PropertyPro Newsletter XIX – November 2009

Hello to everybody!


First, apologies for no newsletter last month. It's been a hectic October, and before we knew it the clocks had turned back, the temperatures plummeted, the trees are bare, and a Xmas tree is standing in Tesco.

I'm sure you really don't want to know about my fabulous week in Turkey and how great it was, so I shalln't go on about it (but for the record it was wonderful - the weather was hot and I did manage to get a new handbag - or two).

ID Verification

Just recently we have had customers asking about ID verification.

It seems that many agents have been contacted and told that electronic ID checking must be in place by January 2010. We have checked and there are no current plans to make electronic ID checking a requirement for Estate Agents and the ID verification feature in PropertyPro is totally acceptable, so you can rest assured that you do not have to subscribe to and pay for extra electronic ID checking. You may choose to sign up to one of these schemes, but there is no legislation in place, or planned, that compels you to go down this route.

If you are not currently using this feature in PropertyPro and would like to know how to use it, please give Support a ring and they will be happy to run through it with you. I will feature this in the next newsletter.

Extended SMS

We can now offer an extended SMS service in addition to your existing service.

As well as sending out the normal marketing SMS text, you would also be able to send single or multiple properties with links to a website. The new text message contains links which the recipient can click onto for further details to see summary mailings or full property details. You could send a link to the full details of new instructions or price reductions for example.

As part of the extended service you would also have the ‘Text from Boards’ facility. An applicant can text 'Company Name' to a specific telephone number to find out further details, see photographs and the price for the property. They can also choose to view properties nearby, which will locate where the buyer is and select the nearest properties. They can then view further details and photographs on the properties. From here the buyer can request a viewing or ask for a call back from yourselves. You would receive the buyer’s mobile number and details of which properties they have viewed, which will enable you to contact them to see if they would like to arrange a viewing and discuss their requirements further with a view to adding them to your mailing list if not already on it.

The text from boards facility is one number for all properties, you would need to either add this number to your boards or have a label or tag that could be added to your existing boards. When using the ‘Locate Me’ facility, the service only shows the nearby properties that are yours.

Our suppliers have indicated that this will be available for around an additional £100 + VAT, per month, per branch. If this is of interest to you, please contact Hugh or Vicky for more details on 01788 862550.

Sold !

In the last newsletter, I featured the Chain and its many uses, and I hope that this has inspired more people to use it and found generating sales letters easy. Following on from this, I'd like to reinforce the 'sold' process and archiving.

By simply entering the date in the sold box on the Property record, PropertyPro takes you through a series of prompts, such as to change the buyer's address to the property address, to change the vendor's customer type and address, so that you can contact them at a later date if you so wish. This all then renders the property status as 'Sold' and effectively archived. By changing the Buyer and Vendor customer types to Archived Buyer and Archived Vendor, you are archiving these customers. At some time in the future, you may want to send a letter or email to your past vendors, or you may want to reference or re-instate this sold property.

Whether you do or not, it is vital you do not delete these records - property or customer - since they constitute data for reporting. There are many who worry that they will be holding lots of unrequired data and 'clogging' the system. PropertyPro carries out its own form of archiving to quicken the search for current customers and customer notes. The actual data held is nowhere near as large as you might imagine and the simple answer is - don't worry - don't delete!

First, enter the date sold:



Next, answer yes so that if the property is reinstated, the property will be ready and reset for mailing:



The next prompt asks if you would like to change the buyer's address. If you answer yes, PropertyPro will automatically update the buyer's record and change the correspondence address to the address of the property.



The next prompt will enable you to change the vendor's customer type and address. PropertyPro will open the vendor's record where you can change the customer type to 'Archived Vendor' (or similar), and enter the vendor's new address.



In the future, you will be able to filter your archived vendors through the Customer Search screen and perform a mailshot or even print out labels to send Xmas cards!

Half Day Training Sessions:

We are aware that for some, taking half a day out for training is more favourable, and we have recently arranged a couple of half day sessions for agents who have requested them. If this is of interest to anybody else, then do please let me know.

Open Training Days :

The next open training days are as follows:

Wednesday 18th November - Reports - to include Property Reports, Customer Reports, Management Reports

Wednesday 2nd December - New User Negotiator - which will concentrate on saving a Property Search, Mailing Properties, Appointments, Offers and Chains.

Wednesday 16th December - Ad Hoc. This session is intended to include features such as Tasks and the Diary, Creating a Floorplan, Templates, Newspaper Advert, Good Practice. However, it is Ad Hoc, and will include features requested by those attending.

Kind regards

Kate

Kate Hoare (Training Manager)
kate@propertypro.co.uk
Direct dial: 01788 862517

PropertyPro • 6 Somers Road • Rugby • Warwickshire • CV22 7DE
Tel 01788 862550 • Fax 01788 862525 • E-mail sales@propertypro.co.uk
www.propertypro.co.uk
Directors H McClean • L M McClean • Company Registration No 3450574