The last few weeks of 2018 have been particularly busy with a number of significant client projects undertaken.
I don’t normally mention specific clients but, as their actions are all now in the public domain, I can talk about the huge project I have been involved in with Orchards of London.
Orchards of London will enter 2019 as a completely remodelled business having gone from a four branch “High St” agency to operating from a centralised regional hub in West London. In addition they have rebranded and introduced new technology – the whole project having been completed in a ten week period. Taking the view that you can't cross a canyon in two strides, they have been bold enough to take one giant leap to position themselves for a successful future.
The project has been run with military precision and the project team have all delivered on every one of their responsibilities. Over 300 tasks were identified, planned and implemented.
The changes are radical and additional job roles have been identified and created and will enable the business to build on their existing ten year track record of success.
Another long term Integra client, ARPM, ran a series of very successful seminars for the lettings industry where I wrote and delivered a large amount of the content, majoring on how businesses need to adopt new thinking, adapt existing systems and processes and improve their busienss offerings in order to succeed to the newly developing order of things emrging as a result of the tenants fee ban.
I have also been involved in working with several clients on their business plans for 2019 – the opportunity to engage with staff, get their input and gain commitment to objectives are key ingredients and the creation of a clear vision for what is required and how to achieve it, vital.
I am pleased to say that a number of clients have already committed and booked to work with me throughout 2019. Our monthly meetings enable enough time for agreed actions to be implemented yet are close enough together to ensure momentum is maintained. Having a plan is important but reviewing it and staying on track keeps it living and breathing.
October and November saw Integra in two sets of awards – the EA Masters where I, once again, was rated Exceptional by my clients and, once again, won the Bronze Award as Best Small Supplier of the Year.
The Negotiator Awards saw Integra as a shortlisted finalist for the sixth year in succession and, for the sixth year in succession, I didn’t trouble the trophy engravers! Nevertheless I gained considerable exposure and punched above my weight – the winners being My Home Move, a £57 million turnover business and one of my clients! A true case of Goliath beating David!
With the tenant fee ban looming, I have received more enquiries for my Lettings Health Check service which gets under the skin of a business and identifies opportunities to improve both compliance and commerciality. You can find out more here:
I was recently asked to join the Board of Glanty and in November I took a role as a Non-Exec Director. Glanty is the parent company of teclet, an online platform for letting agents that helps them increase productivity, provides landlords and tenants with 24/7 access, increases revenue streams and reduces processing costs. With the impending tenant fee ban going to impact significantly on the lettings agency sector, agents need to find ways of maximising the opportunities they have – I see teclet as an important part of the solution for many.
Continuing on the lettings theme and following my successful webinar with Rightmove in September, I was asked to get involved in a few more projects and December 12th saw me in Leeds presenting at a seminar on the tenant fee ban. The session was broadcast live on their web TV channel. Feedback was excellent and my rare foray into the North was great fun!
December also saw my article on business planning appear in Rightmove’s Little Blue Book which is distributed to over 20,000 estate agents across the UK and January 16th 2019 will see me do another live webinar.
