Sales platform company mio has revealed the findings of its recent survey of more than 350 home movers, about their experiences of moving house. It also focused on their choices of estate agents and conveyancers during the process.

The survey found that market knowledge and trust were key for almost all respondents, and that lowest price was not: nearly all (89%) of home movers did not choose the estate agency on the basis of the lowest fee.  Half of the homeowners surveyed used a conveyancer recommended to them by their agent and 16% returned to a conveyancer they had used before.

Three quarters – 75% – of respondents strongly agreed that communication was the hallmark of a good property service, especially by digital means, driven by the need for convenience. Only 17% showed a preference for face-to-face contact with their estate agents.

More than two-thirds – 62% – of those surveyed rated their estate agent’s ability to communicate during the moving process as ‘good’, while less than half (49%) of conveyancers received this rating.

mio said that the findings point to the increasingly important role played by technology, to facilitate  the necessary communications that keep property transactions moving along.

Closer collaboration and transparency with other operators in the property-transaction process also contribute to a smoother experience and amplify customer satisfaction levels, according to mio sales director Nick Ball.

He said: “With market knowledge and trust the main consumer drivers for selecting an estate agency, agents should consider how to leverage these strengths at other stages of the process, so that business reputations aren’t damaged by slow, stressful sales transactions and high fall-through rates.”