The annual UK Property Awards 2011, in association with BLOOMBERG TELEVISION, are open to residential and property professionals.

At a gala dinner on Friday, 28th October, in the Lancaster Hotel, London, hosted by Jenny Bond, Managemint won the 5 star Award for Best Letting Agency in Northern Ireland.

Every year the awards celebrate winners from all regions of the UK and Managemint Ltd, which was established by Jeremy Baird in 2007 – while he was still at university – has witnessed accelerated growth in the last number of years.

The company manages a range of properties across Northern Ireland from their two offices.

Finalists in the International Property Awards were marked across 11 categories including level and quality of service, marketing, out of office
provision, key staff profiles and the company’s contribution to innovation in the industry.

Managemint Ltd wooed the judges with their brand as Northern Ireland’s most energetic and freshest lettings agency. However, the quality of customer service and company ambition also impressed.

Speaking upon hearing that his company had won, Managing Director, Jeremy Baird, said:

“This is a huge achievement for Managemint Ltd and places us as NorthernIreland’s top lettings agency, as well as acknowledging that we are one of the best lettings agencies in the UK.

I want to pay tribute to my staff team who work hard 24/7 to provide the quality of service for which we have become renowned. I now look forward to future and another successful year for the company!”

The move to new premises represents a significant financial investment by the company’s management which has built a young and vibrant team of property professionals focused on delivering a quality, innovative client service and the company is committed towards investing in new technology designed to enhance and strengthen all aspects of customer service.  Clients visiting Bladon & Co’s new offices will be able to browse properties for sale or rent by using an iPad gallery, which will be on-hand specifically for this purpose and which will include virtual property tours.

As David Keys, managing director of Bladon & Co. Group, remarks:” Launching our sales division obviously meant that we had to find bigger premises, however, we were keen to remain within the BT9 area, as this is where we envisage further opportunities for growth within both the sales and lettings market.  Since starting from a zero base just over two years ago and during one of the worst economic recessions in living memory, we have established a firm foothold in the market, which is testament to our hunger and drive to succeed”

Continuing, he added: “The fact that we are also a young company with a modern, fresh approach to doing business means that we can deliver modern and fresh property solutions to our clients.  An example of this, is our decision to cut down on printed brochures and instead let clients browse our listed properties using an iPad, which is a much more interactive and fun experience than flicking through a brochure.  Indeed, Northern Ireland has a higher percentage of electronic tablet users than anywhere else in the UK so we think the public will respond very positively to this aspect of our service especially as it’s a first for the local property market.”

In addition to its sales and lettings service, Bladon & Co also provide a full property management service to clients and last year opened a second office in Gilford, Co. Armagh, which also provides a comprehensive range of property services.  Further expansion plans include opening an office in Dublin within the next twelve months.

Bangor Estate Agents Pinkerton Murray are inviting all first time buyers to come and spend an evening with professionals from across the property industry to help you find a clear and bump free road to your dream first time home.

Along with impartial advice, you will also be able to speak with independent financial advisors, Co-Ownership and even price the cost for a solicitor ensuring that when you leave you will have accurate, transparent information about each necessary step towards owning your own home.

This is an opportunity not to be missed for all who have always wanted to own their own home but never knew where to begin.  Call in to their branch in Bloomfield Shopping Centre on Thursday 18^th August between 6pm – 8pm and start your journey to becoming a home owner.

The uncertainty in the property market over the past number of years has had a significant effect on consumer confidence, however a large crowd attended to avail of the many great value purchases. On the day, we had eleven properties sale agreed and we are confident of this figure increasing over the coming weeks. CPS would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who attended the auction from all our branch areas, Belfast, Armagh, Dungannon, Omagh and Monaghan.

Totaling 20miles from Belfast to Ballyholme,the team had a very successful day and would like to thank everyone who participated in the cycle and in helping to organise the event, most of all those who sponsored the cyclists.

You can continue to sponsor Templeton Robinson at Justgiving.com/templetonrobinson.

Wheely well done from all the team at PropertyPal – :o)

As well as their Belfast operation, Managemint Ltd has now also opened an additional office on the High Street in Lurgan, so this competition is also applicable to anyone with properties in Co. Armagh regions, including Lurgan, Dollingstown, Waringstown, Craigavon and Portadown.  Also included in the prize will be an opportunity to get your photo taken with some of the current Ulster Squad players at the presentation!

