Mary Portas: Estate Agent friend or foe?

Hats off to managing director Simon Gerrard and his team. Whatever your views about the format of the show and host Mary Portas’ view on the industry, we should be commending the North London agent for having the courage to allow Portas to dissect his family business on national TV.

So, what have we learnt? Tweets posted since the show aired on Channel 4 On Demand last night have been mixed, with many suggesting we’ve learnt nothing. I disagree. Firstly, the show addressed one of my biggest bugbears – failure to greet clients when walking through their door. Irrespective of where we are in the housing market cycle, every single person walking through an agency’s door should be made to feel welcome, appreciated, and that they are in the presence of a team with whom they want to do business.

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NetRent Comment

It would be easy to dismiss the programme as just entertainment, or worse still just another attack on Estate Agents but that would miss the central point. We all like to feel valued, especially when we are paying for the service. Both Estate and Letting Agents can learn a great deal from the programme - and so too can Landlords.

We know from tenants that contact us that far too many Agents and Landlords regard tenants as fodder. In far too many cases Agents and Landlords fail to realise that tenants, both new and existing, are the reason that Agents and Landlords are in business and any business should look after and value it's customers. The stakes are too high to get this simple message wrong.

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