2016 Lettings Agency of the Year Judges Report by The Academy

Sponsored by

The judging panel commented that it was an absolute privilege to be given access to this business, and is therefore delighted to be able to match Karlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 Estate Agency of the Year accolade with the 2016 Lettings Agency of the Year Award. Karl Tatler joins an elite group of only two businesses to have won the overall award more than once, AND to hold both the overall sales and lettings awards simultaneously. Karl and his team were first recognised as the Estate Agency of the Year in 2008 and have continued to enter these awards with resounding success. Every year the panel comments that the companies are harder and harder to judge due to the inherently high standards across the board. The judging process therefore becomes more stringent so the panel can really dig down into the detail of a business, above and beyond what they put in the questionnaire, or state during the telephone interview. The panel seeks to uncover the true experience a customer can expect to receive as this is the ultimate benchmark and the reason behind these awards, and without exception, they found that anyone using Karl Tatler Lettings will receive an amazing service. The mystery shopping results bear this out as Karl and his team scored over 92% across both calls and emails. From the minute a CV is received by this business, the operations team is already hard at work to decide if the applicant is a fit for Karl Tatler Lettings. Whilst they recognise that experience is important, they also hold great store by personality and understand that for an individual to succeed, they must be a good fit. New starters undergo a thorough induction alongside Personal Profile Assessments to ascertain their preferred management style and areas for development. The teams are also assessed to check for compatibility and likelihood of success, and changes are made as required. The company manual outlines expected standards and educates as to the principles and values staďŹ&#x20AC; are expected to adhere to. Employee engagement questionnaires are carried out twice a year.

To maintain control of services and standards, there is a huge amount of in-house resource which is all managed from Head OďŹ&#x192;ce. This includes marketing and PR, finance, client services, operations, HR and online support. Retaining these functions internally allows Karl and his team to provide services which can flex and respond to changing conditions and requests eďŹ&#x192;ciently and to the required standard. There is a huge amount of community support and charitable enterprise, and as well as holding and supporting fundraising events, Karl and his team also allocate a number of staďŹ&#x20AC; hours whereby they can participate in events or donate their time to assist. Clients are regularly surveyed for their feedback and to ascertain their satisfaction levels and they specifically request online reviews to demonstrate transparency. They also utilise the Net Promoter Score system to understand customer engagement and to review the customer journey at every touch point. Landlords and tenants are allocated a specific point of contact so they have the reassurance of being able to contact the same person throughout the relationship; this saves time as the property manager has full visibility of any history and also results in a lower dispute level as there is a fundamental level of trust. This approach has resulted in impressive market share and a level of new instructions over and above that which can be attributed to market conditions. Karl is a passionate individual who speaks with enthusiasm and expertise about his business and the wider lettings industry, however it is absolutely clear that the ongoing success of his business must be attributed to not only his vision but also the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of his hard working team. The judges hope you are all as thrilled as we are with this award. Congratulations.

Connells Group

Sponsored by

The past three years has seen Connells Group go through a huge expansion programme – branch numbers have increased by over 200%. The lettings offering is provided by a dedicated team and highly trained specialist lettings staff in all branches who can advise on all aspects of lettings from tenant find to full management. By working with the sales contacts in the branches, the lettings team can identify the most suitable properties for investors and advise accordingly. They hold specific landlord events on a number of relevant topics from legislative updates and compliance to investment and portfolio advice. Landlords can also readily access up-to-date advice on the above through the dedicated legislation hotline. Employees are shown a clear career path and can feel confident that they can progress from junior negotiator to board member – there is real evidence of investment in talent. Connells Group has been able to achieve such huge growth due to the quality staff it has in place; the business has come a long way and every individual at Connells should be very proud of their contribution to its success.

Your Move

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Clients using Your Move can rest assured that they will receive the best of personalised local service combined with the robust systems and processes of a corporate giant. All staﬀ are trained in every aspect of lettings from the foundational principles at induction to the finer detail of the technical qualifications and legislative compliance. Internal helplines are available and everyone has the ability and confidence to speak to the Lettings Director should they need assistance. Equally, the team is quizzed to ensure that their knowledge is up to scratch, for example, the senior team spot checked the team to ensure they fully understood and could communicate the Right to Rent initiative. They believe that with thorough knowledge comes confidence and are already planning for the upcoming changes in EPC compliance to ensure Your Move is ahead of the game. There has been huge investment in the landlord portal which has been really well received; the most viewed pages are rent statements, running costs and maintenance. Your Move is an excellent business which makes the most of a dedicated team and fantastic technology.

Leaders Leaders is a personal business with corporate backing that focuses first on lettings basics and then builds its proposition on this platform. In the last 12 months, the directors have implemented a “Getting to Know You” charter which maps and measures customer touchpoints and allows the team to make proactive contact to retain and grow landlord and tenant relationships. A high percentage of new business is via recommendation and regular customer surveys show that existing clients are happy to refer people to Leaders. A team of area managers ensures consistency of standards and they hold regular one-to-one sessions with branch managers who are also frequently mystery shopped. They are keen to convey to the team that they view their people as the most important asset Leaders possesses, and everyone participates in regular training. The training and development programme places equal importance on personal and professional growth and there is a focus on helping people achieve a balanced home and work life. Extensive opening hours and a robust out-of-hours emergency service has imbued tenants with a sense of confidence in the managed service they will receive.

Best National Lettings Agency

Foxtons

Sponsored by

Foxtons is an amazing agency which is head and shoulders above its competitors. As a long-standing player in the lettings market, the continued evolution of the business is impressive. The MyFoxtons portal allows tenants and landlords to monitor the progress of the tenancy, review and complete paperwork, upload documents and pay fees and deposits. Industry updates and commentary are also shared. The directors understand the importance of recognition and the internal awards ceremony celebrates both individual and team successes. Continued professional development is key to maintaining standards and all promotions are internal. Independent customer research and mystery shopping is carried out and the results then form the basis of the business strategy for the year, to ensure that eﬀorts are concentrated on the areas which require improvement. The team speaks over 47 languages – a vital requirement for a team liaising with a high number of overseas investors. Nearly half of the appointments take place outside oﬃce hours and this is down to a combination of being there for the customer and meeting the requirements of a demanding and busy marketplace.

Pattinson

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Pattinson is a family owned and run business which is unusual these days, especially in a business of this size. The directors have over 35 years local knowledge and believe that customer service is the key to their success. This passion is shared by the teams who strive to offer a consistent service. There are strict referencing criteria for tenants but they can also be rest assured that once approved they will be fully supported through the move and after by the Pattinsons team. Job descriptions are clearly defined and communicated so everyone is clear as to their expectations, limits and autonomy. There is a strong support network and opportunities are given when individual talents are identified. Each office is asked for a volunteer to become a Rental Champion and the only caveat is that they must be a bubbly person who gives great customer service so any member of the team can volunteer. These individuals are tasked with delivering client updates and feedback to the rest of the team, whether good or bad. Pattinson offers a one-stop-shop tailored to meeting customer requirements.

Andrews Letting and Managemen As Andrews is owned by a charitable trust there is a strong focus on CSR and engagement with the local community. The company has just purchased their first property which will be used to home young adults leaving care who may not have anywhere else to go. They will work with 1625 charity in Bristol and the hope is that they can mentor the tenants to become Andrews’ trainees and help break the cycle. The staff is encouraged to help renovate the property and they are fully supportive of this initiative. The culture at Andrews is one of openness and sharing; everyone is encouraged to offer their ideas for shaping the business and opinions are valued. The technology and systems at Andrews are impressive. The back office IT has been designed in-house to meet the exacting customer service standards, and the increasing requirements of landlords and tenants. For a business with such an illustrious heritage, the drive to keep developing and evolving the company practices, systems and processes is truly impressive.

Best UK Large Lettings Agency

GOLD

northern ireland lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

Best Northern Ireland Lettings Agency Property Link The judges are pleased to award this agency the gold award again. Property Link is a business which is going great guns – it’s working really well with little resource. The directors are making a profit in a tough market which has a high proportion of social housing and vulnerable tenants. They are working closely with local charities and the Chamber of Commerce to build their reputation in the community as the go-to agency for tenants who may find it diﬃcult to get housing. They have managed to increase stock levels through a mixture of hard graft and lateral thinking; they spend a lot of time checking listings so they can advise their landlords on new buy-to-let properties the minute they come to market. The processes work and this is directly attributable to the time they spend trialling them before rolling them out across the business. A dedicated Repair Manager is available to landlords and tenants so any property management issues are dealt with swiftly, and there is the added bonus of consistent communication as there is one point of contact. The team should be very proud – the panel is delighted to award them the gold again.

Hannath SILVER

The team at Hannath takes a solid approach to lettings and the directors spend a lot of time making sure they feel valued. This agency’s reputation is very good and word of mouth referrals are the main source of business. The director is a great communicator who displays a high level of expertise in every area and he passes this enthusiasm and attention to detail down to his people. The high service standards are reinforced by robust systems and processes as these too have been designed and implemented by great people. The culture is highly personal and everyone is treated as part of the family, an approach which is benefitting the business through increased staﬀ retention. The vision is shared with everyone, and the directors operate with transparency so they share the business plan and the results; the entire team therefore wants to do their part to achieve the desired results. All clients using this agency can be assured of a joined up service from all departments – the communication is second to none. Hannath is a really personal business focusing as much on tenants as landlords. Their buying agent mentality is used to great eﬀect in sourcing the right properties according to the tenants’ requirements.

Congratulations to all of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners To promote your success we will display the winning award logo on your agent profile pages on Zoopla and PrimeLocation.

GOLD

scotland lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Scotland Lettings Agency Clan Gordon Limited This is an amazing business which was clearly number one in the panel’s eyes. The judge claimed that it was a pleasure to judge this category and it was extremely hard to decide the winning agencies, so Clan Gordon should be congratulated on taking the top spot. There is extensive use of online reviews and surveys in order to gather customer feedback, and Clan Gordon is happy to open itself up as a business in order to do this. The directors then analyse the results and act on them to benefit the business and the customer, whether landlord or tenant. They remain firm on fees but give great free advice to landlords and tenants to ensure that landlords meet compliance standards, and their area pricing knowledge really helps to give landlords a realistic outlook, and an edge over their competitors. The directors have sought to create a standout agency in its area and it was evident through every part of the judging process that they have achieved this.

