Well I have now completed week 4 of my marketing plan and 6 weeks with Concentric. (all I can say is that times fly’s when you are having fun). I can say with confidence that the concentric way of thinking really works. Although the response was a bit slow in the beginning, but now the phones are ringing, mobiles are beeping and emails are flying in.
The first two weeks was all about calling landlords and applicant matching tenants. As I had the time to do this, and to be honest originally I thought the quality of the tenants and landlords was not great from this marketing method, but I have had some rubbish ones and some really good leads and properties from the calls. I just think its all about luck and if you don’t pick up the phone in the first place you will never know, what the next property is out their which will become your next target.
When speaking to landlords I have found that as soon as you say “I can help you find your perfect tenant or I have tenants waiting to move into a property just like yours in this area,” every one wants to chat. Even if I don’t get the instruction I can guarantee, that person will tell someone else about my conversation and the word is being spread about concentric lettings. It’s the touch points for the business and it does not matter how you do them, some way or another that one person may spread the word or eventually come back to you.
I work on the concept that everyone knows 1000 people and you may not be able to believe this but if you start thinking the numbers sure add up!
Weeks 3 and 4 were all about the leaflets and adverts that I have put out, in the local towns and villages. I have had about a dozen calls from these and again some of them are not interested as soon as you mention the word agent but I have had 3 instructions from these calls.
At this point I must mention social media and at this present time I’m using Face book, many people will take a lot of convincing that social media works, but again its another form of touch point, a comment: a like: a friend request. People will become to remember Concentric if they start to see us every where they go. Subconsciously at first but people are more likely to use us if they have seen us in adverts, adverts and on Facebook rather than just seeing one of those touch points, clients, and landlords like referrals, and introductions which face book gives a great opportunity to do this. Wolverhampton Concentric is now on about 180 friends, still not a lot but it’s a start and the more you add the bigger you become.
As well as the marketing plan I have been focusing on tenant, landlord enquiries, still learning the systems and procedures, viewing s and valuations.
But the high light of last week after our usual Tuesday Morning madness of a meeting where it was discussed that we would develop the 6 stage process.
- Find Landlords.
- Let Properties. – Tenants.
- Process Lets.
- Do all together.
- Optimise Income.
- Delegate and Build Team.
At this point I was on point I was on point 2 and 3, until the random Tuesday lunch time situation.
A lady was bought into the office and I was asked to help her, so I sat her down and asked her details thinking I was registering a new tenant and doing a tenant search. I asked the question what was her situation and how soon she could move? Her reply was now today!
Then the story unravelled: she had been unlawfully evicted the previous day and had been threatened by her land lady with a dog and a knife and was told to get out. She had time only to grab a few belongings and then left. She spent the night in the police station as she had no where else to go and after a meeting with the council in the morning, ended up sitting at my desk frantically looking for a room for her to rent. With everyone’s help we placed this lady in a lovely house share and moved her in on the same day.It just goes to show the unexpected does happen and when a team of people pull together anything can happen. My tenant was very grateful to us all and loves the tranquillity of her new room. Now I can say that the 6 point process works and I achieved all 6 with the help of the office in two hours.
Thanks Concentric for a fabulous few weeks.
R Crowther.
Rebecca Crowther is a serial blogger, former PA and avid social media user, Joining the Concentric Wolverhampton Branch in 2012 as a Lettings Co-ordinator, Rebecca is loving bringing all of her skills together to enable the growth of this already vibrant and buzzing new branch. Rebecca is blogging here on her experiences, in her new job, the highs and the lows, the surprises and some of the stories too. Rebecca lives in Penn with her husband and 2 children. you can find more information on concentric opportunities on www.ukfranchiseopportunities.info