The first meeting with a buyer, before any viewing

Before arranging viewings, offer buyers a short first meeting, at your office or by video, that they can book online. In 30 to 45 minutes, you cover their budget and financing, what they must have and what they could live without, the areas they're considering and their timing. You then send them only properties that fit, and book viewings they're likely to follow up on, instead of spending Saturdays showing flats that were never a match.

A viewing costs you time: travel, keys or the seller's presence, and the visit itself. When a buyer calls about a listing, it's tempting to book the viewing straight away. But without knowing their budget, whether their loan is approved, or that they actually need a garden, that viewing can be a wasted hour for you, the buyer and the seller.

A first meeting reverses the order. You understand the project first, then choose viewings together. It also shows the buyer that you take their search seriously, which matters when they're registered with several agencies.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Each slot belongs to one service, with its own start and end. Buyers pick a service, then a free slot. With one place per slot, a booked slot is full and disappears from your page.

Lengths are examples: set your own. Say in the video meeting's description how the link is sent: Book doesn't create video links.

Ask for the basics in the booking note, so you can bring a first selection to the meeting. The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note that you read in your new-booking email. If both partners in a couple should attend, say so in the description; one person books.

After the meeting, send a short summary of the brief and a first list of properties. For each one the buyer wants to see, create a viewing slot at a time that works with the seller and book the buyer into it from your calendar: first and last name are required, email and phone optional. With the buyer's email, they get a confirmation and a calendar file. Write the property address and access details in the note of each viewing you create, so they're in the calendar event.

Viewing slots you book this way are full and never appear on your public page, so buyers can't book a viewing without meeting you first. If you'd rather let known buyers book viewings directly, open slots under a viewing service and share your page with them.

Buyers can't move bookings online: they contact you, and you reschedule or cancel from your bookings list. Book doesn't email them or the seller about changes, so confirm the new time with both yourself. One booking page covers your business; if several agents meet buyers, one workaround is a service per agent, since Book doesn't assign bookings to staff members.

Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.