GOLD

Speirs Gumley Residential Letting

SILVER

BRONZE

Anyone using this agency will be able to access a comprehensive service with a strong emphasis on personal and high-level service. The tenant-focused marketing is exemplary – well thought-out, attractive and informative, and word of mouth referrals are as strong for tenants as landlords. Technology is used solely for the benefit of the business and not merely for it’s own sake. The directors have spent a lot of time identifying where, how and why it would be best used and have implemented accordingly. KPIs and other measurements have been carefully considered and communicated to the team to guarantee their buy-in, and there are regular spot checks and mystery shops by directors to make sure standards are being met. Repair monitoring and property management is very good, especially in terms of response times and maintenance resolution. The team also oﬀers investors advice on future proofing properties to maximise their potential profitability.

Wardhaugh Property Management Wardhaugh has a high-level community presence and is a noticeable participant in numerous local initiatives. The team provides a superb service with the aim of improving industry standards at the same time as building an untouchable business. The Director was previously a landlord investor in London and she brings unrivalled experience and expertise with her. She is passionate about the industry and the location - she is regularly quoted in editorial about legislative changes and holds drop-in clinics and advice evenings for investors. Wardhaugh demonstrates great strength in fee income despite the local market diﬃculties and low rents - it oﬀers a great value-for-money service so both landlords and tenants can quickly identify the benefits of using this agency. This agency punches well above its weight and manages to achieve great things. The judge felt very strongly about this business and the panel looks forward to seeing even more great things in the future.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS Each winner of these awards is provided with a professionally-designed toolkit after the event. Featuring window cards, press ads, e-mail signatures and press releases, as well as photos from the day and logos, the Winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Toolkit ensures that agents can maximise the publicity of their success. Gold winners have the added benefit of receiving a professionally edited video of their agency collecting the award and being interviewed at the event. The main contact for the winning agents will be contacted directly during the week after the awards.

estateagencyevents.com

GOLD

wales lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Wales Lettings Agency Dawsons Residential Lettings Dawsons is a long established brand enjoying an excellent reputation across its entire branch network. The team has spent time adapting and expanding its systems to continue to exceed client expectations, and is now seeking to educate all landlords in its location irrespective of whether or not they are a client. Recently launched landlord awareness open evenings are already over subscribed, and they are achieving their triple aims of providing information and advice, securing new instructions and positioning Dawsons as industry leaders. It is leading the pack in preparing for the mandatory registration and licensing requirements which come into eﬀect later this year, and it will be among the first agencies in Wales to gain its agent license. All staﬀ are currently being trained on the license requirements so tenants and managed landlords are confident that any potential issues will be identified, communicated and resolved in a timely manner. Dawsons fully deserves to maintain its gold status for another year, and hopefully the award will be the icing on the cake during its 25 year celebrations.

GOLD

Dafydd Hardy Estate Agents Ltd SILVER

Dafydd Hardy takes a joined up approach to all areas of the business which benefits clients through their interaction with expert staff who have whole-of-market expertise. The team has over 30 years’ experience in lettings and they are using this know-how to help their landlords become compliant with the new legislation; in-house training sessions are being held in conjunction with an accredited body to ensure they meet new compliance standards. They also recognise the key differences between investor and accidental landlords and seek to differentiate the services they offer to each party accordingly, but always to the same high standard. They hold an annual landlord forum to allow landlords to give feedback directly to the Dafydd Hardy team, listen to expert speakers and network with other individuals. The team is rewarded according to office achievement so there is a real sense that everyone works together and is part of a tight knit team.

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Best UK Medium Lettings Coopers The panel was very impressed with the breadth and expertise of the Coopers proposition. The director really thinks outside the box to drive business forward and to move into new areas, whilst positioning the business as the go-to agency. Landlords are given numerous opportunities and advice through the quarterly investor evenings where they can get updates on legal and tax requirements, investment opportunities and growth areas, as well as the best buy-to-let interest rates direct from a broker. Coopers also has a dedicated corporate lettings team which has built relationships with a number of key players from the ACS International School to NATO in order assist the landlords in achieving high rental yields and low void periods from reputable companies. They seek to be at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to lettings so undertake an enormous amount of work building their presence in the local area whether charity involvement, stands at student events or networking with sales teams at new builds. Sponsored by

Best UK Small Lettings Ag GOLD

GOLD

Karl Tatler Lettings Karl Tatler should be pleased to add another award to his collection and in a highly contested category, the panel found that this agency is not only maintaining but improving its high standards. Karl and his team have demonstrated once again that this is a business to watch and learn from. As a key player in its location, Karl Tatler Lettings provides a fantastic array of services to its customer base, at a fantastic level. The recruitment process is stringent and detailed so that everyone employed is a definite fit. By ensuring that the people are highly skilled, Karl and his senior team can spend their time focusing on the direction of the business and ensuring that the systems and processes are constantly evolved to keep up with market conditions, customer requirements and the latest technology and products. Investment in training and development is very high and it is clear that this is money well spent when one looks at the calibre of every individual in this agency.

Best UK Single Office Lett GOLD

Maxine Lester Residential Letting This agency takes the concept of “every contact leaves a trace “ to the max – the team even knows how their customers like their tea and coﬀee so they can present them with it when they visit the oﬃce. Maxine Lester is a dedicated lettings specialist that has resisted the temptation to branch out into sales. Top landlords can join the 100 Club which gives them access to seminars, investment advice and property search services. Maxine and her team believe that it is vital to treat landlords and tenants as being equally important to the business and they’ve implemented a number of incentives to ensure a steady stream of positive feedback: 75% of new business comes from recommendation. The local audience can access an abundance of free-to-access information on the website which has boosted this agency’s reputation in the local area as the go-to expert. An outstanding record on deposit resolution and heavy investment in the team makes this agency a market leader.

s Agency

gency

tings Agency

GOLD

london lettings agency

Martyn Gerrard medium agency

This is a business which oﬀers great value for money to its client base. As would be expected in a business of this size, the directors work hard to maintain service standards across all branches and there are a number of KPIs in place. These are constantly reviewed to ensure that they’re benefitting the business and aren’t in place merely for their own sake. All branches are regularly mystery shopped in person and on the telephone and the panel was pleased with the results from the independent mystery shopping exercise. Both landlords and tenants can access a great range of services and the personal touch is coupled with robust investment in back oﬃce technology. The business development centre and investor club are reaping rewards in terms of landlord retention and increased instructions and stock. There is a real sense of family at Martyn Gerrard which is impressive given its size. Top performers are rewarded with incentive trips and vouchers are given for successful prospecting and valuation bookings.

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

SILVER

Parkheath medium agency

This business is built on a supportive network and is very praise driven. The directors are hands-on but recognise the importance of giving the team responsibility and autonomy. A personable approach is combined with a stringent review process and every negotiator attends quarterly meetings to review achievements, pipeline and areas of concern. Involvement in the local communities is high and full of nice touches such as providing each village with a Christmas tree – these have become a focal point for local festivities and activities and have increased chatter and awareness of Parkheath. Brand awareness is also driven through dynamic marketing designed by the small in-house team, and is rolled out across a variety of platforms from online to traditional. All viewings are accompanied and landlords can expect quick and precise feedback on their properties as standard.

Best London Lettings Agency Anthony Pepe

Anderson Rose

The overarching view of the panel was that this agency had a great feel about it, and that they would have no hesitation using it. The services oﬀered to both landlords and tenants are excellent; they combine a corporate approach with well thoughtout personal touches. Tenants can access the annual spring clean service, and can also participate in referral schemes. The use of video testimonials and great content boosts landlords’ confidence as they can see that the team at Anthony Pepe is eﬃcient, knowledgeable and assertive. They actively target accountants and mortgage brokers, and carry out dedicated prospecting to attract new landlords, and existing landlords are retained due to great customer care and a considered array of services. The directors use technology to drive the business, and they have an active presence on social media platforms. They also look outside the box to find new ways of engaging with potential new clients.

Anderson Rose is a business full of personality. The Director is extremely hands-on and enjoys a great relationship with his team and with the landlords and tenants who use Anderson Rose time and again. There are three levels of service provided by a small team of hybrid, multi-skilled negotiators, who work to the ethos of treating customers as they would wish to be treated. It is evident that landlords like the team and want to work with them; there is a high level of trust coupled with excellent communication and fair fees. They are also rewarded for repeat instructions and renewals through an elite loyalty club, which gives discounts, rewards and access to hospitality events. The team has a six-point checklist of things they want to communicate to a landlord during a valuation, and they have worked hard to build solid relationships with their landlords. This has led to an impressive number of introductions and referral business for both UK and international landlords.

Thorgills

Paramount

Thorgills is a really likeable agency which has been substantially reinvesting its profits in the business to expand and grow. The implementation of the “Thorgills Blueprint” has driven a consistent approach to marketing across all branches, and ensures there is suﬃcient marketing activity undertaken to grow the business according to the plan. The success of this has been carefully monitored and measured and they can directly attribute an uplift in instructions to this document. The focus on training and development is exemplary and the directors have placed equal importance on helping staﬀ achieve both their work and personal goals. As part of the Dream Academy initiative the director meets with the team for a one-to-one every six weeks to review their personal goals and to assist where possible. Thorgills enjoys a respected reputation in its location, and this is due to the enthusiasm the team shows for getting involved in local causes. They’ve built relationships with 60 local businesses for the mutual benefit of each other and the clients, and they have a commitment to running or participating in at least one charity event each month.

Paramount has an extremely strong brand identity and enjoys high brand recognition in its location. This really helps with attracting and retaining both landlords and tenants. New landlords can also take advantage of a free trial, and tenants are not charged renewal fees. The team sends out regular and relevant communications to landlords who are also able to access a number of exclusive offers which have been negotiated with local businesses. The service standards and compliance are monitored by three key people to ensure consistency: they have absolute autonomy but also meet regularly with the Director to discuss and decide any changes or updates. The culture is very family-oriented and they take a different approach to recruitment, focusing on an applicant’s personal interests and personality over and above experience. Paramount understands the needs of its tenants differ according to their age, lifestyle and circumstances and takes a considered and thoughtful approach to meeting these needs every time.

small agency

single office agency

GOLD

east of england lettings agency

Intercounty medium agency

The lettings director exhibits that rare combination of a grasp of detail but with an eye on the strategic. Great leadership always leads to great businesses and it is evident that Intercounty is benefitting from this ethos. The ‘I’ for Investment service to assist landlords with their purchase is an effective way of offering extra value to their landlords. The provision of useful information and promotional messaging is at the centre of what they do, and there are excellent examples of market updates and collateral, all of which have helped position Intercounty as industry experts. The range of activities that this agency undertakes to boost the team’s community involvement is quite staggering. There is a clear policy of ‘no cheques’ meaning that they will not give money but they will give as much time as good causes require - allowing their staff to freely participate helps build an environment that the teams want to work in.

