Life at NEXA Properties; Chapter One.
Going against all prior expectations I may have had, I have just written my first of many blogs. A little over three weeks ago, I left my previous position with a large Hampshire based independent estate agency and joined NEXA Properties – a company who’s history spans back to just October 2017. Those of you who know me personally will appreciate just how massive a gamble this transition was; starting afresh in such a competitive marketplace carries a variety of daunting possibilities. Will my experience benefit me in a more compact marketplace? Will I have as much career potential in my new position as I had previously? Are they/we capable of becoming the brand that they endeavour to become?
After less than three weeks of representing NEXA, I can answer all three of those questions with an unequivocal yes.
From day one it was clear to see the attention to detail from every member of the team – nobody is satisfied with anything other than perfection, as though every property marketed is their own. The calibre of the marketing resources sent out; the bespoke brochures and property particulars; the speed of the responses to any form of enquiry, day or night. From an internal viewpoint, the quality and alacrity stand out significantly and will not go unnoticed as NEXA continues to assert its position within the minds of the local people.
Consistently providing local clients impeccable service has been the key explanation behind the company’s success in the last six months. I have not yet picked up the phone to a disgruntled client, nor have I read a review that suggests any level of disappointment. I’m not suggesting that the company has the perfect formula to selling every property within a day, or that we are exclusively capable of finding textbook tenants for every single property, but there is such a strong focus on working out the reasons for the lack of success and a process in place to ensure it doesn’t continue. There will never be a moment in high-street estate agency when pro activity is no longer essential – highlighting potential areas of concern and acting on them before they progress is something that clients will always appreciate, even if it is something they aren’t too keen on hearing.
In my previous position, I was responsible for ‘winning’ the business; creating relationships with sellers/landlords who would trust me to manage either the sale or the rental of their home. Then, similarly to every other high-street estate agency, I would pass it to a colleague with no previous knowledge of either the property or the vendor to attempt to negotiate the best offer for our client. Once an offer was agreed, it would come back to myself to progress the property from sale/let agreed to completion, without any knowledge of the buyer’s/tenant’s situation and diluted chain information. An inane business structure adopted by almost every high-street estate agency in the United Kingdom. NEXA’s process is considerably more effective and myself and my colleagues are highly financially incentivised to negotiate the best offer for our clients.
The One Agent: One Solution is an integral part of both the quality aspect and the impeccable service – having just one person responsible for marketing a property from start to finish. I am advised to create my own personal brand within NEXA and knowing that my name is attached to the client’s property endeavour brings about a completely different mindset. I cannot create individual success within NEXA unless the properties that I am personally responsible for are dealt with as though they were my own. In my short time here, the most noticeable part has been the gratitude for contact, positive or negative – something that it seems a lot of people forget the importance of.
After such a small amount of time here, it is incredibly clear to see that my initial concerns were for nothing. Yes, it was a large gamble, but after seeing the processes in place combined with the determination of the team, I’m confident enough in my own abilities to know that both the success of the company and my own prosperity are imminent.