Estate Agency of the Year Overall Winner 2011
This is a business which is all about the personal service. Understanding the reasons why and how customers engage, Romans takes these principles and weaves them through its entire operation without exception and with huge buy-in from the staff. Every action is undertaken for the benefit of the customer and it is rewarded for this approach with excellent market share and a loyal client base.
With nearly 25 years' experience, Romans is a company which has been built on strong foundations and its expansion to 17 branches across three counties is testament to the robust base on which this business has grown.
It is evident that the team at Romans, from the senior directors to the most junior negotiator, is aware of the lessons learnt over two decades of building a successful estate agency and without exception they harness this understanding and knowledge to keep moving forward with new and exciting innovations to ensure Romans remain leader of the pack.
Opening hours have recently been extended until 10pm each night, and there is a dedicated customer service department. Introduced as a two-fold measure, this department provides a specialist first point of contact for customers and enables sales leads to be allocated appropriately to the best team member for that enquiry. It also means sales negotiators can use their time more efficiently as they are spending 100% of their time dealing exclusively with motivated and committed customers who have already been qualified.
The breadth of services offered by this agency is impressive indeed, covering off every permutation of what a customer may want or need during the home moving process. Backed up by excellent customer service and expert staff, customers can rest assured that the standard of service they receive is second to none. One of the key elements of the Romans philosophy is loyalty and it is evident that the culture at Romans has given rise to a steadfast and passionate team. Staff retention is excellent, and this is due in no small part to the visionary training programme and belief in reward. Training is thorough, personal and ongoing and takes full advantage of high achieving individuals within the business as well as external trainers, both on and offsite. New starters undergo a 12 week training schedule which is an excellent introduction to both the Romans ethos and principles, and sets the standard for the investment which Romans make in their team. This is followed up by bi-monthly reviews and regular mentoring sessions. Personal development outside the realms of estate agency is also encouraged and the teams regularly socialise together.
Technology and online is a major component of Romans success and the website is a proven tool in driving customer enquiries. The website is excellent - informative but clean and easily navigable. Romans were early champions of social media and blogging and the use of these tools alongside commentary on industry developments and legislation is considered and effective, cementing their position as property experts.
Romans was Overall Winner at the Lettings Agency of the Year Awards in June this year, and it is absolutely clear that the high standards of its lettings offering is matched across the sales departments. The judges are delighted to publicly recognise and reward the Romans team with the other half of the set and we congratulate Romans on proving themselves to be the best in the country and taking home the Estate Agency of the Year Award 2011. Well done. |
 |
|
gold - Best Technology & Online 2011
Every activity at Romans is undertaken after careful consideration as to direct impact on customer experience and its technology and online service is no exception to this. The usability of its website is excellent and optimisation of SEO ensures it reaches the maximum number of customers through the internet. The call centre is open until 10pm every night and use of back office tools means they can harness the details of conversations with customers to really drill down to their requirements and tailor the service accordingly. The speed with which they are able to respond to enquiries is testament to the thought behind this system, and the judges were impressed with how quickly they were able to speak to a member of the team. Romans deserve the gold. |
 |
|
gold - best medium agency 2011
Romans is an excellent agency and is perpetually recognised for the great work it does. Heavy emphasis on training has engendered a real culture of teamwork and dedication from all staff, and it is clear there is great respect across all departments for one's colleagues. Clever use of technology has enabled the staff to concentrate on what they do best, namely personal and close up customer contact, which they can offer safe in the knowledge that those systems and processes which are necessary but time consuming are still being met behind the scenes, by the bespoke IT solutions. The opening hours are very good indeed, and the panel were impressed by the example of materials being translated into Mandarin for a potential client who didn't speak English well. This response got them the sale and reinforces the values behind everything Romans does. |
 |
|
gold - best medium agency south east 2011
The priority at Romans is people and the directors see this as their key strength whether it is top notch staff or quality, committed and motivated clients. It was evident at every turn that this is estate agency going above and beyond wherever it can; promising much and delivering on what it says. The depth and breadth of the training and development is inspiring and the introduction of a department solely focusing on the customer service standards is bringing in reward daily. This business enjoys excellent market share, and it deserves it, with its attention to detail and passion for the industry. |
 |
|
bronze - Best Financial Services 2011
Romans takes its financial services very seriously indeed with the view that a robust product portfolio and excellent staff training makes the moving process a slick and efficient one for customers. The service offered is very personal; any complaints are dealt with by directors and clients are given the direct line of the person dealing with them so access is ensured and the client knows they will speak to someone who is fully aware of any issues and is who working to resolve them. A telemarketing team has been established to operate a lifestyle diary system and ensure regular (and again, personal) customer contact. Myflower.com is an idea introduced meaning customers can access their notes 24/7 online and see exactly how their case is progressing. A nice touch. |
 |
|
LETTINGS AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2010 - OVERALL WINNER
An outstanding agency in every respect, customer service is clearly at the forefront of the Romans philosophy. Led from the helm by Peter Fuller, whose passion, dedication and vision is awe inspiring, it is clear these traits are shared by the entire team without exception and Romans enjoys an excellent relationship with both tenants and landlords.