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

SILVER

Balgores Lettings medium agency

This agency has a comprehensive range of services which achieve the goal of both improving efficiency and the customer experience. Balgores Lettings offers a compelling proposition for both tenants and landlords. The innovative marketing and a state-of-the-art website combine effective online chat with instant valuations to convert online traffic into new clients, and a great local magazine helps the brand spring to mind. The lettings director grew the business from a cold start and has a clear grasp of the detail. They believe that developing staff from trainees through to managers is the key to ensuring that the teams not only know what the standards are, but they believe in them too. Another advantage of developing staff from trainees is that the loyalty and belief in the brand is absolute. This entrenches a culture of being part of something bigger and results in low staff turnover. Balgores Lettings is a very strong agency with a great future in front of it.

Best East of England Lettings Agency Ashtons

Maxine Lester Residential

Ashtons was the silver winner in this category last year and it’s terrific to now be able to award the gold. Ashtons generates a significant amount of business from referrals and recommendations. The directors have clearly invested a huge amount of time and money to build an incredible culture and environment, and there are some great initiatives in place from daily prospecting sessions to staﬀ brainstorming meetings, the latter of which takes places without directors. Systems are the key element to Ashtons’ success - customers can access an online portal which gives real-time feedback and email alerts for any changes to the account. The directors are passionate and hands-on, and the panel commented that it was refreshing to see such attention to detail from the entire property management team. Both tenants and landlords show high levels of engagement with Ashtons; this is measured through surveying each party at check-in. The results are shared with the team and celebrated or improved according to the results.

Maxine is a passionate, articulate and knowledgeable director who knows where she wants her business to be and is investing to get it there. The longevity of the staﬀ coupled with significant investment in external training ensures that the team delivers consistently. The average tenure of a member of staﬀ at Maxine Lester is over four years, which is impressive in a relatively new business. This is achieved through challenging the whole team on how the business can be improved. Clever use of independent trainers guarantees the team is outward facing and continually learning rather than reliant on existing knowledge. They are in the fortunate position of not needing to actively recruit, as prospective employees are already attracted to them. That the mystery shopping scores were practically perfect is testament to the directors’ approach. The branding and marketing is very strong and would be exemplary in a much bigger business.

small agency

Frost’s Estate Agents small agency

From the outset, Frost’s was a very strong contender for an award. It offers a structured valuation service, ARLA trained staff and an integrated financial services offering which makes for a very effective overall service. The recruitment of a Lettings Investment Advisor has driven a significant increase in the number of new landlords secured, irrespective of the agency they purchased through. The MD is a competent individual who has a clear grasp on the detail as well as the vision to take the business forward. The directors believe in passing ownership to the frontline team to gain their buy-in, and the creation of the agency manual, “The Frost Way” was driven by the teams rather than the directors. The implementation of a clearly defined set of service standards has helped deliver consistency through the business, and the sales and lettings team enjoy shared incentives to ensure that customers receive a rounded service. For a company of this size, the attention to detail is exemplary.

single office agency

Property and Commercial Enterprises (PACE) PLC single office agency

The MD has a clear vision of the future of lettings through both the prism of a landlord and agent. She believes passionately in doing things the ‘right way’ and building a solid foundation of ethical business. New members of staff are drawn to this agency because of its honest and trustworthy reputation and it is evident that this ethos is clearly communicated to the clients. The implementation of the transparent fee structure has been the bold innovation for this year and offers a key point of difference for consumers as fees are varied according to the service as opposed to the capital value, resulting in clarity and fairness. This agency also operates as a landlord and therefore understands landlords’ priorities and drivers, as well as what it takes to attract and retain quality tenants. Processes are clearly mapped out so every client interaction is high quality and thoughtful.

GOLD

midlands lettings agency

medium agency

Centrick is an independent business that oﬀers fully managed or let-only services to landlords. Having recognised the level of international investment, the directors have a flagship branch in central Birmingham which has swiftly become a market leader. There is a dedicated international expert who is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English and her knowledge of not only the language, but the customs and traditions of this customer base has proved invaluable for attracting a high number of international landlords. The team is extremely sociable and the landlords are invited to a “Thirsty Thursday” event each month to meet the team. This has helped strengthen relationships and reduce issues as people aren’t just a voice at the end of the phone. There is a customer service charter which is signed by all new starters on induction – this sets out the expectations of customer service provision but all educates the team on the standards to which they are expected to hold themselves.

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

Centrick Property

GOLD

SILVER

GOLD

SILVER

Best Midlands Lettings Agency Nicol & Co. Estate Agents Ltd small agency

Nicol & Co. was launched in 2013 and in the past three years has tripled its team and opened a second office. From the outset, the director sought to be different and has worked hard with his staff to improve the public perception of agents through hard work, honesty and a desire to go above and beyond. The vast majority of business arrives via recommendation for both landlords and tenants, to the extent that landlords with other agents are being told by their tenants to move to Nicol and Co. Market share is impressive for such a young business. The volume and quality of the information shared with landlords is marvelous; new legislative requirements are distilled down into manageable pieces and distributed. Transparency is key – response times are published to show that issues are dealt with quickly. The NPS score has improved from last year, and the online reviews are top notch.

Cavendish Residential single office agency

The panel commented that this agency should be given top marks for its service oﬀerings; the directors have put in place multiple avenues to generate revenue but the provision of a great landlord experience is always at the forefront of any new initiative. The team is included in every aspect of the business; the culture and practices is very transparent. No-one has a job title and hierarchy is kept to a minimum – everyone is treated as a board director on the assumption that they are totally engaged and will therefore do their best for the business. Maintenance contractors have been brought in-house in order to control response times to property management issues. The introduction of call recording has proved a great addition to the business as complaints, which were already low, have reduced even further due to the ability to enhance and personalise training if and where required. The judge commented that Cavendish Residential is one of the most forward-thinking agencies they have come across.

Belvoir Leamington Spa single office agency

Acquire Properties small agency

Acquire specialises in finding and placing quality tenants; it’s not about the first applicant but the most appropriate. The team views every interaction as the chance to build potential long-term benefits and relationships with people; their longest-standing tenant has been with them for 16 years. The oﬃce is welcoming and friendly and often landlords and tenants will drop in for a coﬀee and a chat if they’re passing. The company ethos is that they seek to help people progress in their lives and it’s not about simply letting houses but rather helping people move. It is clear that this business doesn’t concern itself with its competitors, it seeks to measure itself on its own merits, and improve and expand services according to direct customer feedback. Word of mouth referrals have accounted for nearly 75% of new business over the past six months. The team benefits from an open environment – the directors have an open door policy and everyone is encouraged to share ideas and get involved - they can be assured of great opportunities and reward when the business succeeds.

The panel was really impressed by the attitude, enthusiasm and tenacity of this business. The husband-and-wife directors treat their team as an extension of their family and talk from the heart about their employees, business and clients. It is clear that their attitude is contagious and the panel found that the team is providing a considered and personal service to both landlords and tenants. They have sought to improve the range of services oﬀered, but only as far as they directly impact the customer experience. Service standards are consistent: the team can access regular, robust training, and they also undergo annual audits. The directors take a fun approach to marketing - they are happy to try new activities and initiatives to engage with the local community, and this has resulted in this business enjoying a pleasing relationship in Leamington Spa.

GOLD

northern lettings agency

Sponsored by

GOLD

medium agency

The judges were absolutely blown away by this business and were extremely impressed that Castledene has found numerous ways to increase the breadth and calibre of their services for the benefit of the business but also the wider community. The culture is contagious and every member of the team has fully bought in to John Paul’s vision. Not only has Castledene recently been recognised as a Gold standard business by Investors in People but it has been accredited by the Chartered Management Institute. The company motto is “Be Better” and this is applied to every viable part of the business. Every repeatable interaction is considered a process and is mapped accordingly but never to the detriment of personal service. The team is given room for their own personality to shine through. Castledene is without doubt an agency that has scaled further heights, not just for the bottom line but for the staﬀ, customers and the community that surrounds it and which has taken it to its heart.

2016

GOLD

Castledene

SILVER

Best Northern Lettings Agency Karl Tatler Lettings small agency

In the words of the judges, Karl Tatler Lettings is a damn well run business which is a significant operator in its region. Karl has a real passion for the industry and his attitude is infectious; he has surrounded himself with like-minded people who share his vision and drive. There is a progressive attitude at this agency: the team is assured of an excellent rewards structure which covers remuneration as well as bonus schemes, training opportunities and a well-mapped out career path. Customer service standards are sky high and all touchpoints are mapped and measured to ensure they’re being met every time. Whether it’s time-onmarket, landlord and tenant retention, NPS scores or void periods, everything is measured, assessed and shared with the team for maximum transparency. The landlord retention is exceptional and it is evident that they enjoy a strong relationship with the property management and client services teams. In a very competitive category Karl Tatler Lettings is a stand-out business.

Mansons Property Consultants Ltd single office agency

The team at Mansons Property Consultants has looked outside the business and is really focusing on the industry as a whole. They believe that longevity is key and the directors are investing heavily in professional standards to cement their strong reputation in the local area. Staff retention is high – over 80% of the team has worked here for over 10 years. This ability to retain great staff is reaping rewards for the clients, as both landlords and tenants deal with a knowledgeable and sensitive team. The excellent mystery shopping results bear out this observation and the team should be very proud of the quality and speed of its responses. A strong digital presence delivers content via a number of social media platforms, an approach which is paying off as landlord instructions have increased as a direct result of this activity. This is coupled with a strategic focus on building personal relationships with local causes and businesses on a face-to-face basis.

Let Leeds small agency

Let Leeds is a great business. Its ethos is that ‘Every Move Matters” and the panel found that the Let Leeds team seek to embody this at every turn. The team has been busy over the past 12 months with a full restructure, rebrand and acquisitions. The team has been split into three specialist teams, each of which provides a specific service according to a strict set of standards. The NPS scores are excellent and it is clear that the client base is totally engaged with this agency. Landlords can rest assured that they are in experienced hands with Let Leeds: the team is knowledgeable and seeks to go the extra mile in terms of the expertise and advice they oﬀer. A recently introduced investment sales service has reaped rewards by working with the sales department on transferring investment properties between landlords and allowing them to retain the properties as managed stock. It has also enabled them to have detailed and regular conversations with landlords, increasing engagement and cementing the relationship in the process.

