Viewber – Hosted Property Viewing Service (Use With Caution)

Page contents

• Viewber’s services explained
• Why I like Viewber’s Hosted Viewings and Property Inspection solutions
• Why I never felt comfortable discussing Viewber up until now
• Why I have a love/hate relationship with Viewber’s services
• Top tips for using Viewber
• The wrap-up

Viewber’s services explained

Just to clarify, I haven’t used any of Viewber’s services (yet), so I’m just going to give you my thoughts on:

• What I think about their service as an onlooker and potential customer
• When I personally would and wouldn’t use their service

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already used their service since they’re well established, so if that’s the case, I’d adore for you to drop a comment with your feedback. I’m pretty sure a lot of agents outsource their workload to them as well, so you may have utilised their services without even knowing.

Viewber provides a wide range of services based around “trained, trusted and local agents” providing home-visit solutions to landlords when required, from professional property photography to hosted viewings. You can view the full menu and price list after registering for a free account.

However, I’m only going to focus on two of their services today:

• Hosted viewings / Open Houses
• Property visits and inspections/checks

Why just them? ‘Cause all the other services they provide are widely available from many other outlets, but I don’t know of any other company that provides viewing and inspection solutions on-demand. If I’ve got that wrong, please let me know.

Hosted Viewing Service

Supplier	Rating	Notes / Includes	Price from
Landlord Legal Service	Rating 4.6 Google Reviews	Service details Hosted Viewings on your behalf Offer a 7 day service to vendors, landlords, buyers & tenants UK-wide viewing service throughout the day, evening and at weekends Book a time and place online through your dashboard Trained, trusted and local viewing agents used Individual Viewings + Open Houses Guaranteed slot to see your property Viewber has conducted over 300,000 viewings How Viewber Works Book a time and place A viewber attends on your behalf (The Viewber collects the keys, or alternative key holding arrangements are possible) Receive feedback directly to your inbox immediately after the viewing *Viewing appointment price list 30mins - £36 1 hour - £49.5 1.5 hours- £58.5 *Open House appointment price list 30mins - £36 + VAT 1 hour - £49.5 + VAT 1.5 hours- £58.5 + VAT 1 hour - £49.5 + VAT 2 hour - £68 + VAT 3 hour - £106 + VAT 4 hour - £142 + VAT 5 hour - £160.5 + VAT 6 hour - £179 + VAT	Price From *£36+ VAT	More Info

Property Visits & Checks Service

Supplier	Rating	Notes / Includes	Price from
Landlord Legal Service	Rating 4.6 Google Reviews	Service details Routine or one-off property condition check service. UK-wide inspection service Book a time and place online through your dashboard Feedback including Photographs, Video and Opinion Ensure your property is being kept in good condition Professional property visit service - live or streamed Routine Property Inspection report example How Viewber Works Book a time and place A viewber attends on your behalf (The Viewber collects the keys, or alternative key holding arrangements are possible) Receive feedback directly to your inbox immediately after the viewing	Price From £44.5+ VAT	More Info

Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C's from their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

A couple of points to note about their service:

• Viewber’s nationwide service is largely provided by the general public that have successfully registered to be a Viewber. Each applicant is put through a screening process, involving a one-way video interview and two short online modules.

  They have a sign-up page on their website if you’re interested in becoming a Viewber to earn extra pocket money. Fuck me sideways, the current cost-of-living crisis is a real mother bitch, ain’t she? I paid £10 for a single dwarf carrot last week. Don’t be surprised if I’m taking your viewings in the near future.

  My assumption is Viewber also works with a network of local agents to help facilitate their service.

• Logistics to allow the Viewber to gain access to the premises needs to be considered. A Viewber can pick up keys on route (either from you directly, an agent, local friend/family member etc). If you have a key safe installed at the premises, then it’s pretty straightforward (incidentally, they also offer a key safe installation service).

Why I like Viewber’s Hosted Viewings and Property Inspection solutions

• First and foremost – as I’ve mentioned – I think they provide a real life solution to a problem that no one else is providing, which is kinda’ rare these days. I believe that’s the case because it’s incredibly difficult to build a nationwide solution like this.

  I can defo see myself falling back on Viewber’s ad hoc services for practical reasons in a few scenarios. For example, if I have viewings scheduled for a weekend, but then unexpectedly win an all-expenses-paid jolly-up in Margate with a Bingo win, or if I need an unexpected property check due to an emergency.

