And another reason to celebrate . . . we’ve gone gold!
Best Medium Letting Agent in London 2014
Letting your property www.martyngerrard.co.uk The award-winning agency . . . where integrity counts.
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www.martyngerrard.co.uk
The award-winning agency...where inte grity c ounts Whether this is your first venture into the lettings market or you are an experienced landlord with a portfolio of properties, we understand the importance of providing you with guidance and advice you can trust and rely on. At Martyn Gerrard we strive to always offer the best possible service and are proud to say that, at the 2014 Times and The Sunday Times Lettings Agency of the Year Awards we won GOLD for our lettings service, coming top of all the medium lettings agents in London. This is a family-run and owned business and we know that renting property is first and foremost about the people we deal with and the service we offer, as much as the property we are renting.
Buy-to-Let With interest rates still historically low many people are looking at buy-to-let as an alternative way of generating a regular income as well as being a long term investment. Great care has to be taken in choosing the right property. There are many factors that have to be considered, not just price and location. There are also a multitude of legal obligations a potential landlord must comply with. If you are thinking of investing in a buy-to-let property it is vital you seek out the best advice. At Martyn Gerrard we will be delighted to help with any guidance you require. Remember you will be consulting with licensed members of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). Simon Gerrard MD of Martyn Gerrard and Greg Tsuman Lettings Director accepting the gold award for best medium lettings agency in London, presented by the Times and the Sunday Times 2014.
“Family-run Martyn Gerrard has really nailed its business offering. Providing very strong evidence of best practice in the written submission, this agency enjoys high market share in key operating areas. All staff possess technical qualifications and new starters must sit their exams within six months of joining. Having recently celebrated its 50th anniversary this is an illuminating example of a business which has expanded whilst maintaining high professional standards.” Lettings Agency of The Year – Judges’ comment
At home in your area.
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www.martyngerrard.co.uk
A multiple office service for a sole agency fee Each of our ten offices are located in prime, high footfall High Street locations. We also invest more than any other local agent in our extensive online marketing which includes the major portals. This, together with our reputation and our offline marketing, means we attract thousands of high quality potential tenants, especially as our network of offices are all within a 6 ½ mile radius. Our lettings team have full access to every property we are marketing at any of our ten branches and they receive full commission for any property they let. In this way you have our ENTIRE lettings team actively working to let your home.
No othe r a g e nt d o e s this .
“Having chosen Martyn Gerrard on the basis of the excellent work done by the sales division in Finchley, I am pleased the same high standards also exist in the Crouch End lettings division. You have communicated with me clearly throughout the process and worked proactively to successfully find a tenant.” Emma, Highgate
Providing you with security and peace of mind.
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The c omplete lettings servic e When the sales market took a dip in 2008 many estate agents went into letting property as a way to ride out the storm. Unlike these agents, Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents have been dealing with property since 1964 and have a long established, dedicated Lettings Department. Whether you are a landlord with a portfolio of properties or this is your first venture into letting a property, you are able to draw on this invaluable experience and local knowledge, unmatched by other, newer agents.
With Martyn Gerrard you are choosing a licensed ARLA member, so you can be sure that you and your property are in safe hands.
Security Tenancy Agreements Our tenancy agreements have been written to provide the landlord with as much protection as possible under current legislation. Rent Guarantee Tenant assessment is carried out by an independent third party. Once the tenant passes this assessment an insurance-backed rent guarantee is provided – Free of Charge for the first year of the tenancy. Client Money Protection The RICS audit our accounts and provide Client Money Protection to all of our clients.This means should anything happen to Martyn Gerrard Estate Agents, your money is protected. Knowledge In addition to our experience from working in your area for decades, our lettings team study for and obtain the Technical Award in Residential Lettings and Property Management and become Licensed Letting Agents through membership of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), the UK’s foremost professional body for letting agents. ARLA was formed in 1981 as the professional and regulatory body for letting agents in the UK. Greg Tsuman Lettings Director at Martyn Gerrard is currently the regional representative for North and North West London area. We are also regulated by The Property Ombudsman and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
“Just wanted to say how pleased we are with the service you’ve provided to us over the years. You have let the flat quickly, at a good rent, and we’ve had some lovely tenants. I’ll always happily recommend you to others.” Andy, Crouch End
Transparent Service Unlike other agents we do not have any additional hidden charges such as fees for registering the tenant’s deposit or administration and arrangement fees, which can add hundreds of pounds to the cheaper headline percentage rate. We also do not charge tenants any admin fees, ensuring we get the best rent for you.
