60 | OPP AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2011
place before starting the project on the ground. And nor do we borrow money from the banking sector to fi nance construction. In fact, we have no debts at all. Our payment plan means 90% of the units are paid for during construction with only 10% paid on delivery of the keys. And 90-100% of units are sold within 6 months to the international investor. The benefi ts of this approach are:
1. Developments generally complete on time. 2. The local market gets to see the actual unit in bricks and mortar and does have to buy from a plan. International investors who bought at 15% below market value 2 years ago have made excellent capital growth – and our model benefi ts all parties involved. For a local developer, the hassle of international clients who do not speak Portuguese and who want a transparent process, the overseas market is just too much hassle. This is especially true because the Brazilian market is so strong at home and they can sell product without or without investors from overseas.
All our sales come through our sales
partners and not direct or through our website. We have a solid and constantly growing database that rolls from one development to the next. All sales leads, without exception, come from our external sales partners. We restrict the number of agents we use in each country so they can maximize their returns. And because we do not sell direct, we get contact with the clients at an early stage and control quality and customer care levels. This frees up our agents to work on bringing in new clients, yet retains the trust of the agents that we will not take the client away.
Finally in addition to all this, we also pay agency commissions within 24 hours of receiving their invoice … which keeps our network motivated. A sliding scale of commission rates, incentives (such as free fl ights and accommodation for viewings), the area we work in and our competition all come together to help cement our product, our system and our values. The IMG Foundation gives
something back to the local community as well, and this year we will be pledging one million Reais to different projects in Natal.”
BEST DEVELOPER NORTHERN EUROPE
Gold: Larkfl eet Homes for the Stableyard Development.
What did Larkfleet says in its entry form? “Larkfl eet’s StableYard development, set in the outskirts of Oakham in Rutland, comprises an exclusive selection of one, two and three bedroom properties. High quality apartments, houses, bungalows and cottages are offered by Larkfl eet on the site. At the StableYard development, homebuyers can enjoy rural living in a high quality home whilst being only one mile away from the picturesque market town of Oakham. Larkfl eet properties on the development are very competitively priced for the area with a two- bedroom ground fl oor apartment with a parking space starting at £109,995. Some properties on The StableYard development are Live/Work units. These properties include a home offi ce and are uniquely designed so that the offi ce has its own front door, keeping work and living spaces separate whilst cutting down on carbon emissions produced by the commute to work. The layout of these Live/Work houses means that they can be used as an offi ce, annex, a teenager’s own room – the possibilities are endless. Larkfl eet Homes understands that buying a new home can be a stressful purchase and it is therefore dedicated to providing excellent customer service. Larkfl eet has a Facebook and Twitter page where the company can engage with potential and current Larkfl eet homeowners. Its Homeowners Club card gives homebuyers national discounts at over 400 retail and food outlets across the country. Each Larkfl eet development has its own sales brochure that includes plans of the site and fl oor plans for each property type. Larkfl eet also has online links to its development via the company website:
www.larkfl eethomes.
co.uk. Here, clients can fi nd links to online brochures, current availability stats and pricing … as well as the location of the development. Larkfl eet will soon have a micro-site for each of its developments, allowing easy
WINNERS What does Larkfl eet do?
Larkfleet Group is a privately owned house-building and development organisation with a strong record in creating high quality homes and communities. Larkfleet seeks to develop and build to the highest environmental standards and now has an excellent reputation as a local house-builder for buyers and investors based in the UK’s eastern counties.
access for homebuyers searching online. Larkfl eet also strongly believes that it will be preferred by homebuyers after being compared with other house-builders against the quality of build, reputation, energy effi ciency of the property and the overall sales experience. The ‘Lend a Hand’ scheme, which is an equity share scheme, meaning homebuyers only pay 85 per cent of the price of their new home upfront, with Larkfl eet Homes funding the remaining 15 per cent. With Larkfl eet’s Helping Hand Scheme, if homebuyers use the services offered by its recommended fi nancial adviser and preferred solicitors to complete a purchase, Larkfl eet Homes will help towards the costs of
“The ‘Lend a Hand’ equity share scheme means homebuyers only pay 85% of the price upfront”
personalising their new home. Fully fi tted kitchens, integrated appliances and fi tted wardrobes are just some of the features Larkfl eet includes in many of its properties.
The high standard of environmental construction of Larkfl eet’s properties could also allow householders to save up to six hundred pounds a year in energy bills. The company often uses timber frames to construct its buildings. In fact, Kestrel Timber Frame, a member of the Larkfl eet Group, manufactures and builds the timber frames, which are supplied and used on the Group’s developments. The timber used by Larkfl eet Group is sourced from sustainable forests. The timber frame construction method means that Larkfl eet’s buildings not only have considerably lower embodied energy levels but it also allows properties to be constructed in a short time period. Many of Larkfl eet Homes’ properties have already been built to meet the
Code for Sustainable Homes level 3 ahead of statutory requirements – some 25 per cent above the current minimum standards for energy effi ciency – and the company continues to innovate to ensure that it is at the forefront of energy effi cient building and development. Larkfl eet was recently granted outline planning permission by Rutland County Council to build 1,100 homes, a new showground for the Rutland Agricultural Society and some new sporting facilities, as part of its Oakham North development. A wide range of housing will be built with an emphasis on providing family homes. The fi rst phase of this new development will begin in January 2012 with the construction of 143 homes allotments and an area of open space which will be known as Hawksmead Park. In total, 1,100 high quality homes could eventually be constructed on the Hawksmead development over 15 years in 10 phases, meeting the huge demand for good quality rural housing in the area. A continuing care retirement community, a care home, new shopping facilities, offi ces, parks and open spaces, children’s play areas and a new local centre are also planned as well as improved transport links, including new cycle, footpath and bus routes. Larkfl eet also likes to employ
local people on its building sites to help give its developments a positive impact on local communities. Larkfl eet is also committed to supporting young craftsmen in the local area. The company enrols new apprentices each year as part of its dedication to providing local young people with the skills and experience needed for a successful career in the building industry. Larkfl eet’s sales team has regular meetings with its recommended solicitors to ensure that they understand the many legal processes involved in purchasing a property in order to better assist customers visiting the sales offi ce.”
www.opp.org.uk | FEBRUARY 2012
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