12 12 PROPERTY DERBY TELEGRAPH Quickresponse...DERBY PROPERTY Tuesday, September 20, 2011 DET-E01-S3...
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DERBY PROPERTY Tuesday, September 20, 2011 DET-E01-S3 DET 12 BRETT Butcher was a land- lord himself but found the lettings agencies he dealt with were not up to scratch. “They didn’t hand over rents on time; they were slow chasing people in arrears and dealing with maintenance problems. I just thought ‘There has got to be a better way’.” So last year, the Rolls-Royce trained engineer teamed up with Pat Gibas, an estab- lished and experienced let- tings agent in Derby to launch my-let Derby, a revolu- tionary, quick response com- pany. my-let uses the best of both worlds – agents on the ground to liaise with landlords and tenants directly while simul- taneously operating a hi-tech, fast response, bespoke online service, created by Brett him- self. Brett’s computer expertise goes back to the early 80s when he was a founder of Datapath, producing low-cost colour graphics systems for computers. He went on to become Vice- President of Technology at Electronic Arts, which pro- duces computer games. The program he has de- veloped with his team is a fully automated, super-effi- cient system. He explained: “It starts with the local agent, of course, a real person look- ing after the landlord’s prop- erty and liaising with him or her directly. “All landlords have our agents’ direct mobile number and are in regular contact. “But it goes deeper than that because our system al- lows both landlords and ten- ants to log on themselves and get an instant update on what is happening with their prop- erty. “Rents are automatically paid on the day they arrive. There’s no waiting till the end of the month. “Clients can leave and pick up messages, if they wish. They can check on mainten- ance issues, whether a repair has been sent out to a con- tractor, when it is due, if he has been paid, etc. “All the contractor in- voicing and payment is done automatically, too. If the land- lord’s agent is happy with a repair, he simply approves it and the payment is made. “Landlords can sit at the computer at midnight if they want and get a statement, showing the status of their accounts, what payments have come in and gone out. All the information they need is at their fingertips. They don’t have to wait for someone in the office to get back to them when they feel like it. “Of course, you don’t have to use the internet to work with my-let. But the system’s presence allows the agents to be much more efficient and gives them more time to work closely with client landlords and tenants. “Another example of how we use technology to improve efficiency is our To-Let boards. All our boards out- side properties have a unique number on them. People can text the board number into our system and instantly get basic details about the prop- erty – how big it is, how many bedrooms, how much the rent is. “Prospective tenants can make enquiries by phone, text or e-mail. Their messages are picked up and followed up immediately by the my-let agent dealing with the prop- erty they are interested in. “They will then get a call to arrange a viewing. my-let was conceived from the start as a franchise model and, a year on from launching the company, Brett has teamed up with Tom Wysocki in West Hallam to open a second branch office catering for Derbyshire East clients and is in discussion with an- other partner to open a third, covering Derbyshire North up to Sheffield. “Tom has just completed his lettings exams and is rar- ing to go. He’s a great guy, very practical and know- ledgeable about the area. He’s already building up a good client base,” , said Brett. Brett is determined that all the my-let agents should be fully trained, passing the ARLA Technical Award in Residential Letting and Prop- erty Management. He, him- self, was named Student of the Year after passing the ex- am last year. He said: “ All our agents have to have the qualifica- tions which meet Association of Residential Lettings Agency (ARLA) standards. “I also believe it is essential that there is an end to the sharp practices of certain let- tings agents, such as small print termination tie-in clauses, maximising client account interest by paying rents only weekly or monthly and other such examples.” He added: “We also protect all our clients’ money through the ARLA Client Money Protection Scheme. “And we cut out the hidden commissions that a lot of agencies charge for contract work – for instance, the an- nual gas certificate checks. The average price is £60-£70 but many agents tag on £10 for commission.” “The efficiency and cost- effectiveness of my-let’s sys- tems enables the company to keep its charges down.” Brett says. my-let provides a fully man- aged service for just £30 a month plus VAT. For finding and checking the credentials of a tenant, the company charges £199. “Most agencies need to em- ploy at least one agent per 60 properties. That is the norm. Because our online system handles so much of the work, we are able to manage over 100 properties each. It means we can pass that saving on to the client,” said Brett. Someone sold on the suc- cess of My-Let’s hi-tech ap- proach is millionaire prop- erty developer Don Prime, who is an enthusiastic client. We contacted him and he said: “I have used many let- ting agents in Derbyshire over the last 35 years and, without doubt, my-let has been the best of these in the four most important areas of finding the tenants, man- aging them, controlling and chasing the income and or- ganising repairs.” Said Brett: “Don is prob- ably our most high profile customer. “Our system does tend to be useful for bigger landlords, people with more than five properties, who are hacked off with the inefficiency of a lot of agencies. But we do have a lot of individuals too.” For more information about my-let, go to: my- let.com or call 0333 456 0070. Quick response lettings agency offers tenants and landlords a better way... BRETT BUTCHER Brett Butcher, right, receiving the Association of Residental Lettings Agencies Student of the Year award last year after studying for the technical award in Residential and Property Management. 12 PROPERTY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 DERBY TELEGRAPH DET-E01-S3 DET “I have used many letting agents in Derbyshire over the last 35 years and my-let has been the best...” DON PRIME Pat Gibas, who helped launched my-let last year. Tom Wysocki who has taken on the West Hallam franchise. “I was a landlord myself and found the lettings agencies I dealt with were just not up to scratch.” ADVERTISING FEATURE Derby property developer Don Prime.