Bill Free Homes single office agency

Everyone at Bill Free Homes is focused on the customer experience. They have invested a lot of time analysing their key client demographic (students) so that every activity is designed with the sole result of giving maximum benefit. The use of technology is excellent and, in-line with their ethos, they employed a graduate to design and build their back oﬃce platform. As they deliberately avoid using boards to advertise available properties, they have had to up their game to maximise awareness of their name and brand: they pay tenants to host an advert on their car for a 12 week period and use the Bill Free Homes app to deliver push notifications to applicants when they walk past an available property. They also recognise the importance of engaging with parents so have adopted a dual strategy to ensure they meet the key requirements of both parties!

GOLD

south east lettings agency

medium agency There are procedures and processes for everything at Coopers. The company handbook sets out the standards and there is a tenpoint agenda to standardise how they win new business. Every interaction has been analysed and distilled down so that everyone at Coopers can repeat it to the same standard time and again. The recruitment process is robust and stringent so each individual is high calibre and is trusted to bring their own personality and experience to the fore in every customer interaction. There are KPIs in place to measure the business but again, these are simple yet vital benchmarks to give the director a full overview of its performance. He has spent time understanding what the key measurements are and has set up the KPIs accordingly to understand how the portfolio is growing, percentage of managed properties, individual performances and business sources. Both the individual judge and the panel found Coopers to be a fantastic business.

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

Coopers

SILVER

Whiteknights small agency GOLD

GOLD

SILVER

Whiteknights is seeking to bridge the gap between traditional and online to meet customer requirements. It provides a complete service to landlords from tenant find to full management but with a focus on the latter. The directors have built and implemented a fantastic online system that gives both landlords and tenants full visibility of transactions and communication, as well as a number of tools such as booking viewings and valuations online and the ability to view feedback very quickly. Whiteknights believes that this system sets it apart from its competitors but the directors also pride themselves the fact that they still oďŹ&#x20AC;er a local, face-to-face service, especially impressive in a business of this size. They prefer to provide this personalised, one-to-one service over and above a contact centre or outsourcing management services. They seek to simplify where possible and understand that the best way to get client feedback is to ask uncomplicated questions, so after each transaction all parties receive a questionnaire which simply asks them how Whiteknights did, and it is always positive.

Best South East Lettings Agency Dockside Property Services

Oasis Estate Agents

Dockside Property Services is constructed on a diﬀerent concept in that it seeks to build a reputation as a provider of knowledge. Over the past year the directors have completed overhauled the marketing activity to change it to information-led updates on what’s happening in the local market and wider market conditions. The team collects relevant information, news and updates from a variety of sources and then shares this with its clients, regularly sending out materials on market updates, and advice on the best investment properties available. A regular blog is combined with distribution of a newsletter sharing great investment properties from other agents. The majority of the close-knit team has been recruited from retail backgrounds rather than traditional agency and they use this experience to provide exemplary customer care. A company bible covers every aspect of the customer journey and as part of the induction process, new starters sign to agree to this charter. Dockside Property Services has a team of great people doing great things.

Oasis Estate Agents operates a professional and fun environment. The MD is extremely hands-on and has a real belief in developing his people. New starters are given a pack on their first day containing business books, laptop, iPhone etc. so they understand the culture of the business from day one. Commission is paid based on team performance as well as individual so everyone works hard as a unit to ensure they meet their targets and exceed expectations. Everyone has worked hard following the company’s rebrand from Isis to Oasis and it is evident that this business enjoys real aﬀection in the community, not least at it sponsors a number of local events and initiatives. Structured meetings set out the targets and required results for the day ahead and everyone is encouraged to nominate colleagues for great work. Landlords can access a flexible service that allows them to opt in and out of service levels, for example, requiring greater property management in the winter but tenant-find only in the summer.

small agency

Fisks Ltd

small agency Fisks has a strong culture of developing from within as the directors believe that promoting existing staff is a sure-fire way of ensuring high standards. By offering abundant career progression opportunities they have encouraged a culture of constant improvement and ambition and guaranteed that the clients deal with people who are fully invested in the Fisks ethos and vision. Fisks is a niche agency helping investor landlords with smaller portfolios. This allows the team to really provide services which are totally tailored to each landlord’s properties, personality and requirements. As they know their landlords so well, they can also really drill down into tenant requirements and carefully match tenants to properties (and landlords) according to compatibility. The property management department is separate from the front office team so whilst communication and information sharing between the teams is encouraged, each department has a clearly defined set of duties and targets.

single office agency

Lines & James Ltd single office agency

The panel felt that there was a tangible sense of the duty of care this agency provides. The directors target quality properties in order to attract quality tenants and they set out to ensure that every customer touchpoint is considered and correct. The straightforward fee structure is transparent with no hidden extras or surprises. Contractors are held in the highest regard and they have worked hard to build excellent relationships with eﬃcient and professional tradespeople in order to provide the best possible property management service. Use of technology is excellent, and impressive in a business of this size. The new website looks great and the back oﬃce technology provides robust support for those services which can be automated, freeing up the team to focus on providing face-toface customer service. There is a real sense of fun about Lines & James: the team is rewarded well through a number of incentives including financial, training opportunities, private healthcare and overseas trips.

GOLD

south west lettings agency

2016

GOLD

small agency

The panel was really impressed with Bassets and commented that it is a business with an edge. It shows strong yearly growth and is highly profitable with good market share. The directors are keen to demonstrate their expertise so hold regular seminars and buy-to-let events for both retained and potential landlords. The latter has resulted in a substantial number of properties being purchased by investors which in turn are then managed by Bassets. Landlords are regularly surveyed to allow the business to evolve and so the team can identify areas that may need improving. These surveys also give landlords a forum to provide positive feedback about a job well done. There were numerous examples of the team going the extra mile to assist tenants. Fees are all inclusive so everyone understands what they are paying and why. Bassets is a transparent, customer-centric organisation which is doing the right things the right way.

Sponsored by

GOLD

Bassets Property Services Ltd

SILVER

Best South West Lettings Agency Clear Property Ltd single office agency

Clear Property Ltd is a small, relatively new business based in Exeter. The director started from scratch and has built this up to a lovely agency with a passionate and dedicated team. The judges were impressed by the proven business measurements – landlord retention is great and the agency is well regarded by its tenants. The long-standing team demonstrated numerous examples of exemplary customer care, across both straightforward transactions and also in managing relationships with more diﬃcult clients. They understand the importance of attracting and retaining goodquality tenants so have implemented a number of initiatives to boost their profile and reputation. Stock is all high quality and the team works hard through the tenancy to make sure the property is kept in good condition, and the check-in and check-out processes, and inventories are of a very high standard. The mystery shopping results were strong when responding to both telephone and email enquiries.

Sarah Kenny Residential Lettings single office agency

As a lettings-only business, Sarah Kenny Residential Lettings really knows its stuff. The open plan office allows for regular communication and interaction, and also means that there is a real culture of peer learning. The directors sit in the main office so they are on hand to assist with any difficult interactions, and to guide the team where required. Training and development is held in high regard and there is a strong culture of promoting from within so employees are promoted and moved according to their strengths and motivators. The team employs lateral thinking to maximise the profit margin and business growth: they work with their landlords who are reducing their portfolio to help them clean, declutter and stage their properties for sale for no additional cost as they understand that it this may give them further opportunities if it sells to another landlord. The Google reviews are good, and the new website is driving traffic and increasing customer engagement.

GOLD

property management lettings agency

Best Property Management Your Move 1001+ properties

2016 100

1+ properties

Sponsored by

GOLD

As is to be expected when managing the number of properties that Your Move does, its internal systems and processes really are second to none. The dedicated property management centre is staﬀed by over 150 lettings specialists who provide property management advice and service 24/7. All front and back oﬃce systems have been combined under one roof, from credit referencing and control to customer relations and acquisitions. The latter is a specialist team who manage the relationships with landlords and tenants who have become Your Move clients through the acquisition of their original agency. They work closely with the branch teams as well as the landlords and tenants to ensure that the transition is as seamless as possible. The judges were particularly impressed by the calibre of the individuals working for Your Move. They’ve shown great foresight in understanding changes in legislation and how these will impact their clients, and have sought to address these early on whilst sustaining their service levels. No stone is left unturned in the pursuit of excellence. In the property management arena, Your Move’s presence is solid, confident and reassuring.

Connells Group SILVER

1001+ properties

Connells Group provides a transparent property management service with a firm grounding in ethics. In a business of this size, it would be easy for the team to relinquish responsibility but the panel found every evidence that the strong team is fully committed to delivering outstanding customer service, which is seriously impressive at this level of property management. They manage a variety of portfolio sizes for landlords and use the power of their national network to source and check tenants quickly. The staﬀ on the ground are fully qualified experts in their own right, and they are supported in their service delivery by the seven regional support centres which are run by senior managers. The “We Care” code is a simple six-step customer charter that defines the Connells Group code of practice. Training and development is continuous and career progression opportunities are clearly communicated so individuals can be clear on the set paths to promotion. Client feedback is actively sought out and acted upon and a number of new initiatives and investments have been implemented as a direct result of Connells Group listening to its customers.

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GOLD

property management lettings agency

Best Property Management Paramount

501-1000 properties

2016

501 -1000 properties

Sponsored by

Paramount is an agency with great local presence and full engagement with the community. As a key player in the single office environment, the level of services it offers is fantastic, and the fact that it’s all contained under one roof makes things even easier for the consumer. Paramount understands that landlords generally place more importance on the level of service they receive over and above a local office, and having all the team in one place makes for many operational advantages. The Lettings Director is hands-on and makes sure to spend time in every area of the business, even taking on a property management role every four months to mentor the team, engage with clients and to check the robustness of the processes. There is a focus on training that covers both work and personal and the recent introduction of life-coaching and holistic rewards has had a positive impact on staff retention. Paramount is a great choice if you want a trustworthy and committed agent.

GOLD

Balgores Lettings 501-1000 properties

SILVER

Balgores Lettings oﬀers transparency and the team takes service delivery extremely seriously, placing service over profit. Mystery shops are carried out regularly and both landlords and tenants are compensated if and when a mistake is uncovered. Landlords are able to nominate preferred contractors, and the property managers speak to tenants to confirm that they are happy with the standard of the repair before signing oﬀ any maintenance resolutions. It is evident that the team is very confident about their business and their ability to deliver according to its exacting standards. Landlords and tenants are treated with the utmost respect and the panel commented that anyone using Balgores should feel very confident in the service they will receive. Procedures are regularly reassessed and amended when or if necessary. Balgores Lettings won the bronze last year so it’s satisfying to be able to reward their progress with the silver award. Well done.

