28 | AIPP ADVICE WORDS |Mark Sharp
BUSINESS Service says it all
Maintaining high levels of service value means business in the overseas property industry. Clients are often at their most vulnerable when deciding whether or not to invest in a dream home abroad. It pays to reassure them, and to support them carefully through the process. But you will not be able to do that if you do not have a proper and professional service philosophy. Mark Sharp explains why.
1) Property purchase is one of life’s critical stress points anyway. 2) It’s harder to do it to a foreign country where the language and laws are different. 3) The industry is unregulated. 4) The poor reputation of estate agents in the UK carries over to the overseas market. This means you have to work harder to ensure that the service you provide will also enhance the good name of your business. If you go the extra mile for your clients, it can make all the difference to your business – even in a poor economy. The following list is not exhaustive, but take a look at the things below to see how you would ensure you provide this service. Do you provide clear terms of business
T
and go through them with your client? So often we hear of agents that simply hand over a folder and inform a client that everything they need to know is in it. This is actually an opportunity for you to go through your terms of business, the limitations of service you will provide and what you expect from the client, therefore providing clarity and confi dence in your service and what your client can expect. Inspire your clients by knowing about the places they are looking at. Are there any specifi c things they should know or events that will be taking place? Do you know the fl ight schedules? How much is the taxi fare from the airport? All of these things will give the client confi dence in the service you are providing them with. Don’t be afraid to give some information away for free. If you know there are other properties around that may be slightly out of the remit, tell them and show them. What you are doing is building trust. Because you are providing this paid for service make sure that all of your contact details are correct and up to date. If you have a mobile, include the international
he international property industry suffers from some major customer service issues:
dialing code (especially when there are also area codes). Make sure your website is ‘your’ window to the world, this is where your prospective clients have probably seen the property they want to view – put yourself in their shoes – what information would you want to know before even considering a purchase, the very least they would expect is for your contact details to be correct. The next question to ask yourself is, do
I declare my fees or not? There is little doubt here, as everyone knows you are running a business and no one expects a business to survive on no income. However, the cautionary note is twofold 1) be realistic, bearing in mind current market conditions 2) Don’t charge Harrods’ prices for an ‘everything’s a pound’ service.
“Put yourself in your client’s shoes: what would you want to know before making a purchase”
Rates will vary for different schemes but make sure that your service levels remain consistently high. If you are acting as the seller’s agent, be clear and transparent where you are marketing the property. Do you charge extra for marketing in local or national newspapers? What type of marketing activities are you proposing to undertake to sell the property? Other activities that may assist you are things like informing your clients that you have entered the AIPP awards as this will give further confi dence and trust in ensuring you are providing a good service, as you would not be entering for an award if you did not consider yourself in providing a good service. You have at your command, something called discretion. This is absolutely essential when you are discussing your business. There is a balance between
being over-confi dent (coming across as
something approaching a know- all) and an owner operator who is begging to make a sale because your family will literally starve without it. Be confi dent in yourself and the service you provide, be discreet about your business fi nances, there is nothing worse than a show off except someone showing how desperate for the sale they are. Take stock of your sales toolkit you have at your disposal. AIPP members are fully aware of this through their training. Identify those things that will give confi dence in your service. Do you have Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance? Are you a member of the AIPP? The badge represents that you are a member of a professional association and clients have recourse to the AIPP if you do not provide a professional service. You should always recommend an independent solicitor. As the AIPP prepares to issue a Standard Reservation Form (RSF), it is imperative that you use a contract that is fair and unbiased. The reason for us taking action on this issue is that we receive enquiries from consumers all the time that identifi es that they have not received anything in writing but have handed over a deposit. Be warned there are legal consequences to this practice and this is where the use of a solicitor is essential. Please don’t think that when you hand over the keys that that is the end of your service. More than ever, the aftersales function plays an important part in recommendation and how your business can prosper. Make yourself familiar with the property. What are the essentials your clients will need to know? Where is the stopcock for turning off the water? Is the boiler lit? Where is the fuse box? Are you
www.opp.org.uk |MARCH 2011
providing a welcome gift (tailor this to your client - how well do you know their preferences?) All of
the above can and probably will make a huge difference to your client even if it has not been a smooth road for them to move in.
Do you carry out a post-occupancy
survey? If so, what questions do you ask? Do you ask whether you have provided a good service? What do you do with that information? Put it in your drawer and forget about it or do you make a nice portfolio out of it and have it on show, or take it with you when meeting clients and include it with some of your marketing material. The above is meant as an audit of your
business to enhance and improve its prospects. In the current market building confi dence and trust is essential. The best way of doing that is by providing a professional service that you can be proud of and one that will also ensure your clients’ satisfaction will bring recommendations and business to your door.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68