Why Do You Train Your Staff?

I was told several years ago by the MD of a large corporate that there was very little time in the day to train his dynamic team of negotiators because this was a waste of precious energy that could be spent "sealing the deal'; he added that there was also no point being qualified in the private rented sector because qualifications did not equate to money.

Fast-forward to 2016 - the Welsh Assembly is regulating both landlords & letting agents, Scotland has put in place initiatives to regulate the Private Rented Sector, Northern Ireland has completed their review of the PRS and that leaves England. Whilst we have recently had yet another piece of legislation receive Royal Assent (The Housing & Planning Act 2016) there is still very little in place which focuses totally on the Letting Agent and in particular a requirement for even basic level of qualification. My days are spent working with letting agents who possess a high level of knowledge, invest in training and consider personal development to be a crucial part of their business growth. When I work alongside these agents, the training programmes are not solely about compliance, legislative change, notices - we make sure that the intended outcome is about making the most of out of THEIR team & THEIR agency. We want to be sure that the learning is a much more powerful driver - rather than just focusing on knowledge, we want participants to embrace information that they can take away and use in their day-to-day job. We want to be sure that they are confident "to sell” the services their agency offers in a very confident and competent manner. For example, the changes in legislation should be an opportunity for letting agents to raise awareness - internally & externally - about the benefits of using a letting agent. It's not about convincing a landlord, it’s about educating the landlord. Our objectives are to ensure that our courses are structured in such a way that participants can design, facilitate and review the way in which they present their services to the consumer. Everyone in the agency - from administrators to the owner-manager should be able to present a 3 minute elevator pitch on the benefits of their agency. Our practical guidance and support only adds to the offering our clients provide. We do not recommend training for the sake of training, we recommend training & qualifications that can be used at every stage of the letting transaction - the aim is to be part of the clients' growth by being forward-thinking, innovative and aware of what the client needs to make their life easier so that they can focus on adding value to their business.
Susie Crolla - CEO