This month I want to take this blog to look at what makes you different?
Before we start looking at what makes you stand out from the crowd, it is important to understand what your unique selling proposition is - what is your USP? This statement can be about you, your business or your service/product and will help you to distinguish yourself from others . Our genuine USP is the experience we hold in the HMO and flat property market. Through the process of creating 25 HMO rooms and 7 flats we have gained invaluable knowledge that has allowed us to begin the formation of a strong and stable business. We have learnt a lot whilst carrying out these projects and the learning has given us a real USP.
We have created a business based on offering spaces to people where they can create a home. By creating products that our audience want we have seen 100% occupancy throughout the HMO and flat portfolio and our 3 single lets during Covid. We ensure that the spaces are well looked after and when our tenants need us we are there so we can solve any issues. These happy tenants have remained loyal to the business as we show that tenants are important.
One of our USP’s is the power team we have surround ourself with and who have the skills set we do not possess in-house. Our power team can offer sound advice and are experts in their field, allowing us to be the captain of our ship a but not in the engine room below deck. The success of renting our 25 Medway HMO rooms so quickly and securing a high quality tenant is down to Pineapple Living, our letting agent.
We also stay ahead of the curve by looking at trends in the market to ensure we are offering the best HMO rooms and flats. We pay close attention to our peers activities on social media and keep abreast of the industry press. One trend I have seen is micro-flats for those in first time jobs looking for smaller living space. The conversion of micro-flats has been enhanced by the relocation of governmental policy for office to residential conversions. We are working with this trend of co-living homes as we continue our focus on HMO creations, but we are keeping a close eye on micro-flats as there has been a treat of councils to alter the council tax bands of a HMO unknown to the landlord. This is due to the Valuations Office Agency re-evaluating a new or current HMO and re-banding the property (I would advise you to speak with the NLA if you are concerned about this). Such activities support our ethos to remain nimble and not over geared so we can be flexible to market and governmental changes.
We have used a more traditionally method of posting letters which makes us different. We have found that main players in the property market use modern ways to contact their audience but sometimes the simplest ways are the best. We have used several postal campaigns and had a very successful hit rate.
I hope that this blog has made you reflect on what makes you different, what makes you stand out and to help you prioritise your USP's
“It takes nothing to join the crowd.
It takes everything to stand alone” Hans F. Hansen