Pennington Surveyors Ltd 501-1000 properties

Pennington Surveyors is led from the top by an authoritative figure who readily oﬀers advice and shares best practice for the benefit of the industry. The management software used is excellent and it is used as the foundation for a set of top quality systems and processes. The entire team is highly qualified and there is an adherence to regular training sessions to ensure they stay ahead of the game. Tenants and landlords are proactively contacted to garner feedback on the service they’ve received and this is used to form the basis for training, for both the Pennington team but also for landlords where necessary. Regular seminars are held to keep landlords informed of legislative and compliance requirements and also to advise on further ways to increase portfolios and rental yields. Tenants are well cared for and there are numerous examples of the property managers going beyond the call of duty to resolve issues and help people. This agency does a great job.

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GOLD

property management lettings agency

Best Property Management Karl Tatler Lettings 201-500 properties

2016 201 -500 properties

Sponsored by

Fixflo

The judge had a fantastic conversation with Karl and found that he represents his business extremely well. He has imbued his agency with an inordinately strong culture and it is evident that this pervades every customer interaction: the team lives and breathes customer service. The past year has seen heavy investment in training. Not only do Karl and his senior team spend a lot of time on one-to-ones with the staﬀ but there is also a lot of external training across a variety of disciplines. Property managers have been paired up with negotiators to engender stronger working relationships and to ensure that clients can access a fully joined up service, irrespective of which department they require. This also enables the teams to maximise cross-selling opportunities which is good for the clients as well as the organisation. Whilst business targets are clearly vital, these are not implemented to the detriment of personal relationships; the way the customer feels is always at the forefront of every interaction.

GOLD

CBRE Residential 201-500 properties SILVER

CBRE Residential shows time and again why it is an award winning property management provider and the panel was pleased to see that this year is no exception. The team takes a project management approach to every aspect of the business and their grounded attitude reassures clients that they are receiving the best service. There are many examples of their proactive attitude being applied, for example during a phased block management refurbishment where over 90% of the tenants were rehomed from CBRE’s own stock. The renovations have meant that rental yield has increased whilst void periods have reduced so the landlord’s ROI has grown hugely, and this is all on the back of the CBRE property management team applying their expert knowledge. The three oﬃces are strategically located to ensure a member of the CBRE team can be onsite in minutes if required. This requirement for prompt attendance is also applied to contractors who are always recruited and retained on the standard of their work, but also on their ability to attend sites quickly. This is a fantastic agency.

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GOLD

property management lettings agency

Best Property Management Bill Free Homes 0-200 properties

2016 0-2

00 properties

Sponsored by

Bill Free Homes is a superb business that gets everything right. The team is very attentive to the needs of its student tenants and oﬀers an enormous amount of assistance to ensure that they cope well with their first time living alone. They also work hard to reassure parents that their children are in safe hands! Members of the property management team dedicate time to getting to know their landlords so they can really tailor their service according to both requirements and personality. The quality and quantity of information available to landlords is impressive: they have mined the data available to them and used this to produce a number of exceptional pieces such as repair costs assessments and projections. The use of tablets means the team can update job notes in real time, and emergencies can be reported 24/7. Bill Free Homes won the silver award last year so it’s brilliant to able to reward this agency even further with the gold.

Jezzards GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

0-200 properties The directors at Jezzards set out to create a gold standard property management department which would raise the bar for lettings agents in general. When they started the business, they spent time analysing the services they believed landlords wanted and built the organisation around these key principles. Growth has been organic and achieved through constantly checking the service provision with the landlords. They take feedback extremely seriously and are very open and transparent about the comments they receive: both landlords and tenants are actively encouraged to complete online reviews through sites such as Feefo. The staﬀ is incentivised according to feedback received so they are fully aware that the provision of excellent service is their number one priority. Recruitment is stringent and robust with the result that the high performing team consists only of dedicated individuals who want to be at Jezzards, and who are committed to providing a top level service.

Anderson Rose 0-200 properties

The team at Anderson Rose consists of extremely professional individuals who are working hard to deliver a high quality, value for money service for their customers. There are some great systems in place to deliver information and services to both landlords and tenants, and ensure regulatory requirements are met. Prior to instructing a contractor, all maintenance issues are first investigated by a member of the Anderson Rose team - they generally find that around 40% of issues can be dealt with in-house so at no cost to the landlord. The panel found evidence of exceptional communication at this agency. The team really listens to its customers and wants to learn from their experiences. They understand the diﬀerent motivations landlords have and seek to meet these requirements head on. The director has identified the seven most common complaints around property management and has designed a service oﬀering which reduces the chances of these issues being raised.

GOLD

prestige lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Prestige Lettings Harrods Estates The Harrods brand is one of the most prestigious and iconic in the world and Harrods Estates draws heavily on this reputation to create a prestige lettings business delivering an exceptional and discreet service for its discerning clients. Agency staff are trained to the same exacting standards as the retail employees and the directors facilitate job swaps so the staff all have a 360° understanding of the entire business. This is also true for clients who are given access to the entire suite of Harrods services from concierge to interior design, personal shopping and private banking. They are also automatically enrolled into the Harrods loyalty programme. There are dedicated desks staffed by Middle-Eastern, Russian and Mandarin speakers to assist international clients with their property requirements as well as the ability to access speakers of over 30 other languages in-store. They are also able to utilise the Harrods Group and Harrods Estates databases to great effect giving them unrivalled access to some of the world’s most affluent clients. Anyone using Harrods Estate will receive service of the highest quality delivered by a capable and knowledgeable team with the utmost discretion and respect for confidentiality.

GOLD

SILVER

CBRE Residential CBRE Residential has a fantastic proposition which is wholly centred around the supply and management of luxury and prestige properties in prime central London. Properties range from small boutique apartments to state-of-the-art modern blocks and it is clear that CBRE Residential represents the entire spectrum really well. Irrespective of the size of their portfolio, all landlords using CBRE Residential are extremely well looked after. This renowned brand enjoys global recognition and the team is always willing to utilise its size and scale for the benefit of the client. With a raft of services available, all parties, whether landlords, developers or tenants can be assured that they are in expert hands. The Developer Consultancy teams lead the way with advice on everything from interior design trends to real-time analysis of key tenant demographics and drivers. The property management team fully understands the demands of high-end clients and that they are often time poor, so they consistently deliver a luxury service to meet (and exceed) expectations.

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GOLD

customer service lettings agency

2016

l ar

ge agency

Sponsored by

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Best Customer Service - Large Karl Tatler Lettings It’s been a huge year but Karl Tatler Lettings continues to strive for perfection. Market share has increased as have new instructions and this growth is due in some part to the utilisation of personality profiling of the team. This has helped the directors really understand the employees’ drivers and how they can best nurture and guide them. They’ve also introduced Net Promoter Score to look at the overall customer journey; this has given them lots of statistics and measurements and they are using these to develop an improved framework for customer services. Data is analysed by the dedicated customer service department and shared with the senior team so they can evolve the systems and processes accordingly. It also helped them identify that customers wanted clarification on maintenance reporting so each oﬃce now has a dedicated property manager rather than them being located centrally. This has encouraged better team relationships and resulted in happier customers.

Thorgills Thorgills takes a client-centric approach to lettings. The team incentivises clients to complete the NPS survey with vouchers and by making it as simple as possible to answer the questions, for example by texting them out. Results are collated over three months and staff are praised or trained according to the feedback received. The Client Support Centre is dual function: it processes tenancies, and acts as compliance and procedure experts. The technology allows for greater efficiency and gives landlords and tenants access to all the documents they might need. They also found that customers weren’t reading the terms and conditions before signing documents so they’ve created a 16 point checklist for the negotiators to run through face-to-face. As a result of this, retention and calibre of tenants has increased. There has also been a shift in focus from rewarding staff based on financial receipts to concentrating on service delivery. The Thorgills team really does go the extra mile.

Haus Properties

All new starters at Haus spend time with the director so he can fully impart the Haus mantra. The team has a “Haus Huddle” once a month and is encouraged to nominate their colleagues for excellent work. The offices are decorated to resemble a home rather than work environment, so clients can have a cuppa at the kitchen table whilst chatting through their requirements. This is an intriguing proposition as people are attracted to the look and feel of the office and want to go in. A book is dropped off the night before each valuation to share the “Haus way in 47 seconds”, so the client can feel more informed before the appointment. As a relatively young business, they’ve worked hard to build robust and scalable systems and processes, but it’s clear that the enthusiastic team is also able to flex and adapt where required.

GOLD

customer service lettings agency

2016

a l l a g en c y

Sponsored by

Best Customer Service - Small Maxine Lester Residential Lettings This agency is amazing and the level of detail provided was excellent. The directors set their stall out from the minute a new starter joins them – they go through a close side-by-side induction and lots of shadowing for three months before they’re put in front of customers. The team is empowered to nominate each other for awards, and recognition can result in them accessing the staﬀ curiosity fund which is a really nice touch; one has been for piano lessons and another intends to skydive! They spend time getting to know the clients and focus on really matching the applicants to the properties. Training is exemplary and includes conflict resolution training so everyone is confident when dealing with diﬃcult situations. Feedback is key and they seek to gather and analyse this regularly to ensure they continue to raise the bar. Void periods are minimal and the new express exit service has seen this reduce even further. Excellent.

GOLD

Bill Free Homes

SILVER

BRONZE

Bill Free Homes scored extremely well in the mystery shop and the panel was pleased to see its results backed up by evidence that customers will receive a great standard of care. There is a wealth of incentives, rewards and services available at this agency and they have all been carefully developed and implemented in direct correlation to the needs of the customers. As a student specific business, the team essentially has two very diﬀerent sets of clients, with very diﬀerent motivations, to deal with – the students and their parents – and it meets this challenge head on. The team also understands that the parents will need a lot of reassurance and need to feel confident that their children are in safe hands. There is a full array of services for landlords from face to face investment advice to a search facility if they prefer to research themselves.

base property specialists ltd base property specialists is a small, well-established organisation which enjoys a great relationship with its customers. There is a culture of communication and its size means there is open dialogue in the oﬃce to share best practice. Hierarchy is kept to a minimum and the director is fully involved. They were dealing with numerous complaints about a tenant holding wild parties, and who was diﬃcult and evasive when asked about it. The director gave his mobile number to neighbours and went to the next party to video it on his phone; they got it sorted and the parties stopped. Feedback is always shared with the team and they focus on addressing any negative comments. One of the team is trained in PAT testing and is also a qualified plumber so this helps when dealing with maintenance issues, and adds value for the landlords. They constantly seek to improve which is no mean feat when operating at this level. Fantastic mystery shopping results cemented the award for base.