Moving families and creating homes. 8
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Residential prop erty management The legislation and responsibilities involved in letting a property are ever-changing and have grown significantly; an unwary landlord could face severe penalties for getting it wrong. As a landlord it is essential you work with an experienced and respected agent. Our specialist, dedicated letting management team is here to provide you with up-to-date advice and take the day-to-day stress out of renting your property. By dedicated, we mean that the management of your property is dealt with solely by the management department. We will not compromise our management service unlike many other letting agents who, in an attempt to maximise their profit, will rely on their letting negotiators to try and deal with the management of your property between letting other flats or houses. Our team of experienced property managers look after the day-to-day running of the letting during the tenancy, dealing with everything from chasing late rental payments to organising and overseeing maintenance and repairs, and ensure you and your property comply with the latest legislation. On Call We have an emergency contact number which is monitored 24/7. Your property manager has a dedicated contact number and is always available if you or your tenants have any queries. Inventories and Deposit Returns We have a comprehensive inventory prepared by a professional independent company which helps to minimise any disputes over the deposit at the end of the tenancy. Our property managers are trained to help Landlords negotiate any disputes that do arise.
“I wanted to thank you for your professionalism in letting my house. I am delighted how quickly you were able to rent it and the way you worked. As a landlord living overseas your service gives me lots of reassurance.� Amanda, Pennsylvania, USA
Re m e m b e r , we ’ re h e re to h e l p a n d a n swe r a ny q u e st i o n s yo u h a ve a l o n g t h e wa y .
MILL HILL
NORTH FINCHLEY
FINCHLEY CENTRAL
HENDON
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BARNET
Offic es WeOur know these stre ets . . . With Martyn Gerrard, you are tapping into fifty years experience in the North and North West London property market. WHETSTONE
EAST FINCHLEY
Our team of experienced property professionals is one of our key strengths. All our lettings staff live or were brought up locally so they know the area inside out. With this unrivalled knowledge and expertise we can quickly match the right tenant to the right property.
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North and North West London have always been ideal areas to let property I am proud that this firm continues to provide so
MUSWELL HILL
the guidance and support
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many landlords with
they need to make a success of letting their properties. Martyn Gerrard MRICS, FNAEA, MARLA Founder and Chairman
CROUCH END
KENTISH TOWN
Map not to scale
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Embracing change and looking ahead.
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Highly effective marketing We understand that to achieve your goal of letting your property at the best price in your required time frame we need to market the property efficiently and effectively. We take pride in our innovative and proactive approach to find the most suitable tenants. With our network of 10 offices we can access a huge database of tenants looking for a property in North and North West London, many of whom are registered exclusively with us. To ensure your property is seen by as wide an audience of the best potential tenants as possible, we invest heavily in advertising across a variety of media. A large part of our advertising is online. Our properties can be found on our award winning website as well as the top internet portals – Zoopla, Rightmove, PrimeLocation as well as Gumtree and Google. In our 50th year we have also taken billboard sites around North London, you may have seen some of them. Together with our numerous ‘To Let’ and ‘Let By’ boards, this shows we are best placed to help find quality tenants for your property and also sets us further apart from other agents in the area. Our latest innovation is to provide a narrated property vidette for every property we market. Combined with our colour floor plans these are shown to reduce the number of wasted viewings as they allow potential tenants to get a better feel for your property before they view. This service is unique to Martyn Gerrard and is included in our marketing service at no extra cost. We are the first agent in your area to pioneer the use of DocuSign. This is a secure online service which allows the legal signing of any document – electronically. This gives our clients the option to deal with the paperwork involved in renting their property online. Not having to rely on the post can really speed up the process.
