Universal frequently asked questions

The price is low now, what's to stop you increasing the price dramatically in the future?
From the outset Thesaurus Technology intended to bring quality estate agency software at a low price and we have no intention of dramatically increasing the price. There is no contract period with our software and the payment is on a month by month basis, if we increased the price dramatically or didn't give satisfaction our customers could go elsewhere.

Why is the cost so low compared with your competitors?
Historically there has been a monopoly for larger companies producing estate agency software who have been able to charge what they like. The time has come for that to change as we believe quality software should be brought to the mass market place, not just for the elite few who can afford inflated prices. Our competitors expect you to purchase multiple licence's to run a copy on each PC in the branch making the purchase price even more exorbitant, Universal has branch based licensing so all PC's within a branch can run a copy.

Can your software update my web site if I retain my own web designer and hosting company?
Yes, we supply your designer with the relevant code needed to imbed in your site to provide an online search. Ideally your site should be frame based to allow a seamless link between your existing site and the property search giving customers the impression the search is just part of the existing site. If your site is not frame based a property search can still be implemented in a separate pop up window.

When I match applicants to properties and email the results will pictures of the properties appear in the email?
Yes, sophisticated applicant matching and emailing allows you to send all matching properties to your current applicants in seconds at the click of a button, saving thousands of pounds a year on printing and mailing costs. When a customer receives an email, summary descriptions of all properties with an image are displayed in the received email (the images are linked seamlessly from Thesaurus servers and are not sent with each email, as the overheads needed in bulk emailing would be excessive). A full description hyperlink is also available for each property, displaying all internal room descriptions and additional images. For customers without email the matching can produce summary sheets with images of all relevant properties for posting.

Can I produce my own property particulars with my own company look and feel?
Yes, using the supplied templates as a basis it's easy to produce your own individually tailored documents using the Microsoft Word interface.

Your advertising states agents can save thousands of pounds a year by using Universal, how is that?
Traditionally estate agents have spent a lot of money in dealing with printing/enveloping and posting property details to applicants on their mailing list. With Universal's property match features, all applicants can be matched with all properties in seconds and then all applicants with email addresses can receive full property particulars via email. This saves many man hours sorting all matching properties for each applicant, and also printing/stationary/postage costs. For applicants that don't have an email, summary sheets can be produced and sent by traditional methods.

Your advertising states the license is branch based, what does this mean?
All the PC's in the branch can run a copy of the software at no additional cost.

Can the software run in multiple branches?
Yes, although a licence is required for each branch.

Can I display properties from my other branches?
Yes, all property details from all branches can be displayed in each office.

Can I attach floor plans to my properties to print out and display on my website?
Yes.

What's included in the price?
The monthly rental price includes :- Software on all PC's in the branch, telephone support, property search for your web site ,branch synchronisation, email image linking, upgrades.

What additional fees are there?
The only additional fees are the optional property portal uploads, SMS message costs and virtual tour hosting if required.

Is it easy to install and use?
The software is simple to install by clicking on the relevant file on the DEMO CD. Any prerequisites needed for older operating systems are also supplied on the CD for ease of installation. The software is intuitive to use and most customers find it relatively easy to learn, there is also comprehensive online help available in the package.

Is the software easy to install over a network?
Yes, the software is installed on each PC and a simple set of instructions can be followed the first time the software runs.

How do I upgrade to the live version?
When we receive your rental agreement an account number is generated and emailed/mailed to you. Enter your supplied code and click 'go live', it's as simple as that.

What's the catch?
No catch, just quality software at reasonable rates.