When we’re in the office, we have great opportunities to maintain relationships with our team, from chatting about our personal lives, to being there for someone after a difficult call. Every day, being in the same place as one another helps us to deepen our relationships with our workmates. A strong relationship with your manager, leads to more trust and happier working life. It also means that when receiving difficult feedback, you're likely to take it better.

We’re currently living through a surreal moment in time: we’ve shifted indoors, moved out of our offices and have very little social contact outside of our homes. The change to working from home comes with perks like spending more time with loved ones and pets. It comes with a host of challenges, too.

This article was updated on 31 March 2020. Although we endeavour to keep our coronavirus (COVID-19) content as up to date as possible, the situation is rapidly changing, so please ensure you refer to gov.uk for the latest advice and information.

With agencies now obliged to close in keeping with government legislation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many of your agents will now be working remotely. While working from home can be a nice change of pace and, for some, even boost their productivity, being away from the office - and your team - for extended periods can take its toll on your motivation. It’s important you and your team have some strategies in place to make sure they’re staying productive when they’re at home.

This article was originally published on 26 March 2020. Although we endeavour to keep our coronavirus (COVID-19) content as up to date as possible, the situation is rapidly changing, so please ensure you refer to gov.uk for the latest advice and information.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is forcing businesses to adapt quickly to the world of remote working. It’s all about being prepared - and well equipped. Providing the right hardware, such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet, is vital, but the software and the online tools are just as important, to help keep your staff productive and your agency running smoothly. 

Acquisitions will be key to many agencies’ growth strategy in the coming years, as an increasingly competitive operating environment sees more agencies leave the market altogether, with 39% of agents saying they would consider selling their agency if the opportunity presented itself in Goodlord's State of the Industry Report. But it’s an opportunity for those that continue operating to grow their books and expand the reach of their brand.

A diverse service offering has been key to a property management company’s nationwide growth, says its Head of Lettings. Sheffield-based Omnia Property Group works across all areas of the property market, with student accommodation, serviced offices, commercial property, residential lettings and facilities management all strings in its bow. Its clients range from landlords with a single property to commercial landlords who have several hundred in their portfolio. Becky Hague, Head of Lettings, says that their diverse offering has been central to Omnia’s growth.

Nine out of ten referrals is a "guaranteed instruction", says Alex Chapman of Anthony Lettings. “Sixty percent of our new instructions come from a referral from one of our current landlords.  “We've always done really, really well with referrals,” he says of the Hertford agency, which was established a decade ago when its founder saw a gap in the market for a lettings specialist. The agency has been on an upward trajectory ever since.  

How does an agency stand out in an ever-more-competitive market? Producing great content. Sowerbys - a nine-branch-strong estate and lettings agency business in Norfolk - has been investing in video to strengthen their brand. What’s the secret? “We go out of our way to not only present beautiful homes, but we also profile businesses in our local community that we know and respect,” says Ed Tyman, Group Operations Manager.

Think starting a lettings agency in the current environment is crazy? Think again. Jack Stephens started JBS Bristol just three years ago and his business is thriving, with a five-star rating on Google, which he’s achieved almost entirely on his own. What’s the key to his success? “Be prepared to work bloody hard,” he says. 

“Do the ordinary things extraordinarily well,” is the advice that Peter Knight - founder of the Property Academy and EA Masters, which anoints the best estate and letting agencies in the UK every year -has for agencies who want to be the best in the country. “The best agencies haven’t got some secret recipe - that doesn’t exist. They just do the basic things brilliantly.”