“You were super efficient in renting my flat in four days. On a personal note you understood that I was nervous about renting my home of six years and were sympathetic and guided me through the process.” Debra, Finchley
Believing in your property hopes and dreams.
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We appre ciate you We appreciate that providing an honest, friendly and personal service, backed up by knowledge and experience, is what customer care is all about. This has been at the heart of our ethos since Mr Martyn Gerrard opened his first office in Whetstone in 1964. Over 60% of our business comes from recommendation, reputation or people returning who have used our services in the past, which demonstrates that we understand that the people we deal with are as important as the property we let. Previously we appeared in the Channel 4 series “Mary Portas – Secret Shopper”. Many people have commented that this was very brave and we felt it was a great opportunity to have Mary’s retail experience cast a fresh eye over what we do and provide some innovative ideas and a fresh approach to what many see as staid industry norms. She recognised existing high service standards and helped us to refine certain areas to ensure we offer unrivalled and unique customer service.
Provid ing exc e l le nt c usto m e r s e rvic e is whe re a winning re la tio ns hip sta rts .
“Hats off to these estate agents, they were all really open to new methods. Great bunch of people....I would use them to buy or let my property now.” Mary Portas
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MG in the c ommunity Helping the communities we work in has always been one of our priorities at Martyn Gerrard. There are a number of local projects, schools and charities for which we have helped raise tens of thousands of pounds. We have sponsored Summer and Christmas fairs, quiz nights, school football teams and during the Jubilee supported local street parties. We have continued our long-standing association with the North London Hospice to which we have donated in excess of £50,000 over the years. In 2012 St Mary’s Primary School in Finchley needed to raise money to renovate their school library. When we found out they were struggling to raise the funds we stepped in with a donation to finish the work.The school generously offered to name it the “Martyn Gerrard library” in honour of the donation. 2014 saw us playing a major role in funding and project managing the ‘Victorian House Project’ at Coleridge School in Crouch End.The three story abandoned Victorian house has now with the help of Martyn Gerrard been completely renovated and refurbished to provide the school with much needed Art and Music rooms, accommodation for staff as well as providing ample space for local interest groups to meet. This has been our biggest community project to date and we could not be prouder of the finished result. Officially opened on the 5th of July the house has been named the Shirley Boffey House in honour of the Head Mistress who is retiring this year. We a re a l s o p ro u d to p rov i d e c o nt i n u i n g s u p p o r t to t h e s e l o c a l c h a r i t i e s . . .
