Belvoir is proud to announce that staff members from its Shrewsbury and Stafford offices have recently been awarded with a qualification from The Guild of Lettings.
Six members of staff from Belvoir Shrewsbury and Belvoir Stafford have completed – and successfully passed – the BTEC Level 4 Professional Diploma in Residential Lettings and Management, a course run by The Guild of Letting & Management.
Proprietor Paul Wallace-Tarry, Lettings Negotiator Victoria Keeble, Accounts Manager Amanda Palmer and Property Manager Nicky Moreton from Belvoir’s Shrewsbury office completed the course, along with proprietor of Belvoir Stafford Adrian Walton and Belvoir Stafford’s Office Manager Julie Andow-Giles. Paul Wallace-Tarry, Amanda Palmer, Adrian Walton and Julie Andow-Giles achieved a distinction.
The eight-month course covered all aspects of the lettings industry, including property management, law and legislation, marketing, Human Rights, appraisals and how to manage a business. Participants also had to complete nine days of training, plus write 18 extended essays, a 6000-word project and sit a three-hour exam.
Paul Wallace-Tarry of Belvoir Shrewsbury says, “I wanted to do the course for my own education, plus to increase my ability to understand the business and to run the office in the most efficient way possible. Three of my staff completed the diploma too. I felt it was important for them to participate as it would widen their expertise and give them confidence when on the phone or face-to-face with clients. I saw the course as an opportunity to improve the professional nature of the whole business.
“During the course we learnt an awful lot about various aspects of lettings and the intricacy of the business – from advertising and the law and legislation, to the complexities of running an office,” he continues.
“It was quite challenging at times as the course involved about 11 or 12 days out of the office in total, plus it included writing two 1,000-word essays every three weeks – each which took about half a day to research and write. In addition we had to prepare ourselves for a three-hour exam, as well as compile a 6,000-word project. All of this was done in our own time.
“I’ve been doing this job for several years so I was pleased to pass the course with a distinction – it was a theoretical exercise which confirmed my practical ability. The course has proven that you’re never too old to learn and, as a result, I have changed the way we run the business – the legal work, the advertising and the management of the office etc.”
Proprietor of Belvoir Stafford Adrian Walton adds, “I think staff training is extremely important because it is the key to running a successful business. This is especially significant in the lettings industry, which has many legal elements. It is vitally important that we are aware of – and up-to-date with – relevant legislation on behalf of our landlords.
“Throughout the course we learnt a vast amount about the current legislation which affects lettings and property management. We learnt about practical aspects of the job too. But, above all, we learnt never to take any situation for granted and to check and double-check the answer to make sure we’re protecting our landlords’ interests.
“Passing with a distinction was testament to the good teaching we had and to our determination to do the best we can within the business.
“On completion of the course Paul (Proprietor of Belvoir Shrewsbury) and I wanted to mark the success our staff had achieved so our tutor organised a trip to the House of Commons for us to receive our certificates. This was very relevant to the course we had completed, given that lettings is founded on legislation and the House of Commons is the basis for legislation.
“Passing the course and receiving our certificates has proven that we can do the job well and that we go that extra mile to put our landlords’ interests first. It’s tough for any business at the moment but it has shown that we’re determined to deliver the best service possible – plus, it has helped establish our Belvoir offices at the forefront of lettings expertise and management.”
The Managing Director of The Guild of Lettings and The Letting Training Centre, Susie Crolla, says, “Although it is not a mandatory requirement for letting agents and property managers to be qualified, we have seen an increase in the demand for qualifications within the sector.
“The value of vocational learning for business and employers has never been more evident and investment in vocational education and training is regarded as a prerequisite of competitive success.
“Belvoir Shrewsbury and Belvoir Stafford understand the importance of training and saw the BTEC Professional Diploma as one of the initiatives which was designed to enhance employee involvement and co-operation in the growth and expansion of their businesses.
“The tutorial classes not only provided a platform to further enhance the learner’s knowledge base, but they also provided everyone with an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues which agents deal with on a day-to-day basis.
“The BTEC is a vocational qualification which focuses on the learner developing confidence and building on existing skills, which is clearly beneficial to the employee and the employer.”
Belvoir Lettings now have more than 140 offices nationwide. To find your nearest Belvoir office, visit their website at www.belvoir.co.uk
