Martin & Co confirmed as Best Large Letting Chain

Letting agency Martin & Co has just been awarded the UK’s “Best Large Letting Chain” at the Estate and Letting Agency Awards (ESTAs) in London on 8th April.

The prestigious award was presented to Ian Wilson Managing Director of Martin & Co by media personality and journalist Phil Spencer of Channel 4’s “Location, Location, Location”, who said “these awards are particularly special, and a true reflection on excellence in customer service as they are the only awards in the industry which are voted for by the landlords themselves. They are not easily won, and require a letting agency to achieve a consistently high level of service to their clients over a 12 month period.” Over 30,000 questionnaires were sent out to customers across the UK

Phil added, “It's fantastic to see agents getting the credit they deserve after all the negative press they receive. Throughout the property industry there is a constant need to improve customer service and these awards go along way to help agents focus on keeping clients happy. He adds "After all the most powerful marketing tool for Agents is word of mouth so customer satisfaction is key."

On receiving the award, Ian Wilson said “It is a privilege to win such an award, and it is a tribute to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our staff, But more than that, it is a reflection of a blend of the proven system of which we are very proud, with our unswerving aim only to recruit, and help our franchisees recruit, the very best in the business – those who really care! In an industry where numerous sales-base estate agents have recently forayed into lettings, the award has clearly demonstrated that people prefer to work with a dedicated lettings specialist. I am especially pleased that it was our customers themselves who voted for us, and I’d like to thank all those who took the trouble to show their appreciation by taking part in the independent survey.”

The sponsors of the 2009 event included Globrix, PSC, RICS, Estate Agent Today and The London Paper and the Awards were organised by Awards for Business Ltd ( http://www.estateagentoftheyear.com/previous-winners.html ).

(No strangers to awards success, Martin & Co also won Franchisor of the Year last November.)

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Letting Agent Franchise Owners Toast Rapid Success

Over 250 people attended Martin & Co’s national conference and awards ceremony last weekend to share in a celebration of a business that is clearly bucking the trend. Martin and Co is the UK’s largest dedicated letting agency , with over 160 franchised offices , and was celebrating an annual increase in revenue of over 40%.

Managing Director, Ian Wilson commented that every year is a record year, but that this year’s growth is extraordinary. He said, “Despite modest gains in the letting industry overall, the integrity, professionalism and straight-talking, good advice of our franchisees is taking the business to new heights of success all round – both in terms of revenue and customer service.

“One of my greatest pleasures was to see our founder and Chairman, Richard Martin presenting awards to several of our new franchisees who, in their first year of trading have achieved incredible success. It seems only a few weeks ago that they were enquiring about the possibility of buying a Martin and Co franchise, and I am delighted that our training, ethos and methodology have once again worked in their favour.”

The event follows close on the heels of two recent major awards for the company itself – “Franchisor of the Year” and “Best Large Letting Chain”, which can only help position Martin and Co as one of the most reliable and successful franchise operations in the UK.

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First Foreign Olympic Monies into UK

The Weymouth office of the UK’s largest dedicated letting agency , Martin & Co is among the first businesses to directly benefit from foreign revenues as a direct result of the Olympics – some three years before the event itself!

The Canadian Sailing Team has just rented a four bedroom house, complete with swimming pool, through Martin & Co in order to accommodate its team members as they train in waters close to the actual sailing course.

Martin and Co’s local franchise owner David James said, “We were pleasantly surprised to receive the enquiry from Canada, and it certainly proves that our international connections are paying dividends. And of course the landlord was delighted as this tenancy runs right up to 2012 and is backed by a charitable foundation.”

“With Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy confirmed as the official venue for the Olympic Sailing events in 2012 we are looking forward to working with others involved in the Olympics.”

“We are delighted to be the first Martin & Co office to be working with an Olympic team, but with a UK network the company is in a great position to work with other sportsmen and women who will be visiting the UK in the run up to the Olympics in 2012”, added David.

Contact:
For further information about Martin & Co nationally please contact Marketing Manager Jayne Codling 01202 405543 or email jayne.codling@martinco.com

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Tips on How to Find No Fee Apartments in Manhattan NYC

Finding a residential apartment in Manhattan, NYC requires a lot of hard work and people often make mistakes in a hurry. They end up compromising quality to save a couple grand on rent. Or sign a contract and hand over signed checks without having the apartment inspected properly. This may take a huge toll later.

Here are some tips that will help you to find the best no fee apartment in the most desired location of downtown. Follow these instructions to find the best residential apartment in lower Manhattan or any other part of the NYC.

No fee Manhattan Apartment Tips:

1. Do not commit anything on your first visit; take some time to do the basic inspections before you hand over the signed checks.

2. Make sure to see a number of apartments in the same location so that you can get an idea of the price range and standard features and facilities.

3. Evaluate whether the rent is reasonable or not – this can be done by visiting other apartments in the area or by consulting your acquaintances. If you are new in Manhattan, ask a savvy friend to accompany you on your venture.

4. Inspect if the apartment is clean and properly painted. If the owner promises to get the apartment painted before you move in, make sure to get it in writing.

5. Check places like the bathroom wall, kitchen sink, crack on the walls etc. for any sign of roaches, molds, mildews and rodents. These pests make your home unhealthy.

