Propertynest’s Elmbridge franchisee Doug Parks set up his franchised agency in Surrey in the summer of 2020 and now he is well and truly open for business. He explains: “Open for business in terms of the way I work, always being open and transparent where nothing is hidden, and I always do the best for my clients. I’m also literally open for business: when my mobile is on, clients can call me anytime and I’m always happy to help!”
Doug previously ran his own mortgage company based out of various independent estate agencies but following the financial crash in 2008 he was forced to close the business. He secured a job as an estate agent for Gascoigne Pees and went onto be named top sales agent out of 40 offices in 2010! He then moved to John D Wood Estate Agents where he was ultimately promoted to Associate Director and in 2018, the office he worked at was named as Surrey’s best Agency at the industry’s most prestigious awards – the ESTAS.
With changes happening in John D Wood and the parent company at the time, Doug decided the time was right to start his own agency in 2019. However, without the back-office systems and in place there were challenges. A chance telephone conversation with Vincent Anthony from the award-winning estate agency Propertynest soon changed all that. Doug says: “I immediately liked Vincent’s approach. His values match my own. Honesty, integrity and plain speaking are important to me, so it soon meant we had a verbal agreement in place and he trusted me to be the ‘guinea pig’ to trial the first Propertynest franchise. It meant I had access to web presence, CRM, lead generation and all the back-office systems which Propertynest had honed over the years and were necessary for me to run my business.”
Now if Doug needs to create marketing leaflets for example, he simply logs into the website and all the templates can be adapted to suit with a few clicks. Doug explains: “Everything is already set ready to get things done quickly. I don’t have to search for the most cost-effective suppliers or printers, it’s all taken care of. It makes my life easy, so I can focus more on spending time with my clients.”
No two days are the same running a Propertynest franchise. Doug, who works from home, confirms: “I love the variation of my job. I might be hand-delivering leaflets in the morning around Cobham while waiting for a call from a solicitor on a completion in Esher. Then it’s back home for lunch. I might spend the afternoon sending prospecting letters to owners who have houses on the market but are struggling to sell, plus fitting in time for a couple of viewings too.”
Doug who was recently able to invoice £54,575 net commissions in August alone, puts his success down to: “Being open, upfront and honest. I work hard for my clients, and this is now paying off. It was tough setting up a business during COVID, but those challenges are largely behind us now. Ultimately, I would look at taking on staff as the business grows.”
Doug gives the following advice to anyone else considering setting up their own estate agency: “Be prepared to work harder than you have ever done before! Look around to make sure the franchise you choose is a good fit for you. Propertynest is great, I have the support if I need it but really, I’m left to run my own show. Overall I’ve been impressed with the tech, training and back-up that Propertynest provides, and it has really helped me move ahead to create my own successful business. I trust and would highly recommend the team.”
Propertynest is a leading sales and letting estate agency. Franchise opportunities are available for experienced agents looking to make their next move throughout England. Propertynest also welcomes applications for those without industry experience. However, they should have a passion for property, excellent communication skills, face-to-face sales experience and always be looking to put clients’ needs first.
To find out more about Propertynest’s competitively priced franchise opportunities in England please see: www.propertynestfranchise.co.uk
The Editorial Team, Point Franchise ©
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