What can an API do for your business?​

 If you’re a property professional, the answer is ‘a lot’!

An API is usually developed to deliver specific information, or a range of information, that can be integrated with your system or website.  This gives an added dimension to what you offer your clients.

Let’s be honest, most of us are very good at what we do, but there are aspects that relate to our business that we’re not so good at, or simply find hard work.  When a software solution has been developed that makes those things easier, less effort and takes the hard work away, it makes sense to use it.

Some companies pay for custom software solutions to be developed specifically for their organisation – but that tends to involve big budgets and takes time. Some companies collaborate with similar organisations to share the cost – and that means that, potentially, you’re sharing with competitors; you don’t have that essential edge.

Find the right partnerships

It’s unusual to find a property professional who is also a tech expert, but they do exist.  As Mike Filsaime (CEO of GrooveDigital) says “Most online marketing tools are developed by marketers who have to learn to code, so they can be a bit clunky.  Our tools are created by experienced software developers who are also marketers, so they work much better.” 

The same applies in property – instead of a property professional trying to explain to a non-property developer what they want, you need tech experts who understand the property business.

That’s effectively what we’ve done with the Property Deals Insight software-as-a-service (SaaS) and API offerings. It started out as a set of tools to help individual property investors (because our CEO kept bumping into problems with his own property investments) – and grew into something that has a much longer reach.

A solution that matches your business needs

The first challenge is that every business is different – so an off-the-shelf plug in API won’t work for everyone.  Different businesses need different information too:

·        A property sourcer needs to be able to present information on each deal they find to their client, showing every aspect of the property’s potential.

·        An estate agent needs to be able to help sellers to see what their current home is worth and show buyers the market value and costs of properties they’re considering.

·        A property educator needs to add value to their training by offering their students access to tools that make their property investment decisions robust.

But even within those broad niches, there are more specific needs – and that’s where a bespoke option really comes into play.  A good API can be tailored to your business’ specific needs. 

What does this mean?  You can get on with doing what you’re good at and enjoy and let the software pick up the slack. It will deliver what you need to give you an edge over your competitors and make you look professional and knowledgeable to your clients.