6. Is the living room spacious enough? Is there any dining alcove – how spacious is this?

7. See the type of ceiling the apartment has – a beamed ceiling is often preferred over the other types. Most modern no fee apartment in Manhattan and East Village apartments have beamed ceiling.

8. What type of flooring does it have – ebony-finished wood flooring offers a contemporary look; on the other hand, natural-finished wood flooring is popular for its classical style. Inquire if you can choose the type of flooring or not. It’s a question of aesthetics after all!

9. Are the windows large enough? Do they open and close properly?

10. What type of hardware is used on the doors? What is the style of the doors?

11. Inspect the kitchen – cupboards and cabinets should be large and properly organized.

12. Make sure the fixtures in the bathroom are working properly; check if the bathroom tiles and marble have any cracks, leaks or any other defects. If yes, then show it to the landlord and see if they would repair it before you move in; get it in writing.

13. Is the bedroom spacious enough to accommodate you and your dreams? Are there some closets, cabinets and wardrobes? Is the room airy enough? Does it look healthy?

These are some basic tips to help you find a suitable apartment in Manhattan, NYC. If you still feel puzzled, get help from professional real estate agents or contact no fee apartment rental companies and communities in NYC directly.

Author’s Bio: Stanley Gallor is a self published author who writes about real estate industry, no fee apartments and rental services. For no fee Manhattan apartment and Stuyvesant apartments , he recommends you to visit: http://www.stuytown.com

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How to Find NYC No Fee Apartments – A Comprehensive Guide

Finding NYC no fee apartments is not an easy job. New York City has been the most populous city of the United States since 1790. The NY metropolitan area is the most populous urban area of the world. NYC is a leading global city that contributes to many national and international affairs including finance, commerce, education, politics, culture, entertainment and fashion. Finding your slice of space in such a high-rank city is going to take time and work.

That’s why most people choose to pay a fee to a broker, ideally 10% to 15% of the annual rent, just to make the apartment finding process easier. But when you look for no fee apartments, and opt to pay a brokerage to the middleman, it does not remain ‘no fee’ any more right? You can actually find no fee apartments yourself; let’s see how:

Contact buildings’ management companies directly and inquire how they can help you. Many management companies that offer no-fee rentals, allow people to eliminate the middleman by renting directly through their office. No hassles, no fee – finding NYC no fee apartments cannot be easier than this!

You can begin the process sitting right at your home. Chances are high that most of the apartment rental companies, if not all, have their own websites. Visit their websites to get a general idea about the apartments. The following list will help you refine your search for a New York City apartment for rent:

1. Go online and search for no fee apartment companies in your preferred location – New York City, Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn or Staten Island.

2. Bookmark the websites in your browser or prepare a hard copy list of websites.

3. Now, start visiting the websites one by one and note the essential information such as charges for 1 or 2 bedroom apartments, location of the building, amenities etc.

Make sure you know your requirements very well before you start your apartment search. You should look for an apartment that is close to your work place, school or university. Or, look for an apartment that is located at the heart of the city so that commuting to any other part becomes easy.

4. Now shortlist the apartment list you started with based on this data.

5. Finally, consider the features and facilities such as carpet area, interior design, plan of the apartment, neighboring areas etc. to pick the best home for you and your family.

If you already know an apartment rental service that offers affordable rental apartments in your destination, visit their website directly to learn about their rates, features and facilities; get ready to live in your dream home!

About the author: Stanley is a self published author who writes for web. For 2 bedroom NYC rental and Manhattan apartment, he recommends you to visit: http://www.petercoopernyc.com

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Tenancy Deposit Protection proves effective for The Deposit Protection Service’s largest client

On the second anniversary of the scheme (April 2007 – April 2009), figures have been released which show that protection of tenant’s deposits and the schemes have made real progress in their quest to deliver a more secure system for the public. According to the latest survey from The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), some 91% of tenants feel safer since tenancy deposit legislation was introduced 2 years ago.

“Martin & Co has over 13,000 deposits lodged with the DPS and a monetary value in excess of 10 million – making Martin & Co the DPS’s largest client both in terms of volume of deposits and value, and this scheme has been a great success for our customers” commented Ian Wilson Managing Director of Martin & Co.

“However, we are concerned about the number of DIY landlords and amateur letting agents (mostly those which have recently been annexed to an estate agency to bolster falling sales revenues) who ignore, or are unaware of, the legislation. Landlords should know that if they do not provide confirmation that their tenant’s money is formally protected under the scheme within fourteen days of accepting a deposit and to provide the tenant with compulsory information as prescribed by TDP legislation, the landlord can be liable for substantial penalties and also jeopardise their right to evict a problem tenant easily.

Ian added, “The issue was always whether tenants would get their deposit back at the end of their tenancy, and whether the landlord actually has the money to give back to the tenant.

“At Martin & Co we are committed to making it easy for landlords to comply with the increasing amount of mostly positive legislation that regulates the letting of a property. There is generally a low awareness of issues such as the important differences between the various tenancy deposit options and our role as a specialist letting agency is to clarify these, so that letting out, or renting, a property is as straightforward and secure as possible”


For more information please visit : http://martinco.com

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