OUTSOURCING
MEANWHILE, OUT THE BACK…
In contrast to the simple premise of call answering, is the property management ‘back room’ service offered by a small number companies, who help estate agents offer lettings. It may be a cashflow saviour, but with
the raft of legislation relating to letting homes, the letting agent’s job is not simple. Finding tenants and landlords is relatively easy; the administration of let property can be a hideous nightmare. EPM (Expert Property Management)
take responsibility for the entire back end management of a lettings portfolio. Their team handles everything from collecting rent, chasing arrears, dealing with tenant queries, arranging periodic visits, 24 hour property maintenance, managing accounts, deposit disputes etc. It isn’t simple, but it is easier when you
know how. EPM staff are fully trained, some are individual members of ARLA, and EPM is accredited with ARLA and is thus able to run a client account for agents’ tenancies, audited yearly at no cost to the agents, so for members of ARLA, this offers a significant cost saving. ARPM, offering a similar service, was
launched by Simon Duce in 2006. Simon had spent a couple of years running a letting office and seeing the ‘services’ being offered by competitors, “I thought that some of these guys were not giving their clients good service at best and at worst they were operating outside of the law. I saw an opportunity to take these experiences, as well as my own, to challenge the accepted wisdom of how to manage a lettings portfolio and offer a new approach. “Core to this was offering professional support so our partners could concentrate on the bigger picture.” Dave Hunt, Business Development
Manager at ARPM says, “We save, and make, the client money; we generate income back to the client by operating as a sales function not just an administration one.” Excellent property management, says Simon, is “not the most exciting aspect of lettings but it is the key to growing a successful and profitable business.”
ALMOST IN-HOUSE!
Buying into an outsourcing service is one thing, but some businesses prefer for their clients to perceive a complete service offering from their agent. EPM offers a ‘white label’ service where the agent’s property management function is run by a dedicated team at EPM and the phones answered in the agent’s name. The
30 AUGUST 2012 PROPERTYdrum
AMANDA
ATAVROU OAKLEY JANE
Our reports give a totally impartial view, protecting the landlord and tenant.’
landlords and tenants receive the full attention they need and have no complaints, the agent can develop the front end of his business comfortable in the knowledge that his clients are enjoying that comprehensive service. One EPM client, who uses the white
label option so cannot be named, says, “I have used EPM since they launched and to date have had nothing but great service. “The transition was managed seamlessly
and resulted in a far better value for money service. EPM has the experience of the ARLA-trained and licensed staff who take away my day to day tasks and any issues that arise.”
SPECIFIC SERVICES
In established lettings businesses, even those with management departments
Look at all these lovely members of staff – your staff!
frequently outsource inventories and check-ins/outs, and the once small band of inventory clerks, has, since the advent of tenancy deposit protection legislation grown to become a nationwide resource. One expert service supplier is Oakley
Jane, run by Amanda Stavrous, who says, “Outsourcing releases the agents staff to concentrate on generating more business, but there’s more to it than that. As we are independent, our reports give a totally impartial view, making both the landlord and feel properly protected. Dilapidations at end of the tenancies are clearly identified as to whom liability belongs, enabling quicker release of deposits without argument, helping the agent to re-let property quickly.” Carl Stevenson, Lettings Manager Romans Reading, says, “Oakley Jane are very efficient, professional, hardworking and pleasant at all times to us, our tenants and landlords. They also have a sense of fairness which, in our business, is very important.” Most inventory service providers are
members of the two professional bodies; AIIC and APIP. “Membership shows clients we belong to a professional body which commits to a high level of professionalism, avoiding unnecessary legal disputes and costs,” says Amanda. “We have a code of conduct, are fully insured and adhere to guidelines to protect all parties.” “Our business has grown over 18 years
with our reputation for good service and reliability. We return documents within 24 hours, have an online booking system and confirmed allocated schedules.”
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