Letting Agents- Your ARE amazing… lets tell the world…
Letting Agents, I want to hear YOUR stories of how YOU have changed lives as a result of the work you do…
As agents we get accused of many things… “all you do is photocopy a bit of paper”, “you rip off poor tenants” “you charge extortionate fees and do nothing for it” There has been many discussions on the LEGAL and technical workload we carry, but in fact we do do so MUCH MORE and this needs to be EXPOSED
We by nature of our role, get into the middle of the highs and lows of peoples lives, we are put in positions where we are able to really make a difference to the people that we deal with, we can change lives and in some cases even save lives…
I know in my agency, having let thousands and thousands of properties, i can recall many occasions, where we have changed peoples lives and even on some occasions saved lives…
I can remember a young lad aged only 17, who was coming out of foster care, and who had the most amazing opportunity to play for our local football team but no one would take him on, we spent hours calling around our landlords, and found a sympathetic landlord and which took many hours, we sourced him a guarantor and put the deal together, this took hours and was way beyond the call of duty, but someone had to help, and that someone was us.
As an agency, over 10 years ago, we decide that we would insist on smoke alarms being installed in all of our properties, i can remember one landlord arguing with me over this “its not law, i don’t have to fit a smoke alarm” he said, You have a one bedroomed ground floor flat, with bars at every window, i replied and the main fire hazard is the immersion tanks cupboard and kitchen, which are both by the front door, you need to have an alarm fitted… he fitted the alarm, 2 weeks later after the tenants had moved in, an electrical fire started in the immersion cupboard and the alarm got the tenants out before it took hold… lives saved.
But its not just about landlords and tenants, what about our teams? I love the fact that many of my team started as nervous NVQ,s and are now in senior management, and some were just on their heels, single moms, living in run down council flats, some unemployed etc, these are now highly respected experts, senior directors, managers and in control of their lives and supporting their extended families as a result of the opportunities I have created through growing my business and nurturing my team along the way
To aid my team over the years further, i have tried to take care of their “other needs” too.
Sometimes our teams have “nowhere” to turn and can get stuck, I find this quite often when they first join us, they have baggage or unresolved issues, and we always listen and help where we can, in the past I have paid off debts, bought cars, sent them on extra curricular classes, paid nursery fees, and even paid off gas bills and bought food hampers (when I found out my staff were feeding a new employee in her first month with us because she couldn’t afford food!) and even bought furniture, all to help members of my team get through sticky patches, or sort them out, because if their basics are not in place, how will they ever progress.
My team are my family, (maybe that’s because I g few up in foster care myself) but if your with me, your part of my family, and we stick together, and every one of my team knows where the company is heading, and what part they play or could play if they go for it, so they have a clear vision or what the future looks like, meaning our companies success is their success too…
Thats why i feel growing our agency businesses is important, because as you GROW your business, you are able to help more people… in order to help others we have to help ourselves first (a bit like on a plane when they say “fit your own mask first before helping others”) so therefore its our duty to GROW and help MORE people
However i believe its time this “extra special” above and beyond service needs to be recognised and rewarded
I want to hear YOUR stories, so we can start to get these messages out, i am looking for Amazing Agents, up and down the country to start to tell us how you are CHANGING LIVES with the great work that you do…
From these stories, we will select the best ones and interview you, and of those the best ones, come and video interview you, with these videos/blogs being shared amongst the property community and beyond…
What better way to demonstrate you are a community driven and motivated agent, with a supportive culture and making a difference one life at a time… and the GROWTH of your business allows you to support more and more people.
Next year we are planning to run an awards night alongside our Agents Social Summit for the best Amazing Agents, that are changing lives through GROWTH of their own businesses and CONTRIBUTION to their community and clients…
Please email any Amazing Agent submissions to sally@sallylawson.co.uk
