot Property
Ever walked past a property displaying a ‘for sale’ sign and wondered how much it is? If you live in Edinburgh, you’re in for a treat, as a new revolutionary new 24-hour service means you will be able to find out more information on the spot.
Simply dial the unique reference code, which is displayed on ‘for sale’ or ‘to let’ signs outside the property, into your mobile phone, and you will be able to receive text messages containing edited details directly. These will include price, viewing and agent details. It will even tell you if the property is under offer, has a fixed closing date or has already been sold. Never has house-hunting been so easy.
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