“This is the fourth year we’ve used you and we are really happy with everything you’ve done for us. The first year was our first as landlords, you helped and guided us and you’ve found great tenants.” Tony, North Finchley
In addition to our successful Lettings Department, we have specialist dedicated departments that can assist you with all things Property. Residential Lettings Management – Client Money Protection Once let, our Dedicated Lettings Management team centrally based at our Head Office can look after the property on your behalf handling every aspect, from chasing late rental payments to organising maintenance and repairs. We are regulated by the RICS and ARLA so you can be assured that your money is in safe hands. Call 020 8343 4340 Ext 206 to discuss our full package of Management Services. Email: management@martyngerrard.co.uk
Residential Sales – NAEA Licensed Agent If you are looking to extend your investment portfolio with further properties in the area, our established sales offices are ideally placed to help you find the right property. Our experienced and qualified sales staff understand the process and legal aspects of buying and selling. Please contact your nearest branch www.martyngerrard.co.uk
Residential Block Management Department – ARMA Registered agent Do you live or own a flat in a block? Are you running the management yourselves and are being swamped by the ever changing legislation and organisation required? Or are you considering taking over the running of your block? Our Block Management Department have the experience to guide you and offer you a simple and cost effective solution. CALL Block management team on 020 8343 4340 Ext 4 EMAIL: bm@martyngerrard.co.uk
Commercial Department – ICBA & RICS Regulated Our Commercial Department has successfully sold or let retail premises on nearly all the major high streets in North and North West London, as well as handling large office blocks and smaller office suites. We are able to advise on all aspects of this sector. They can also help with rent reviews and lease renewals. Call Michael Izzi on 020 8444 3445 EMAIL: comm@martyngerrard.co.uk
Residential Professional Services – RICS Regulated If you are a freeholder or you own a Leasehold property our Professional Services Department can advise and guide you through the sometimes confusing issues with lease extensions or enfranchisement (buying the freehold). CALL Saul Gerrard MA FICBA MRICS on 020 8343 4340 Ext 7 EMAIL: professional@martyngerrard.co.uk
Commercial Management Department This department also covers every aspect of managing a commercial property, including; rent collection, service charge administration, lease compliance and dispute resolution, statutory compliance and property maintenance. CALL Commercial Management Team on 020 8343 4340 Ext 6 EMAIL: blockmanagement@martyngerrard.co.uk
Commercial Professional Services – RICS Regulated For advice on retail shop and office rent reviews or lease renewals make sure you are represented by a local chartered surveyor. Call Saul Gerrard MA FICBA MRICS on 020 8343 4340 Ext 7 EMAIL: professional@martyngerrard.co.uk
Land & New Homes Department Through this department we can help you maximise your property’s value by identifying potential development opportunities your property may offer and outline the options available to you taking into account demand and the ever changing Local and National planning criteria. Call 020 8343 4340 Ext 2 to discuss development opportunities EMAIL: landandnewhomes@martyngerrard.co.uk
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A family firm helping families move home since 1964. Thanks again...we look forward to helping you with all your property needs...
BARNET 4 Exchange Buildings, High Street, Barnet EN5 5SY T: 020 8440 4222 Email: EN5@martyngerrard.co.uk
HENDON 59 Brent Street, Hendon NW4 2EA T: 020 8203 2012 Email: NW4@martyngerrard.co.uk
Crouch End 45 The Broadway, Crouch End N8 8DT T: 020 8348 5130 Email: N8@martyngerrard.co.uk
Kentish Town 304 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town NW5 2TH T: 020 7284 4880 Email: NW5@martyngerrard.co.uk
East Finchley 66/68 High Road, East Finchley N2 9PN T: 020 8883 0076 Email: N2@martyngerrard.co.uk
Mill Hill 109 The Broadway, Mill Hill NW7 3TG T: 020 8906 0660 Email: NW7@martyngerrard.co.uk
Finchley Central 365 Regents Park Road, Finchley Central N3 1DE T: 020 8346 0102 Email: N3@martyngerrard.co.uk
Muswell Hill 300 Muswell Hill Broadway, Muswell Hill N10 2QR T: 020 8442 2140 Email: N10@martyngerrard.co.uk
North Finchley 773 High Road, North Finchley N12 8JY T: 020 8445 6682 Email: N12@martyngerrard.co.uk
Whetstone 1286 High Road, Whetstone N20 9HH T: 020 8446 2111 Email: N20@martyngerrard.co.uk
HEAD OFFICE & PROFESSIONAL 197 Ballards Lane, Finchley N3 1LP T: 020 8343 4340 Email: ho@martyngerrard.co.uk Email: professional@martyngerrard.co.uk
COMMERCIAL, LAND & NEW HOMEs 146 High Road, East Finchley N2 9ED T: 020 8444 3445 Email: comm@martyngerrard.co.uk Email: landandnewhomes@martyngerrard.co.uk
50 years of fulfilling dreams
www.martyngerrard.co.uk