1. Unrivalled industry knowledge
With 13 lettings members of staff and 11 qualified as regulated agents via ARLA (Association of regulated letting agents) and 2 ARLA Fellows, we are not only the market leaders but are the most qualified so we are able to pass our ever changing knowledge onto our clients at all opportunities.
Our Director Jane receives her Level 4 Certificate in Residential Lettings & Property Management from Ian Potter, Managing Director of ARLA
2. Leading edge in technology
We are always trying to improve and we embrace the technology that surrounds us and try to be one step ahead at all times. We are always updating our social media sites with interesting and factual information and even we have a ‘live chat’ facility on our own website giving us access to clients before they pick up the phone. If a customer is abroad we are more than happy to have a ‘Skype’ viewing or a Google+ ‘Hangout’ so that they can walk around the property and take a look in the cupboards etc….
A screenshot of our website, showing our LiveChat facility.
3. Bespoke property details
We list all of our properties on our website as well as the usual portal sites such as Rightmove, Zoopla and Primelocation. We also make tailored property brochure details showing photos, floorplans and local area guides so that our customers see every property clearly and can make such an important decision about their next move with all the necessary information at hand.
Our detailed, individual property details.
4. Independent family run business
Since 2002 we have been striving to be the best and we hope to stay at Number One for years to come. Our clients prefer the personal touch, they know we live locally, our children are schooled here, we are very much part of the community and sometimes that unique knowledge is lost with the corporate agents operating in our market place.
5. 99% of our Landlords recommend us
In a recent independent survey carried out for the ESTAS awards (Awards for Business) we won the Gold Grand Prix for Best Estate & Letting Agent in the UK for 2013 with 99% of our landlords stating that they would highly recommend us to a friend. The challenge is to now get that pesky last 1%.
Winners of Best Estate & Letting Agent in the UK at the ESTAS 2013.
6. Community spirit
We are very active in our local community, whether we are sponsoring local charities such as the Rickmansworth Annual Pancake Race for Watford Mencap, or working hard on the Town Team events committee to organise The Starlight evening, we have put on our own Music Festival for Oxjam, we have an annual ‘Soak the Agent’ event for Comic Reli8ef and we are active members of the Chamber of Commerce because we are proud of our community and want to give back as much as we can!
Managing Director Alex Sewell gets well and truly soaked for Comic Relief!
7. Testimonials
We are always keen to improve on our service so ask all of our clients to rate the service they received, whether it be a tenant or a landlord, and to give us any suggestions for making things better. Our clients are always willing to put their experiences down on paper.
8. Reward card
The reward card is a hugely popular feature that gives our Sewell & Gardner tenants lots of offers and discounts if they use the local shops and businesses. Not only is it a great bonus for our tenants but it promotes the local community and any new businesses are able to join up and for the cost of a customer discount they receive their own web-page and can update it with news and features as often as they wish.
Local business offer various rewards to Sewell & Gardner tenants using their Reward Card.
9. Investment service
The Rental Investor Tour bus runs regularly to give our investor clients the opportunity to visit our pick of the best investment sites in the area, whether they are for sale with Sewell & Gardner or not, we pick the places which offer the best yield and capital growth, we advise on everything needed to successfully rent out the property in the quickest time for the optimum price. As well as being able to visit these investment properties, on hand you have sales advisors, lettings advisors, in some cases you even get the tenant thrown in and you can meet them too! All in all it is the most comprehensive service for investors in this area and our advice goes out to anyone looking to buy a rental investment property, whether they are a Sewell & Gardner purchaser or NOT.
New Homes Negotiator Emily Outrim and Sales Manager Joe Rylett on one of our Rental Investment Tours.
10. VIP landlord club
We love our Landlords and want them to be happy and to be rewarded for staying with us for many year, so the VIP Landlord club offers annual incentives and those increase significantly after year 3 so that if you have a long term investment, you can save a substantial amount of money if you sign up to our VIP Club.
11. Just one more thing: The very best staff in the country!
At the recent Times & Sunday Times Letting Agency of the Year Awards, 4 of our team were shortlisted for individual staff awards, 2 went on to win the GOLD prize, so we can confidently say that we have the UK’s Best Lettings Negotiator ‘Rochelle Latham’ and the UK’s Best Property Manager ‘Reagan Bradley’. In addition as a team we scooped 4 team awards: Gold for Best small agent (East of England), GOLD for best small agent (UK), GOLD for best property management team and the GOLD for OVERALL BEST UK LETTING AGENT, a pretty fine haul and, in our opinion, a great reason to recommend us.
The team showing off the 6 awards we received at The Sunday Times Awards, including the trophy for Lettings Agency of the Year 2013!