Stephen Murray, Director at Pinkerton Murray enthused “What better way to ensure that people can see that your home is for sale by advertising it in a shopping centre which has over 100,000 visitors each week. With a unit beside unarguably the most frequented shop in Bloomfield, Marks and Spencer, and with our head office on Bangor’s High Street means that no other Estate Agent is better positioned to market your home than Pinkerton Murray”.

The company markets property for sale in Bangor, Newtownards and the wider Co. Down region, and this move sees them further strengthen their service offering in the area.

Victoria Pinkerton, Managing Director of Pinkerton Murray commented “Meeting the current needs of our clients in an efficient, effective way is paramount.  Being able to provide a busy, eye-catching second location for our vendors to showcase their properties and offering excellent independent financial advice all under one roof means we can meet and exceed those needs”.  John Todd, Director of One Stop Mortgage Shop continued “It is suggested that moving home is one of the most stressful things that you will ever do, yet on average people move home every three to five years. Joining forces with Northern Irelands leading Estate Agent was an excellent way for us to assist those looking to move home as both an Estate Agent and a Mortgage Advisor are integral parts of one being able to do so”.

Jonathan Robb, Director of One Stop Mortgage Shop said “When the opportunity of a joint venture presented itself, the Directors and I all instantly agreed that there was only one Estate Agent that we wanted to align ourselves with. We wanted an agent who is highly respected and puts the needs of their customers first, as do we, and for us Pinkerton Murray was the only option.

Both companies have been happy PropertyPal users now for sometime, and we’d like to take this opportunity to wish them continued business success!

The awards presented by athlete, James Cracknell recently opened to the Northern Ireland market last year, and judges were particularly impressed with the growth the company has achieved in a difficult market. The judging process was once more overseen and supported by the Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer with Peter Bolton King, the Chief Executive of National Federation of Property Professionals.

Speaking on behalf of the company Stephen Murray, Sales Director added “I think that what influenced the judges here is that, despite a tough market place, Pinkerton Murray has been able to identify real buyers who are able to proceed where other agents so often fail and I’m proud that we will be able to use this accolade to persuade more vendors to let us handle their property sale. This award has put the icing on the cake of an incredible year which has seen us increase our market share and work incredibly hard to innovate and find buyers more quickly and the message of all of that in our submission obviously impressed the judges.”

Pinkerton Murray were delighted to receive the award with Managing Director, Victoria Pinkerton commenting “Quality industry awards are important, not only do they recognise the hard work and effort that our staff put into their jobs and the quality customer service they deliver, but it is a clear endorsement to any potential customer that Pinkerton Murray is serious about delivering high standards of service in an industry that often receives negative press”

“We feel that this award really justifies our efforts in ensuring our clients’ needs are met and exceeded at every possible opportunity. Having seen the other strong entrants at this year’s award ceremony, including other local estate agents it makes us feel honoured that our clients hold us in such high regard. We have a great brand and an amazing team and to be named as one of the best seven small firms in the whole of the country this year and the very best in Northern Ireland is something that we are all extremely proud of.”

Pinkerton Murray have been confirmed as ‘Gold winner’ at the 2010 Estate Agent Awards in association with The Sunday Times and The Times, one of the highest industry accolades.

The awards presented by athlete, James Cracknell recently opened to the Northern Ireland market last year, and judges were particularly impressed with the growth the company has achieved in a difficult market. The judging process was once more overseen and supported by the Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer with Peter Bolton King, the Chief Executive of National Federation of Property Professionals.

Speaking on behalf of the company Stephen Murray, Sales Director added “I think that what influenced the judges here is that, despite a tough market place, Pinkerton Murray has been able to identify real buyers who are able to proceed where other agents so often fail and I’m proud that we will be able to use this accolade to persuade more vendors to let us handle their property sale. This award has put the icing on the cake of an incredible year which has seen us increase our market share and work incredibly hard to innovate and find buyers more quickly and the message of all of that in our submission obviously impressed the judges.”
Pinkerton Murray were delighted to receive the award with Managing Director, Victoria Pinkerton commenting “Quality industry awards are important, not only do they recognise the hard work and effort that our staff put into their jobs and the quality customer service they deliver, but it is a clear endorsement to any potential customer that Pinkerton Murray is serious about delivering high standards of service in an industry that often receives negative press”

“We feel that this award really justifies our efforts in ensuring our clients’ needs are met and exceeded at every possible opportunity. Having seen the other strong entrants at this year’s award ceremony, including other local estate agents it makes us feel honoured that our clients hold us in such high regard. We have a great brand and an amazing team and to be named as one of the best seven small firms in the whole of the country this year and the very best in Northern Ireland is something that we are all extremely proud of.”