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GOLD

lettings franchise

2016

Sponsored by

Best Lettings Franchise Belvoir Belvoir is a specialist lettings business which takes a progressive view when recruiting its franchisees as 95% of them don’t have a background specific to the industry. From the outset, franchisees can be confident in the package of services they will receive from Head Oﬃce. The dedicated support team provides training, guidance and expertise - the initial induction is very thorough after which they are assigned a dedicated business development expert to help them navigate the first crucial months. This stringent approach has huge benefits as franchise owners can expect to build profitable long-term businesses: one owner sold his business for £1m in 2015, and other franchisees are achieving turnovers of over £1m as well. There is a clearly defined seven step plan for the cycle of a franchisee which sets out how Belvoir corporate will help owners to realise their potential. This ranges from the initial training to ongoing professional development, identification of potential acquisitions and finally an exit strategy.

GOLD

Ewemove Sales and Lettings

SILVER

Ewemove Sales and Lettings is a well-rounded business which enables people to start as a home-based operator but with the ability to quickly move to premises if they so desire. First year start-up costs are kept low and are deducted on a pertransaction basis. This changes to a more traditional franchise payment structure from year two onwards but this flexibility in year one allows franchise owners to build a nest egg and feel encouraged that they have the capability of building a really profitable business. In an independent survey carried out by franchise consultancy group, Smith and Henderson, Ewemove scored very highly and was the only lettings agency to be recognised – feedback from owners showed that they really value the high level support they receive from Head Oﬃce. Marketing control is retained by Head Oﬃce and all materials are generated centrally in order to maintain brand consistency and for accurate lead measurement. They also focus on giving back so for every property they rent, they fund the building of a new home in Nepal.

BRONZE

HomeXperts

HomeXperts is a great business which is showing rapid expansion due to the strength and popularity of its offering. The aim is to encourage people to start their franchise from a home office as this keeps initial overheads low, then as the business grows they can move to external premises. HomeXperts has negotiated a deal with both Tesco and the Post Office to enable franchisees to have a presence in these branches. This allows them to have access to increased footfall and raise brand awareness for a lower outlay than if they rented offices or a retail unit. There is a joined up approach between Head Office and the local franchise owners so whilst a lot of the marketing and key messages are generated centrally, franchisees are also given an individual website so they can manage their own content. 2015 was a busy year – the recruitment of a new Franchise Development Director and Training Director has had a positive impact on turnover, and they have rolled out a new online system through which a franchisee can access anything and everything they might need to run their business.

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GOLD

innovation lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

Best Innovation Chestertons Chestertons identified that in this industry many relationships can be quite shortterm and transactional based, and sought a way of guaranteeing customer loyalty to its brand. They identified the Avios rewards points scheme as a way of doing this and arranged an exclusive arrangement whereby participants received one point for every ÂŁ1 of fee: to date they have given away more than one million points. This scheme has succeeded on a number of levels: landlord retention has increased as has new business - a proportion of this can be directly attributed to the introduction of the Avios points. Chestertons has also benefitted through leveraging Aviosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; client base and technology as they have the ability to capture new clients through the push alerts Avios sends out to its members alerting them to new ways of collecting points. The partnership has enabled Chestertons to position itself as a premium brand in the same league as other Avios participants such as BA and American Express. Feedback from overseas clients also suggests they have benefitted which is fantastic.

GOLD

marketing lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Best Marketing Portico Portico absolutely deserves to win the gold in what the judges felt was a highly competitive category with some fantastic contenders. Its submission was based on the success of its “Portico Places” loyalty card oﬀering which gives clients discounts at local businesses and now has over 5,000 users. From the outset, the directors were very clear about what they wanted to achieve with this campaign and knew exactly what the desired results were. It was one of several campaigns which launched following a big rebranding exercise and its key aim was to create a brand more in-line with retailers than traditional agency. The insightful, local, consultative and approachable brand aims of the agent are well represented by the campaign in the honest local business reviews. The interaction between the agent and the local community is completely diﬀerent to that of any other agent and the number of potential clients in the local area who are involved in the scheme and interacting with the Portico brand on a daily basis is impressive. Portico appears to have executed an extensive campaign very well and the benefits are ongoing.

Chestertons The marketing team at Chestertons has taken a long-term view on the return from their direct mail marketing activity and undertook to do something unusual. They set out clear objectives for what they wanted to achieve from direct mail – lead generation, nurturing and the ability to collect valuable data – and then designed the campaign. As a corporate sponsor of the Royal Academy of Arts, they have access to a number of free tickets which proved very popular with the target audience so they designed high quality postcards using art from the RAA’s collection and mailed these out as a way of capturing data from potential clients with the incentive of free exhibition tickets if they followed a web link and completed the online form. The quality and the idea behind the design of the postcards was excellent and the follow up to the campaign appears to have been carried out very well. There was a big increase in responses beyond that which is usually seen from a traditional mail drop. The feedback from those who went to the exhibition about the likelihood of using Chestertons in future was extremely positive.

Lovett International This campaign came about in a very original way and was the result of quite a bit of thought coupled with the identification of an opportunity that would benefit several different parties. A local artist visited the office to ask if she could use the walls to showcase her work which Lovetts agreed to. They then identified the dual opportunities of helping local artists and supporting their chosen charity of Breast Cancer Care. They asked the artist to produce pink-themed art with all proceeds going to the charity so she produced one per day for the month – these were sold to the highest bidder each day. As the paintings were changed so regularly, they saw a marked increase in footfall and the level of instruction also grew beyond forecasted levels. Lovett has a strong commitment to marketing the business through many different channels. They turned their sale boards pink in-line with the campaign and the fact that the associated paintings were sold from the offices also created synergy.

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GOLD

outstanding contribution lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Outstanding Contribution Frank Webster Frank has over 30 years’ experience as a letting agent and he shows extraordinary generosity in sharing his knowledge and expertise with anyone who requests his help. Having started his estate agency career as a negotiator, Frank’s character and work ethic was shown early on when he was talent spotted in his early 20’s by Mary Channer of Finders Keepers. In response to a job offer from Mary, Frank replied that he’d given his word to his current employer but would happily join her in one year’s time, and 366 days later, he became an integral part of the Finders Keepers team. His career went from strength to strength as he climbed the ranks from property manager to office manager and then company director, and he has been instrumental in growing Finders Keepers from one office to an award-winning branch network managing over 3,000 properties. For thirty years Frank has been the primary author of the Finders Keepers DNA, which is what made the company so attractive to Countrywide. A natural networker and a brilliant salesman, Frank is a man of rare integrity who commands client respect. His constant media appearances have earned him the nickname, “Mr. Media” in the office, and it is true that he is a regular commentator and advisor for market updates and industry best practice on television, radio, online and in print media. He is part of the “Ask the Experts” section in The Sunday Times and is a regular contributor on the Kat Ormon show on BBC Radio Oxford. His opinion and commentary can also be seen in national newspapers such as the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail. Frank speaks at both national and international property events including the Australasian Residential Property Management Conference (ARPM) in Sydney as well as property conferences in Wellington, New Zealand. He has also been called upon a number of times to use his expertise as part of the judging panel for these awards. Frank is actively involved in the local community and regularly gives his time to support numerous good causes. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and acts as a governor at Cherwell School, a large and respected secondary school in Oxford. Alongside this he is on the Business Development Committee at The Oxford Playhouse Theatre where he was recently found participating in its annual Strictly Come Dancing event, taking second place out of 15 contestants. Over 500 people came to watch the participants and their professional partners raise money for Vale House, a local charity that supports sufferers of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. The culture at Finders Keepers is defined by its core values: expert, dynamic, scrupulous. Frank Webster embodies these values and we are delighted to recognise his contribution to improving the standards and perception of our industry.

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GOLD

block management agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Block Management Burlington Estates Burlington Estates won the silver award in this category last year and it fully deserves the gold award for its eﬀorts over the past 12 months. The panel felt that the team is really striving to push the boundaries of best practice. As a bespoke business which only deals with the central London market, Burlington Estates really knows its stuﬀ. The mission statement is crystal clear – to become the agent of choice for the prime central London market - and the directors have identified targeted goals to help them achieve this aim. 2015/16 has been a busy time for them as they’ve become a firm of chartered surveyors which has subsequently been classified as “outstanding” by RICS in a recent audit. Recruitment is key to the success of this agency and they understand what it takes to attract the best talent. Salaries are generous and the training provision is thorough and exciting – reinvestment is substantial and the graduate training programme is enticing high calibre individuals to deliver the best service to discerning landlords and tenants in a competitive market.

GOLD

SILVER

X1 Lettings In the four years since launching, X1 Lettings has increased its staffing levels from three to 23. It operates a very specific offering in that its key client demographic is high-income investor landlords who want to increase their investment portfolio with minimum input. Focusing on student accommodation, X1 has put in place a number of fantastic initiatives to meet the requirements of the students (and their parents) as well as protecting the investment for the landlords. The staff is split into rental account management and landlord account management so they are each specialists in their respective area. Each investor is assigned a dedicated point of contact at X1 and they deal only with them throughout the lifetime of the relationship. Every development is allocated to a specific manager who then deals with any and all enquiries about available properties in that block. Social events are held regularly to cement relationships between the tenants and the agency, and the multi-lingual team is having achieving great things for foreign language students.

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GOLD

newcomer lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Newcomer Bradley & Sadler Estate Agents Bradley & Sadler was started by a group of women who wanted to be part of a business that oﬀered flexibility around family needs. Whilst this is a very holistic concept, business is still taken extremely seriously with service delivered to a very high standard. As they don’t have a shopfront presence, they’ve worked very hard to build their brand through carefully chosen networking, and support of local charity events. Clients are engaging with a monthly newsletter and are encouraged to write online reviews. The team also appears regularly on social media platforms and has invested in SEO, which is driving referral business. They measure all marketing activity so they can understand where their leads are coming from, and successful campaigns can be repeated. The small team means they can oﬀer a really personal service, and there was lots of evidence of noticeable touches from referral vouchers and lunches with landlords to Christmas gifts. They place equal importance on their relationships with tenants and landlords and understand the synergy between the two. This is a great agency which is galloping ahead in a crowded marketplace.

