Now that you’ve decided to start your Estate Agency business in Spain with the reliable umbrella of Hamiltons of London to assist you with our venture, you need to establish the best location for in your chosen and agreed town and area to open an office. Even if a lot of work takes place over the phone and internet these days, it is essential that you have a welcoming base where prospective vendors and buyers feel comfortable.
Prime Locations and Competition
Some of your market research in this respect will already have been done to establish the area your franchise of Hamiltons of London will cove. To encourage client footfall, look for an office that is easily accessible and a location where people will regularly pass by and be attracted. Try not to view other Estate Agencies just as competition but, as an opportunity to expand your clients’ search areas – form a good working relationship with them so that you can agree to collaborate and share commissions enabling you to act as a property finder for buyers.
Valuations and Listings
Make sure that you understand the local market and be sensible about the price you give so that it is one that will attract viewings as well as be acceptable to the vendors. Many vendors feel that their beloved home is worth more because they have cherished memories and it means a lot to them. Some Agents will value the property too high to keep the vendor happy but, that is no use to them if it remains on the market for a long time. The vendor has the final say in the price they list their home for so try to find a happy medium so that they ask for an appointment for you to list their home. Ensure that you take great photographs and a wonderful description that the seller will be thrilled with. Whether you like the property or not there will be someone else out loves this property as much as the current owners do. Find out if the vendors are staying in the area and will also need you to find them a new home, this can be of great benefit to all parties.
Your Hamiltons of London Office
Your office should be welcoming, fill your clean windows with listing information with a good selection of properties and prices. Keep everything about your office clean and tidy, provide comfy seating areas for waiting customers and an area for private discussions and negotiations to take place. Make sure you have facilities to offer a cold or hot drink to customers if they are going to be waiting or with you for a while. Keep bathroom facilities clean, well stocked with soap, paper towels and toilet roll and, if at all possible, adapted for any disabled visitors. Have an information area with local maps for clients to take with them so that they can explore areas where they may wish to buy a property more easily and leaflets for them to pick up about local services. If possible also have a screen with videos of properties showing in your window, ‘walk through’ videos will be something that really shows of the possibilities of the homes you are listing.
Collaboration
As well as forming a good working relationship with other agencies, it is a good idea to also build strong collaborating relationships with local builders, architects, electricians, plumbers and lawyers. Get to know people at the local town hall and in public services too so that you can really help point your customers in the right direction for anything they need when selling or buying a property with you. Your assistance with finding the right contacts for them will help them to feel less stressed by the whole process of buying or selling a home.
Language Skills
It goes without saying almost that in this business where clients from all over the world are investing in homes and businesses in Spain it is well worth making sure that you and your team are able to offer your services in a number of different languages, Spanish, French, English, Dutch and German are very beneficial in this business and any others can only be a bonus.
Flexibility
Time for you both sellers and buyers might be limited by their own lives so you can’t always be rigid about your working hours, flexibility to ensure that you can meet your customers’ needs is essential to ensure that you shine out among competitors.
Conclusion
As your business grows, so will your confidence and you will go from strength to strength with the support of the Hamiltons of London name behind you. These tips will give you a good start towards your success wherever you make your Hamiltons Franchise home!