• Viewber makes it possible for more landlords to ditch fully managed letting services and their extortionate fees. In my opinion, an on-demand hosted viewing and inspections service used to be the missing bridge to empower overseas, long-distance and woefully lazy landlords to self-manage.
• Prices seem reasonable. You won’t be getting a bargain by any stretch, but I don’t think you’ll walk away feeling violated either.

  A 30 min “Viewing” appointment is £36 + VAT, while a 6 hour “Open House” appointment will set you back £142 + VAT.

  To be fair, if you compare that to the cost of splashing out on a local high-street agent to take on the task (which many have had to do because they weren’t aware of any alternative solutions), it could be considered a pretty sweet deal.

• it’s an on-demand service, and there are no contracts, simply book as when you need them. Bookings can be easily made through their dashboard. I love the fluidity of the service.
• They operate 7 days a week, anywhere in the UK.

Why I never felt comfortable discussing Viewber up until now

I’m aware that some of you veterans and property nerds will be mortified and spitting your pumpkin seed shells out of your nostrils because I’m so late to the Viewber party. “We never signed up to your 100% free newsletter to find out about progressive industry services 10 years after inception, you fraudulent hack!!”

That’s fair criticism, but relax, Turbo.

I’ve been aware of Viewber and their useful services for a while now, and I even met one of the co-founders a few years back.

Even though I considered their service rather nifty I was still reluctant to give them exposure, because in all honesty, I thought their website was an absolute abomination. Just a complete bag of decaying dicks. Someone really beat that thing with the ugly stick. It looked like someone designed it at the back of a flea market in 1998, in-between selling sandals to old women.

Was I wrong from holding back on such superficial grounds? Maybe. But then again, I think user-experience matters for an online booking service – it really didn’t look like a place you would want to spend too much time in, let alone make financial transactions.

Basically, I was protecting you like a lioness protects her cubs.

Thankfully, all is well now. By chance, I just happened to revisit their website last week, and oh-my, the transformation they have gone through is simply fabulous. Viewber are a rags to riches fairytale – it’s amazing what a set of pearly white veneers can do to a one-toothed goblin. No idea when the transformation occurred, but it’s real good stuff.

I’d now feel proud to introduce their website and services to my own mother and of course, you, precious cub.

I’m even able to look past the terribly unimaginative name. Viewber. No prizes for guessing the name of the multi-billion pound company that was jacked from inspired by.

Added bonus (and my disclaimer): I also noted that their new website provides an affiliate referral scheme, so I signed up. I would have written this blog post regardless, and rest assured, I’ve never shied away from throwing the hand that feeds me under the bus.

If you click a link through this website and use their service, I’ll be credited (with a small reward) for the referral. However, please don’t feel obligated to do so (especially if you don’t want to support me or this blog). Here is a direct unaffiliated link to their website: www.viewber.co.uk (thanks mate, fuck you very much, too! Only messing, it’s all good!).

The Dilemma: Why I have a love/hate relationship with Viewber’s services, and why I would proceed with caution!

Right, so we finally approach the infamous pickle.

Straight off the dome I can think of a few drawbacks:

• You have no idea who (or what) they’re sending to represent you. In a sea of positive TrustPilot reviews, I came across a scathing one, whereby a tenant alleged, I quote, “Agent turned up DRUNK and DISORDERLY”

  Hahaha! Brilliant.

• Whoever they send, they’re walking into the unknown (i.e. they won’t know the specifics of your property).
• The value we get from the service will ultimately depend on the quality of the Viewber we get assigned, so I expect inconsistencies and results to vary. In other words, we’re playing roulette.

But neither of those are my biggest concerns.

I personally don’t like the idea of offloading routine inspections and viewings unnecessarily.

Viewing Service

I’ve been very vocal in the past about how I believe landlords should always take their own viewings when possible because our physical presence is the sharpest tool available for referencing tenants.

Interacting with applicants one-on-one provides invaluable and irreplaceable insight, and a landlord’s intuition can never be replicated by a Viewber or any other slick Rick in a suit, even if they’re a so-called trained expert.

Why? They don’t have skin in the game. They won’t ever care about your livelihood, your property, or your investment as much as you will. They’re only interested in clocking in and out. don’t for one second be convinced otherwise.

