Martin & Co Honoured as Best Letting Agency

Martin & Co has just been awarded the UK’s “Best Letting Agent” at the Estate and Letting Agency Awards (or ESTAs) in London this week. The prestigious award was presented to Martin & Co’s Managing Director Ian Wilson by media personality and journalist Phil Spencer of Channel 4’s “Location, Location, Location”, who said “these awards are particularly special, and a true reflection of excellence in customer service as they are only awards in the industry which are voted for by the landlords and tenants themselves. They are not easily won, and require a letting agency to achieve a consistently high level of service to their clients over a 12 month period.” Over 30,000 questionnaires were sent out to customers across the UK. On receiving the award, Ian Wilson said “it is a privilege to win such an award, and it is a tribute to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our franchise owners and their staff. We aim only to recruit, and help our franchisees recruit, only the very best in the business – those who care about giving great service!! In a property industry where many sales-based estate agents have recently forayed into lettings out of necessity, this award has clearly demonstrated that landlords and tenants prefer to work with a lettings specialist who will be around next year and the year after. I am especially pleased that it was our customers themselves who voted for us, and I’d like to thank all those who took the trouble by taking part in this independent survey.” This award comes only months after Martin & Co scooped a Franchisor of the Year award at the end of 2008.

Thursday, 02 July 2009

No change to gas safety duties for landlords when gas safe register takes over

Gas Safe Register, the new gas safety body replacing the CORGI gas register in Great Britain on 1 April. Only Gas Safe registered engineers will be authorised to carry out this work from the beginning of April.

If you let a property, you must make sure that pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants and customers are maintained in a safe condition and you need to have an annual gas safety check.

Franchise owner Bill Benson from Martin & Co Telford commented “Landlords have a legal duty to keep tenants and customers safe by making sure the gas appliances in properties are suitably maintained. As part of the fully managed service we offer, we can arrange for this to be carried out by one of our approved Gas Safe registered engineers on behalf of the landlord.

Franchise owner Bill benson added, “Landlords and tenants should never attempt to install or repair a gas appliance themselves. This is breaking the law and puts lives at risk.”

“Our tenants and customers safety is a top priority for us at Martin & Co telford

We will ensure that any gas safety record provided to our clients from 1st April 2009 will only be produced by engineers approved and listed on the Gas Safe Register.

Friday, 24 April 2009

Is Estate Agency Dragging Lettings Down?

The latest report by Christopher Hamer, the Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OAE) shows a massive 200% annual increase in letting-related complaints, highlighting the need for the public to be acutely aware of rapid changes in the property letting industry.

Ian Wilson, Managing Director of Martin & Co, the UK’s largest dedicated letting agency, with over 160 offices across the UK, said, “The Ombudsman’s report illustrates a dangerous phenomenon that should be of concern to anyone letting, or thinking of letting their property.”

“As properties fail to sell, we have seen a sizeable increase in the number of new (and sometimes reluctant) landlords entering the market. These are the very people who need protecting from the unscrupulous, uneducated or inexperienced letting agent who claims to be able to represent their best interests. However, there is also a corresponding increase in the number of estate agents entering the lettings arena as a way of bolstering their dwindling sales revenues – with potentially disastrous consequences.

“Not only is the continual-service role of the letting agent surprisingly different to the quick-fix function of an estate agent, but there are also over 100 pieces of letting-related legislation in which to be conversant. Indeed, these are so critically important that the Martin and Co Training Academy has an extensive ongoing nationwide training programme for our franchisees and their staff (delivering ‘best practices’), as well as the 200 or so new staff we expect to recruit (using our internal recruitment team) during 2009 to cope with the 40% year on year growth of our business.

“Knowing how intensively letting agents need to train, and the pressure they are currently under to deliver ambitious results without compromising customer service excellence, it is not a job for the fainthearted. Landlords should be extra vigilant when choosing a letting agent. Martin & Co clients have peace of mind knowing they are dealing with a business that agrees to meet defined standards of customer care, and has a published complaints procedure.”

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Martinco.com - Officially The Most Visited Lettings Website

As part of an independent survey of 100 property websites published in a recent issue of the Estate Agency Times, it was revealed that Martin & Co, the national lettings and property management franchise, is the letting agent with the most visited website. In addition to being the top lettings and property management agent, the company’s website – www.martinco.com – also ranks as the eighth most visited site of all estate agents with 6.5 million hits per month!! Bill Benson, Managing Director of Martin & Co Telford, said: “With the internet becoming an ever more powerful tool in the search for rented accommodation, this survey makes interesting reading for any landlord wanting to know who to place their property with. We take pride in offering a user-friendly, informative and highly-visual website, where prospective tenants can get a real feel for our properties before even leaving their homes.” Managing Director Bill Benson set up the business with a mission to provide a truly professional, reliable and friendly service to the landlords and tenants of Telford.

Monday, 09 March 2009