Romans has over 20 years experience in the lettings sector and it shows. From Peter down, the enthusiasm and expertise expressed by all is infectious, and the standards adhered to by the long standing staff is reinforced by stringent and well honed systems and processes, excellent use of technology, a thorough training programme and an understanding of the importance of communication and transparency.
Their mission is to inform and support their clients and every action is undertaken with this goal in mind. Landlords and tenants are kept fully up-to-date on all aspects of the lettings process via a well designed and executed communication plan and all property managers can be contacted via a direct line rather than through a switchboard. Property managers are available from 7am until 10pm every day and work hard to ensure continuity for all parties. It was clear there is a pro-active culture, especially with regard to maintenance on managed properties as the objective is to look after a landlord's investment so it will retain its value and achieve maximum market price when sold. Renewing landlords are offered a choice of discount from a number of services or they can choose from a wide range of other incentives. Feedback is encouraged from all clients and acted on appropriately and the Tenants and Landlords Guide sets out expectation for all parties and explains the very comprehensive complaints procedure.
Peter and the senior team believe education is a must. They employ a dedicated Training and Development Manager who runs an extensive programme covering technical and pastoral topics across internal and external learning opportunities. The aim is to ensure every single member of the team is fully ARLA qualified in the near future and they are well on their way to achieving this goal. All staff regularly attend ARLA update meetings as well as the annual ARLA conference. External experts and consultants are also employed.
All valuers have access to iPads and are able to provide up-to-date market trends and information in an easy-to-read format. Their well designed and attractive website offers a wide variety of detail, information and commentary and clever use of social media only cements Romans position as experts in its field.
Its marketing is both effective and highly regarded; staff are trained to a high level so that marketing their services is founded on substance, with particular emphasis paid to their key areas of excellence: ability to provide quality tenants, efficient rent collection service and importantly the experience, knowledge and continuity of their staff.
Over the past few years, Romans has shown itself to be a strong lettings business which has grown at an experiential rate in terms of numbers, quality of customer service and innovation. Never a company to be complacent or stand still, they constantly strive to improve their already excellent service standards and the judges are absolutely delighted to reward the Romans team with the Lettings Agency of the Year Award 2011. Congratulations. |
 |
|
GOLD - Best Marketing
Romans initiative bears all the hallmarks of great marketing; it attracted people, communicated the core values, was simple and straightforward and most importantly increased revenue and profit. Open House days were run all over the country as part of a fully integrated marketing campaign to communicate the benefit of group viewings to tenants and landlords. Whilst this idea is tried and tested, the team at Romans executed this campaign with flair and style and the judges like the innovations built in by the team. The Romans brand is built on the basis of authority, innovation, social proof and commitment and their Open House marketing demonstrated this in spades. Evidence showed the entire team bought into the idea and were enthused - not only did market share increase, renewals were up as were new instructions, surely the hallmark of a well executed and well received campaign. |
 |
|
GOLD - Best Medium Lettings Agency
Romans is a market leader in lettings and quite simply, seem to do everything right, across the board. From the directors down to the most junior lettings negotiator, the entire team demonstrates a passion and dedication to the company values which is outstanding and this attitude prevails to enthusiasm for the wider lettings industry as a whole. This adherence to the core ideals means excellence for clients and the business, and profit is growing accordingly. Everyone works on the basis that a sturdy foundation should be built on and participates to make this happen. Very well known in its area, Romans reaps huge benefits from the fact that its slick and innovative marketing campaigns are based around their strong service values so the team deliver on what they promise and client confidence is extremely well placed. |
 |
|
GOLD - Best Medium South East Lettings Agency
Romans is at the forefront of lettings in its area, an achievement which is due in no small part to the solid foundations on which it is built. With over 20 years experience in the lettings sector, this agency is led strongly from the top through a visionary leadership team and the judges were impressed by the ethics, knowledge and positivity of the entire team. Compliance is stringent and backed up by massive investment in training and development, including CSR. A culture of recognition and reward is prevalent and staff are acknowledged regularly for going above and beyond. Business growth has been achieved carefully and this steady approach has enabled this company to soar. |
 |
|
|