GOLD

Elvet Estates SILVER

It is apparent that a lot of research was done prior to this business opening resulting in it running as an extremely tight ship – the directors took 18 months to plan before launch. A clearly defined business plan sets out the desired results and the directors fully understand their market. Systems have been carefully designed with good execution and there is evidence of investment in externally supplied products and services to enhance the customer experience and automate processes where possible. The branding is compelling and attractive – bright colours and a fresh look means the oﬃce stands out in a crowd, and is drawing strong footfall. The EE Club oﬀers discounts on fees to all clients on other services and is encouraging cross-selling, as investor landlords can access reduced fees for sales and tenants are given reduced rates on financial advice or conveyancing services if they choose to buy. Market tracking and analysis is thorough and useful for all parties. The panel believes this business has built a secure foundation for future success.

GOLD

student lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Student Lettings Clever Student Lets Clever Student Lets is a fantastic business which is doing great things for students. It’s based its service offering on the hospitality sector and a recent move into offices on the campus of Plymouth University is proving extremely beneficial for all parties. The team seeks to build great relationships with their tenants and they’re willing to have difficult conversations with landlords when required to make sure the properties are of a good standard. They now work closely with Shanghai University to house exchange students and are planning on opening an office there to meet the market requirements with boots on the ground. The “House Matcher” events are popular as these allow students to meet each other in a networking/speed dating type environment so they can select like-minded housemates: this approach has led to greater retention and the ability to fill all the rooms in student accommodation. It’s great to see Clever Student Lets go from silver last year to the gold for their latest efforts.

GOLD

Bill Free Homes

SILVER

BRONZE

The team at Bill Free Homes strives for a culture of continuous improvement and the result is a really amazing business. The rate at which they develop and implement new and exciting initiatives is breathtaking. They want to be recognised as thought leaders in the student arena and participate in an extraordinary amount of training and development to achieve this goal. Two of the directors are currently studying for doctorates and participating in local council meetings to campaign to improve the image of students. They have also formed peer-learning groups with other student letting providers so they can learn from each other and share best practice. Another great idea is the provision of accident cover for tenants which has been negotiated with a specialist insurance provider. This allows students to claim for accidents, thus reducing deposit disputes at check out. These are two of the stand-out ideas among the innumerable initiatives on oﬀer by Bill Free Homes. This really is a quality agency.

Parklane Properties Parklane Properties is one of the longest-standing lettings agencies in Leeds and it uses this heritage as a platform to position itself as the go-to expert in its location. The directors underwent a full brand refresh last autumn following extensive research by an independent branding agency. The results showed that students wanted to feel at home in their new accommodation but also confident that they could have fun and live the student life. It was from these insights that the new strapline was created – “the home of good times”. The new look and feel was rolled out across all platforms, both on and oﬄine, generating some fantastic engagement levels in the process, especially through competitions. Responding to demand from wealthier students, the directors have also created a range of premium student properties called the Autograph collection. These properties were refurbished to a higher standard and oﬀer add-on services such as broadband, a gardener, flat screen tv’s and welcome hampers. Parklane has every angle covered and the team should feel proud of their achievements.

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GOLD

lettings supplier

2016

Lettings Supplier of The Year The criteria and judging process for the Best Supplier award was changed this year so entrants were required to distribute an online survey to their clients alongside the submission of the questionnaire and supporting documents. The clients were asked to rate the supplier company against 12 statements on a scale of 1 – 5 (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Suppliers had to reach a minimum response rate in order to be judged. Scores were then calculated and added to the judges’ notes. Winning suppliers were therefore decided by a combination of the judge’s research and opinion as well as through direct feedback from the people who matter most – the customers.

Fixflo Sponsored by

GOLD

Fixflo SILVER

BRONZE

Having won the silver award in this category last year, it is a delight to recognise Fixflo’s increased focus and dedication with the gold award. Fixflo’s software helps lettings agents streamline their maintenance reporting by simplifying the process for all parties. Tenants can easily access the online system at any time of day or night then track the issue through to completion, and it is fully responsive so can be accessed via any platform. Diagnostic tools help tenants quickly identify key issues and they have the ability to upload pictures if necessary, so property managers can quickly diagnose the best and quickest resolution. Feedback from the customer survey shows that they believe the team at Fixflo is working with them for the benefit of both businesses and it enjoys high levels of referral. It was also clear that clients feel confident in the quality and speed of response times from Fixflo, as well as the ease of being able to reach someone on both telephone and email.

Reapit Reapit is consistently recognised in these awards and it comes as no surprise to see that the team is constantly seeking to improve its products and services. It is surprising however that they can manage to do this given the high levels to which they already hold themselves. The software aligns all agency departments into one central database giving directors full visibility of every area of the business. The Property Tracker is a great innovation and is directly responsible for increasing landlord retention for agency clients. It allows agents to share information about landlords’ portfolios 24/7 via a secure online portal. Reapit has a global presence; not only does it work with 75% of the biggest global property suppliers but is also a well-respected brand in Australia where it partners with the top agents. A significant number of survey respondents gave Reapit a perfect score across all questions and it is clear that they are confident that using Reapit allows them to deliver a seamless service to their clients.

No Letting Go No Letting Go provides property inventories and reports to agents and property management companies of an extremely high standard. The directors understand the importance of compliance and CPD requirements and have set out to ensure that the reports they supply are delivered by highly qualified and reliable individuals. Inventory clerks are all APIP qualified and they produce reports that will absolutely stand up to scrutiny. They do this so well that disputes over reports produced by No Letting Go are so low as to be practically non-existent. The training academy runs residential courses on inventory management which is followed by a mentoring scheme. The Training Director is an experienced lettings agent and property manager and she brings a wealth of knowledge when designing the curriculum. She is also an adjudicator for the TDS so understands the most common areas where disputes arise and can seek to proactively manage and minimise these. The client feedback scores show that the majority of No Letting Go’s clients strongly agree with all the statements, and it scored particularly highly on referrals and also on understanding what its clients are trying to achieve for their landlords and tenants.

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Best Lettings Negotiator Benito Scrocca

Nicol & Co Estate Agents Ltd.

Sponsored by

Benito is working hard to do his bit to improve the perception of lettings agents. There were numerous examples of outstanding customer service and the panel feels that he really cares about the clients. He has a proven track record in problem solving and employs lateral thinking to find solutions to potential issues. A recent applicant was struggling to find properties as they own three dogs. Benito contacted a local dog charity and built a relationship with them as they are able to make introductions to landlords who are willing to rent to pet owners. He understands the importance of doing the basics really well and following through on promised actions. As his clients all have extremely diďŹ&#x20AC;erent motivations and requirements, he has proved flexible and willing to listen in order to help them find their desired property with maximum eďŹ&#x192;ciency. Benito is also keen to build long-term relationships with clients so from the first introduction to a new client he identifies ways in which he can prove himself and keep people coming back to him and the agency time and again.

SHORTLISTED: Terence Crowder - Metro Village Laura Everitt - Applegate Properties Kerry-Anne Holland - Sawyer & Co. Sales and Lettings Rhiannon Lewcock - Nicol and Co Estate Agents Ltd. Sandrine Locatelli - Hudsons Property

Best Lettings Branch Manager Kris White

Anthony Pepe Estate Agents Kris sees his role as empowering the people around him to achieve great things, and it is clear that he does this very well indeed. He has recruited high calibre individuals and has worked hard to build an environment which encourages them to use their collective strengths to become a world class team. He is fully on board with the culture at Anthony Pepe and communicates this to the staďŹ&#x20AC; who in turn embody this for the landlords and tenants. As someone who works across both the sales and lettings disciplines Kris understands the importance of being able to diversify, as no two days, or two clients are the same. He therefore works hard to constantly learn so he is fully up to date with all industry requirements as well as market changes and new stock coming to market. This ethos is distilled down to the team so the client can access a high level service irrespective of who they deal with. The panel got the impression that Kris has been an intrinsic part of step change at Anthony Pepe and has proved to be the perfect person at the perfect time.

SHORTLISTED: Charlotte Hannen - Lovett International Emma Jones - Dockside Property Services Sean Lawless - Bill Free Homes Amy Powell - Breckon & Breckon

Best Property Manager Chelsey Durrant

Absolute Sales & Lettings Ltd

Sponsored by

The panel commented that this was a great category to judge as it shows the depth of commitment agents have to delivering outstanding property management. Chelsey is a dedicated individual and the judges found her to be a real asset to the company. She is the out-of-hours service and her commitment is exemplary. She is a very calm and measured individual – characteristics which are essential when dealing with property management issues. She has spent a lot of time building strong relationships with contractors and is seen as being firm but fair so they are flexible and happy to prioritise Absolute’s requirements where necessary. As her experience and knowledge has increased, in many cases Chelsey is now able to diagnose issues over the phone and understand if its something she can talk the tenant through to resolve or if it requires a contractor to be called out. It was clear to the panel that Chelsey consistently goes above and beyond with the service she gives whether sourcing and purchasing replacement appliances or meeting stakeholders at properties to get issues resolved. This award is very well deserved.

SHORTLISTED: Chris Carpenter-Beck - Andrews Property Services Teresa Gray - Redbrick Properties (Leeds) Ltd Melanie Hughes - Frost’s Estate Agents David Tearne - Metro Village

Best Relocation Agent Sharon Hewitt Chiltern Relocation

Sharon has been in the industry a long time and she is all about the clients who can feel confident they are in safe hands. She fully understands how to drill down into the what the client tells her so she can understand what the client really wants, as opposed to what they think they want – often two very different things! She does this through an innate understanding of what to ask and when. Sharon is unafraid to take on new challenges and following a difficult transaction for a client with multiple sclerosis has become a specialist in helping relocation clients with disabilities. She works with charities and committees and is really trying to understand the challenges faced. Sharon has also been careful to differentiate between understanding key issues which may affect people with disabilities whilst ensuring that their individual requirements are taken into account and are dealt with sensitively. Attention to detail is also key for this market and Sharon and her team go above and beyond, for example, taking into account how the range of an electric wheelchair’s battery power will affect the distance required for local shops or doctors’ surgeries. The view of the panel was that they would have no hesitation using Chiltern Relocation.

