You independent lettings agents make me smile ..
Rule 1: If there's no
really good reason for a business to be done locally, it will migrate to the
web.
Rule 2: Businesses that
migrate to the web often have economies of scale, and those businesses quickly coalesce
into just a few (or even one) winner.
... but that what makes our lettings business so different. If the corporates had their own way, it would all be centralised, but they cant .. they have to be locally based. It gets even better, RM and Zoops, they are things that made the corporates mighty .. you have access to them as well. RM and Zoops are great
levellers against the corporates .. you have the exact toys the corporates have.. so play the swines at their own
games
The winning strategy for
the local letting or estate agent is, then ...
a. provide a product or
service that truly works better when it's local, and
b. do it in a way that
works better when it's small, custom, connected and not in search of economies
of scale.
c. ... and most importantly, care more.
c. ... and most importantly, care more.
Most landlords buy in
the same town they live in. (and whilst we are talking about our estate agency colleagues) Most sellers move within the same town they live
in. Don’t try and beat the corporate ... you will never win their game.
Play your own game. Young Jason from 'Flogitbankitandruncorporate' in his shinny grey suit can never look a landlord in the eye and say 'Mr landlord, I will care for your property as it it were my own' ... and know he will be here in 10 years (let alone 10 months as he joins the merrygoround of working for every corporate on the High Street) time to continue to say that. Jason will be in his 3 series Beeemer by then. You will be there though.
That’s what I have always told my friends who own their own letting and estate agency.
Play your own game. Young Jason from 'Flogitbankitandruncorporate' in his shinny grey suit can never look a landlord in the eye and say 'Mr landlord, I will care for your property as it it were my own' ... and know he will be here in 10 years (let alone 10 months as he joins the merrygoround of working for every corporate on the High Street) time to continue to say that. Jason will be in his 3 series Beeemer by then. You will be there though.
That’s what I have always told my friends who own their own letting and estate agency.
The corporates will always win if you try and play their game .. start playing your own
Please have a look at my other posts (15 and counting) ..
Please have a look at my other posts (15 and counting) ..