Having the privilege of working in this wonderful industry for nearly 40 years means thousands of hours of contact with other estate agencies – usually in chains connected to our clients transactions. Over these decades we too have experienced, from those agents, everything from the outstanding service to the truly dreadful (we won’t name the guilty here – that’s another article altogether!)
The best are still the best
One observation we have been able to note is that the best are the still the best, year in - year out and the worse seldom get better. This says a lot about the ethos of those at the top of those companies. Do they genuinely treat customers the same way they would treat a family member or is their eye narrowly focused on the fee above all else?
As a society we all shop differently now, we explore the internet for what we are looking for, whether that is cars, clothes, tradespeople or buying a house. Ten years ago, who would have even considered buying a car on the internet without seeing it ‘in the flesh’ and test driving it? Yet today, such a method of purchase is very normal (we’ve done that ourselves and had a great experience).
Reputation and reviews are key
The company’s reputation and customer reviews on Facebook and Google are often key considerations to whether you choose to buy from them or use their services. You want to do business with a company that has a brilliant reputation, a team you can trust, who has a wealth of experience in their field and understands you and your desires. Empathy and understanding are words thrown around in marketing but does it really run through the core of that business and its staff?
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.” - Warren Buffet
Contrary to belief, all estate agents are not the same. You may think, ‘you all sell houses - what can be that different?’
Think about your everyday life, we all buy food, clothes, we eat out, but we often have a preference to a food chain or product brand. But most important of all is how you felt about the service you received. Competing businesses all offer the same fundamental goods or services but how they deliver that service is the element that separates the ‘great’ from the ‘bad’.
Of at least equal importance is the estate agents processes employed when selling your home. If your estate agent is simply listing your home, uploading it to the property websites and waiting for enquiries and viewings – you are highly unlikely to achieve the highest possible selling price.
‘Marketing Strategy’ isn’t just a buzz-phrase, it’s a proven, finely tuned and comprehensive programme of events which cleverly and carefully build interest in your home leading to a highly promoted Viewing Event and that’s just the start! The way viewings are handled and managed, and the processes employed to negotiate the best possible offers from competing buyers, are also integral parts of a proven Marketing Strategy.
Like you, we are customers too…
In business, especially Estate Agency, our equipment, our tech, our training, our staff, our digital asset creation and our collaborators are all assessed, tested, re-assessed, re-tested and constantly monitored to ensure we achieve excellence in everything we provide to our clients. Those same assessments that matter to you matter to us. The experience we see as customers ourselves (at work and at home) helps us add that extra sparkle and power to the service we provide our clients.
As for Estate Agents, yes, we all sell houses, but the ‘DNA’ or the attitude of a company – its professionalism, it’s honesty and its staff integrity is very definitely not the same from company to company.
The Best Estate Agent
At Crane & Co, we provide buyers and sellers with access to one of The Best Estate Agency teams in the country (The Best Estate Agent Award winners - 5 years running), and one of the most advanced services at the cutting edge of estate agency. We combine this technical expertise with important traditional values born out of over 100 years of local experience.
Little things make the big things happen
It is the little details that are vital and it’s the little things that make the big things happen. The company who makes the BIGGEST difference is the company who do the LITTLE things exceptionally well - consistently.
If you’d like an example of how the little things make the big things happen, independent analysis by Get Agent shows that our team at Crane & Co achieve a much higher selling price than our competitors.
If a move is something you have been thinking about now or in the future, it’s never too early or too late to get in touch with us and experience the little things and the big things for yourself - so why not give us a call? You’ll find us a very easy to talk to bunch of property professionals with a keen focus on making your move perfect, rewarding, even enjoyable.
Call us today - it could be the best move you make!
Pauline Canham, Sales Manager
01323 440678
pauline.canham@craneandco.co.uk