It stands to reason that if you want to begin marketing online, your website needs to be in tip top shape. There’s absolutely no point in working hard building website traffic, if your website doesn’t deliver on its promises.

So what exactly makes a great estate agency website?

Look and Feel

A great design inspires confidence and trust in a brand, with consumers making decisions on your business in extremely small amounts of time. Studies have shown (pdf) time and time again, that trust is an underlying factor in delivering sales online. Your website design should reflect your brand, and be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. If it doesn’t – visitors could land on your website and “bounce” – a term used in web traffic to describe what happens when someone visits, then immediately leaves. If you aren’t already monitoring Google Analytics, or similar tool – now is the time to get your head around understanding what is happening on your site. Savvy agents are asking their web vendor for access to statistics so they can work out what needs work.

Property Listings.

All too often estate agents think they can get away with a one page website with a telephone number, and contact form. Visitors have told us time and time again, they will search for property online, and enquire online.  A good property listing will showcase the interior and exterior of the property, and give the consumers an overview of the property itself. It’s also important to keep your website fresh, and up to date.  No one is going to enquire on a site which stays static, doesn’t change and shows a lack of online activity. No movement online is generally a reflection of no movement offline.

Photos and Imagery

Photos are an essential part of building that trust we’ve talked about.  Invest in a decent digital  camera, and if you aren’t sure how to use it, consider taking a night class in doing so. Photos are one of the main ways to promote a property, and crisp clean images are essential to get results.  Many agents get this wrong, by failing to ensure properties are clean prior to taking photos, or sending an inexperienced camera user to take photos. Good photos engage users for longer, and result in more enquiries.

Video

Video, in a similar vein to images can help encourage visitors to respond, and increases conversion rates by as much as 25% in some instances.  It also can result in more traffic to your site, by syndicating to video sites such as YouTube which already getting traffic.  This traffic can then be redirected back to your own estate agency website.

Property Portals

Property Portals can add a welcome boost in enquiries on the web, with already established levels of traffic far in excess of many smaller estate agencies.  It makes sense to tap into this traffic, and utilise for your own gain.  Which is where we come in!

Content

The more content you put on your website. The better. Smart agents are now blogging for business, attempting to attract traffic and links from other websites. As Google revisits websites that update regularly more often, this can often result in more traffic and more leads.

This is one of the primary ways on the web to grow online. Unlike a brochure, a website should be continually refined, and enhanced over time to create a presence that wow’s visitors and keeps them on your site longer.

Ease consumer concerns through FAQ’s

Firstly, your website should focus on delivering goals for the consumer. So ask yourself:  “What questions do I answer in my everyday business?”  Your website should answer those questions, which reinforce trust, and encourage contact with you. It also saves time with staff being able to refer customers back to the website, and exposing your brand (and properties) to them.

Promote personal touch

Don’t be scared of showcasing your staff, and their qualifications – as this can help build trust. The benefits of estate agency are in large – personal contact, and the looking after of clients. A good estate agent builds his reputation by being a people person and by delivering on promises – your website should do the same.

PropertyPal provide website solutions for numerous estate agents in Northern Ireland. If you are interesting in taking your business to the next level in 2011 contact us today.

One of these rightly proud winners is Ulster Property Sales which has won an award in the category of Best Real Estate Agency 2010 (NI). Winners will be invited to attend a high profile property networking event and gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in Hyde Park, London on November 26th and 27th during which they will be presented with their awards.

The event is part of the International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious competition dedicated to finding the best real estate professionals across the globe. The fact that Ulster Property Sales has won one of these coveted awards is proof that Northern Ireland is not only capable of competing at this level but also triumphing within the highly competitive UK property arena.

Entries from the top scoring winners of the UK Property Awards are currently being rejudged as they compete against other winning companies from Europe & Africa, the Americas, Arabia and Asia Pacific to find the ultimate World’s Best in each category. The results of the grand final of the International Property Awards will also be disclosed at the gala presentation dinner in London.