So while I think there is a place and need for a hosted viewing solution like Viewber’s, I also believe it should be used sparingly out of necessity, never for convenience. My fear is, Viewber’s service can easily incentivise and encourage landlords to weaken a rigorous screening process. There it is, my biggest concern.

If you can personally conduct viewings and inspections – even if it’s out of your way and a throbbing ball-ache – then I can only encourage you to make the sacrifice for the greater good.

If you can’t, Viewber it, they’re a great second place alternative.

But don’t get it twisted…

There is a happy medium to Viewber’s viewing service that I can think of, suitable for all. I can make a great case for booking a Viewber for an entire day of viewings (Open House), and use that as a process to short-list applicants that are still interested in renting the property afterwards. That will spare me from wasting time on the tyre kickers and inevitable no-shows (all of whom will get disqualified swiftly). I can then personally man-handle the remaining and whittle down the list to a victor.

Of course, if you’re a bumbling buffoon and don’t know your arse from your elbow, and have the intuition and awareness of a parasitic worm, then all bets are off. A drone will probably do a better job than you, so you may as well offload the work to someone that doesn’t give a scooby.

Property Visits and Check Service

Much of the same concerns apply with routine inspections, to be honest. Although, I’d definitely be more inclined to outsource a property check/inspection than a viewing. But I would still have concerns over how much the Viewber is going to give a crap, and how diligent they’re going to be. Then again, that’s the trust hands-off landlords bestow on property management services, and we’ve all heard horror stories of agent-managed inspections and how useless they can truly be.

Actually, wait, I just remembered something. WAIT RIGHT THERE!

Okay, I’m back.

Here it is! A Tweet that I read last week by my homeboy @landlord_secret:

Yes, you read correctly, the landlord’s management agent had the audacity to outsource the inspection to… the actual tenant(s).

HAHAHA, Christ on a bike, that’s good shit. I nearly tumbled off my chair in the midst of my laughing fit when I first wrapped my head around what was happening.

The landlord must feel more used and abused than an inmate’s cum rag.

I did manage to track down the completed inspection report, and there were no surprises (I have masked personal details for obvious reasons):

Obviously that can’t happen with Viewber’s service (I hope not anyways), but I thought I’d share it while we were on the topic of failed agent-managed inspections.

Right, anyways…

So I’ll offer the same concluding point with this particular service, which is that if you can’t attend a routine inspection, Viewber’s Property visits and checks service is better than bypassing it altogether.

At the very least, this service will provide a reasonable condition report, as their Property Visits and Check Service includes photographs, video and opinion.

A real good use case would be if for unforeseen circumstances I need someone to check on a property (for whatever reason) while I’m out of town. So I can definitely think of more compelling reasons to splash my cash on this service, especially because it’s not aiding in the critical stages of screening tenants.

Top tips for using Viewber

The wrap-up

The final point I want to make is that I personally prefer being the type of cheese-ball landlord that builds relationships with their tenants (not in a perverted uncle way), so there’s a certain level of familiarity and mutual respect. I want my tenants to feel comfortable with sharing my toothbrush and with tapping me on the shoulder whenever they require my service, particularly if they have any concerns. I often hear stories from tenants about how they’re too scared/intimidated to approach their landlord, and I find that incredibly unhealthy and potentially dangerous. Radio silent tenants are often hand grenades, either that or dead on the kitchen floor, being feasted on by the neighbour’s cat.

That’s why I regard viewings and inspections as opportunities. Opportunities to check for a pulse and further develop relationships. I obviously can’t say with 100% certainty, but I can say confidently that my approach has resulted in long-term and happy tenants more often than not. However, I totally get it, not everyone can or wants to be that type of landlord – and that’s okay. Believe you me, being a romantic landlord has its pitfalls, least of all that it’s given my tenants a licence to hound me with the most ridiculous bullshit. But that’s what I signed up for.

In conclusion, I like what Viewber is offering – they provide legitimately useful services that have opened doors – every self-managing landlord should register for a free account and keep it in their back pocket. You never know when a service like Viewber’s will come in handy! But I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend going easy on the trigger, cowboy/gal.

Right, well I’ve had a ball. How about you?

So now what? Now I would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you have used any of Viewber’s services, or whether you would consider using them in the future?

Landlord out xoxo