SHORTLISTED: Emma Morley - Executive Relocation Plus Ltd

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GOLD

website lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Website Foxtons Foxtons’ website provides a seamless service to all users irrespective of their requirements. Whether a tenant searching listings or a landlord checking safety certificates, the 640,000 unique visitors each month can access the entire Foxtons information bank at the touch of a button. To ensure that its reach is second to none, Foxtons uses a global network of servers to maximise usability and speed so content delivery is extremely fast across all devices - this is especially important given that 21% of its website visitors are based overseas. The web designers work closely with the marketing and operations teams to continue the evolution of the website and changes are made in response to customer feedback and the analytics. They’ve brought in five new search functions this year and the usage stats show that this was a great strategic decision. The outstanding MyFoxtons portal is going from strength to strength and is currently used by over half a million people.

GOLD

Northfields

SILVER

BRONZE

The web strategy at Northfields is really insightful. They understand that the capability and reach of the portals can’t be matched so they have taken the decision to use their website as a shop window – this has enabled clients to engage with them at a local level and really buy into their branding and culture. For a small business, Northfields’ investment in the website is exemplary. It is fully responsive with a wealth of added services including live chat, foreign language video tours, secure portal, online valuations and video blogs. They’ve combined a number of analytics tools to track the customer journey and to allow them to not only see but understand the what and why. Content is easily managed and updated so Northfields can stay totally responsive to changing market conditions and update their audience in realtime. This approach also ensures that the website can be updated in-line with new innovations as they come to market.

EweMove Sales and Lettings The overarching web requirement for the directors at EweMove was to provide both tenants and landlords with an optimum online experience. They started by surveying the franchise owners and then used their responses and insight to design the online offering. They worked with a number of independent specialists to build a robust backend system that would allow them to offer an array of search functions and information but would also give them easy access to analytics. The live chat function has been well received and is allowing EweMove to be totally responsive to their clients’ needs: 48% of online chats take place outside office hours. They see the main function of the website as allowing customers to connect with the EweMove brand and its people, so the site is full of relevant information that people can relate to including testimonials, Trustpilot rankings and landlord interview videos.

Best Social Media

GOLD

social media lettings agency

homes4u set out a clear set of objectives for its social media activity and fully understands how this dovetails into the overall marketing plan. There is clever and careful consideration of where they appear in line with where they know their clients hang out. As the student market makes up the majority of the tenant base, they designed a campaign to really engage with this group. Having analysed the activities they thought were the most likely to maximise student participation, they oﬀered Nando’s vouchers to any student who submitted a selfie in front of a homes4u board. The panel particularly liked the fact that they’d run a similar campaign using an iPad mini as a prize and whilst both hugely increased the number of followers, they found that chicken is a greater incentive for student participation than electronic goods - a great example of an agency flexing and evolving its services to meet its clients’ needs! It is evident that this agency has an innate commercial understanding of the value of social media.

2016

Sponsored by

Andrews Property Group

GOLD

SILVER

homes4u group ltd

Having been recognised in this category time and again for both sales and lettings, Andrews Property Group continues to impress with its confident approach to social media. The strategy and objectives are clearly defined so the social media activities are designed to support these and achieve the desired results. The team understands the importance of using the online presence to support oﬄine events and vice versa, and it was evident that they manage to combine these disciplines really well. The dedicated social media personnel have carefully selected which online platforms they appear on and push out content relevant to each. They produce a huge amount of content from videos to online events and analyse the data to understand where customers engage with them so they can adapt and evolve the content accordingly. Content is managed centrally but the staﬀ is encouraged to get involved and share ideas for online campaigns and activities; they are given regular training to fully understand the brand messaging and tone of voice required when participating. Communication is regular, consistent and honest and it is clear that social media is an intrinsic part of Andrews’ success.

SILVER

Victorstone Property Consultants The team at Victorstone set out to create a strong personal connection with their client base through their use of social media. From the outset they were clear that they wanted to focus on engaging influencers, but more than this, wanted to understand how to convert the interaction and engagement into tangible business results. They created a channel plan for the diﬀerent platforms as they understand that each one requires a diﬀerent communication strategy and voice, and then pushed out content according to a pre-planned calendar. This ensures they don’t miss any major events but there is also room to allow for spontaneous updates where relevant. The panel was particularly pleased to learn that Victorstone has a presence on Instagram which is an exceedingly key platform given the image driven nature of the industry. It really is a great way to get properties out there and Victorstone’s use of location specific hashtags has driven direct messaging enquiries into branch.

GOLD

training & development lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

Best Training & Development Karl Tatler Lettings The focus on lettings-specific training in this category was exemplary and highlights that agents are paying close attention to the precise requirements of the lettings teams. With this attitude in mind, Karl Tatler has impressed the panel once again with its attention to detail. This agency won the gold for Best Training and Development for its sales department in 2015, and it is crystal clear that everyone working for Karl can expect to participate in training at the highest level. New starters are introduced to the company’s standards before they even start when a welcome pack containing books, keys, champagne and business cards is delivered to their house. Personal profiling is carried out to ensure individuals are a good fit for their role, as well as for the team and branch they will be working in. An indepth induction is followed by monthly sessions with the Operations Director, and their personal development plan is tailored according to experience and the results from the personality assessment. The teams are also encouraged to learn from each other through focused sharing of transaction experience and results.

GOLD

Castledene SILVER

BRONZE

Castledene won the bronze award in this highly contested category last year so to see the team raise the bar to the silver standard at this level is highly impressive. It is located in an area with high levels of social housing and vulnerable tenants so has made a promise to extend its training principles to all stakeholders, from the internal team to landlords, tenants and contractors. The directors recruit solely on the values and ethics of the applicant as they believe strongly that lettings skills can be taught but the right attitude is inherent so someone either ‘gets it’ or they don’t. Everyone is surveyed to uncover their preferred learning styles and they are given a personalised plan to allow them to learn in the most eﬃcient manner, whether through role play, lectures, visual aids or peer learning. Tenants and contractors also undergo induction training and this has resulted in a drastic reduction in disputes as expectations are laid out from the outset.

Thorgills

The Thorgills curriculum strikes a perfect balance between technical and holistic requirements. The directors believe that the best way of differentiating their business from their competitors is by empowering their staff to fulfill their potential. Each employee is given a six-month probation period to allow them to get to grips with the Thorgills habits. The Development Project is well thought out and the panel was impressed that alongside the mandatory sessions, the team is also allocated a cash amount to spend on the training of their choice (with management sign off ). Having recognised that as a smaller business, there can often be a bottleneck preventing promotions, the directors implemented another great initiative – the progression scale. This seeks to advance employees’ status according to their knowledge and experience, even if an actual promotion to the next level isn’t available. The Thorgills Dream Academy assists in making personal goals a reality, and they’ve improved this even further by offering a substantial secondary reward to the person who achieves the most through the Dream Academy each year.

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GOLD

relocation agency

lettings agency

2016

Sponsored by

GOLD

Best Relocation Agency Simply London Relocation Simply London Relocation is an almost unique business, concentrating on families relocating to London who are as concerned about schools as they are about the properties they want. An expat herself, the Director identified that there was a gap in agencies providing specialist information to people who want to focus on maintaining their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education in high performing schools. Due to the niche nature of its expertise and the time limitations of the academic calendar, business peaks at certain times of the year, meaning the business has to ebb and flow along with demand. They have overcome this issue by using freelancers at busy times and through careful restructure to grow business during quieter periods such as working with child free clients and identifying where they can assist with more general relocation requirements. All staďŹ&#x20AC; are fully bilingual and have been through the relocation process themselves so they understand and sympathise with the challenges and stresses international relocation can bring. Adherence to a carefully designed 24-step relocation plan means every client receives excellent customer service.

Samsung SDS Nexhop Interactive Marketing is Retail sales & marketing support solution that enables customers to enjoy the in-branch experience whilst also enabling estate agents to increase operational efficiency. This is achieved by enhancing connectivity between customers and stores.

Benefits Improve Customer Experience • •

Attract new customers by triggering interest with eye-catching displays Provide an immersive experience by leveraging in-branch touch screen and external information (map, transport information, street view)

Enhance Service Competitiveness •

•

Provide a customised and personalised consultation that Stands-out from the crowd Meet accessibility needs both in and out of office hours

Reduce Operation Cost •

•

Increase operational efficiency and meet brand guidelines easily through integrated content management Reduce unnecessary printing costs

Contact

Headquarters Samsung SDS Tower, 125 Olympic-ro 35-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea 138-240 Samsung SDS Europe 1st Floor, No.5 The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0NY, United Kingdom contactsds@samsung.com Tel. +44 (0)1932 823569

GOLD

best lettings agency to work for

lettings agency

2016

Best Lettings Agency to work for an online questionnaire to distribute to their team which asks individuals to rate 21 statements about their employer on a scale ranging from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”. The questions are designed to discover how each employee feels about the business they work for, and covers every area of employment including satisfaction with remuneration, career opportunities, team and management relationships, pride, communication and interest. Companies are required to gather responses from at least 40% of their team in order to be judged for this award. All replies remain anonymous but each response is checked to ensure it is an individual and genuine response. Answers are then analysed, and we are delighted to recognise the following companies.

Sponsored by

These are businesses setting the bar for employee best practice: they should be congratulated on the motivation and loyalty they engender in their teams, and the dynamic culture and opportunities they provide.

Bill Free Homes GOLD

Victorstone Property Consultants

SILVER

BRONZE

Sky Blue Homes

What is your customer experience?

Vendors & Landlords Mystery Home Valuations Mystery Phone Calls Mystery Web Enquiry Mystery Branch Visits Customer Telephone & e-Surveys

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01403 230650 www.customerperspectives.co.uk info@customerperspectives.co.uk

Thank You | To the Judges The Estate Agency Events team would like to extend a huge thank you to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judging panel.

Chairman of the Judging Panel: Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman

The Judging Panel: Christian Balshen, Van Mildert Gary Barker, Reapit Caroline Copland, CarolineMary Consultants Ltd. Lesley Dunn, ZPG Brian Farrell, Acaboom & Metropix Matthew Hobbs, Savills Samantha Jones, Moneypenny Chris Leonard, The Deposit Protection Service Patrick Littlemore, Marsh & Parsons Ken McEwan, McEwan Fraser Legal Ian Preston, BoomerangCRM and Preston Baker Ben Ridgway, IAM Sold Ltd Gareth Samples, Brief Your Market Peter Savage, Simplify Group Sim Sekhon, LegalforLandlords David Tate, Davis Tate Julie Twist, Julie Twist Properties Benjamin Willmore, Chase Buchanan We would also like to thank Mark Hayward, NAEA, who kindly acted as Arbiter during the judging process.

With thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters:

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