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BRETT Butcher was a land-lord himself but found thelettings agencies he dealtwith were not up to scratch.
“They didn’t hand overrents on time; they were slowchasing people in arrears anddealing with maintenanceproblems. I just thought‘There has got to be a betterway’.”
So last year, the Rolls-Roycetrained engineer teamed upwith Pat Gibas, an estab-lished and experienced let-tings agent in Derby tolaunch my-let Derby, a revolu-tionary, quick response com-pany.
my-let uses the best of bothworlds – agents on the groundto liaise with landlords andtenants directly while simul-taneously operating a hi-tech,fast response, bespoke onlineservice, created by Brett him-self.
Brett’s computer expertisegoes back to the early 80swhen he was a founder ofDatapath, producing low-costcolour graphics systems forcomputers.
He went on to become Vice-President of Technology atElectronic Arts, which pro-duces computer games.
The program he has de-veloped with his team is afully automated, super-effi-cient system. He explained:“It starts with the local agent,of course, a real person look-ing after the landlord’s prop-erty and liaising with him orher directly.
“All landlords have ouragents’ direct mobile number
and are in regular contact.“But it goes deeper than
that because our system al-lows both landlords and ten-ants to log on themselves andget an instant update on whatis happening with their prop-erty.
“Rents are automaticallypaid on the day they arrive.There’s no waiting till the endof the month.
“Clients can leave and pickup messages, if they wish.They can check on mainten-ance issues, whether a repairhas been sent out to a con-tractor, when it is due, if hehas been paid, etc.
“All the contractor in-voicing and payment is doneautomatically, too. If the land-lord’s agent is happy with arepair, he simply approves itand the payment is made.
“Landlords can sit at thecomputer at midnight if theywant and get a statement,showing the status of theiraccounts, what payments
have come in and gone out.All the information they needis at their fingertips. Theydon’t have to wait forsomeone in the office to getback to them when they feellike it.
“Of course, you don’t haveto use the internet to workwith my-let. But the system’spresence allows the agents to
be much more efficient andgives them more time to workclosely with client landlordsand tenants.
“Another example of howwe use technology to improveefficiency is our To-Letboards. All our boards out-side properties have a uniquenumber on them. People cantext the board number intoour system and instantly getbasic details about the prop-erty – how big it is, how manybedrooms, how much the rentis.
“Prospective tenants canmake enquiries by phone,text or e-mail. Their messagesare picked up and followed upimmediately by the my-letagent dealing with the prop-erty they are interested in.
“They will then get a call toarrange a viewing.
my-let was conceived from
the start as a franchise modeland, a year on from launchingthe company, Brett hasteamed up with Tom Wysockiin West Hallam to open asecond branch office cateringfor Derbyshire East clientsand is in discussion with an-
other partner to open a third,covering Derbyshire Northup to Sheffield.
“Tom has just completedhis lettings exams and is rar-
ing to go. He’s a great guy,very practical and know-ledgeable about the area. He’salready building up a goodclient base,” , said Brett.
Brett is determined that allthe my-let agents should befully trained, passing theARLA Technical Award inResidential Letting and Prop-erty Management. He, him-self, was named Student ofthe Year after passing the ex-am last year.
He said: “ All our agentshave to have the qualifica-tions which meet Associationof Residential LettingsAgency (ARLA) standards.
“I also believe it is essentialthat there is an end to thesharp practices of certain let-tings agents, such as smallprint termination tie-inclauses, maximising clientaccount interest by payingrents only weekly or monthlyand other such examples.”
He added: “We also protectall our clients’ moneythrough the ARLA ClientMoney Protection Scheme.
“And we cut out the hiddencommissions that a lot ofagencies charge for contractwork – for instance, the an-nual gas certificate checks.
The average price is £60-£70but many agents tag on £10 forcommission.”
“The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of my-let’s sys-tems enables the company tokeep its charges down.” Brettsays.
my-let provides a fully man-aged service for just £30 amonth plus VAT. For findingand checking the credentialsof a tenant, the companycharges £199.
“Most agencies need to em-ploy at least one agent per 60properties. That is the norm.Because our online systemhandles so much of the work,we are able to manage over100 properties each. It meanswe can pass that saving on tothe client,” said Brett.
Someone sold on the suc-cess of My-Let’s hi-tech ap-proach is millionaire prop-erty developer Don Prime,who is an enthusiastic client.We contacted him and hesaid: “I have used many let-ting agents in Derbyshireover the last 35 years and,without doubt, my-let hasbeen the best of these in thefour most important areas offinding the tenants, man-aging them, controlling andchasing the income and or-ganising repairs.”
Said Brett: “Don is prob-ably our most high profilecustomer.
“Our system does tend to beuseful for bigger landlords,people with more than fiveproperties, who are hackedoff with the inefficiency of alot of agencies. But we do havea lot of individuals too.”
For more informationabout my-let, go to: my-let.com or call 0333 456 0070.
Quick responselettings agencyoffers tenantsand landlords abetter way...
BRETT BUTCHER
Brett Butcher, right, receiving the Association of Residental Lettings Agencies Student of the Year award last year afterstudying for the technical award in Residential and Property Management.
12 PROPERTY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 DERBY TELEGRAPH DET-E01-S3 DET
“I have used many lettingagents in Derbyshire over thelast 35 years and my-let hasbeen the best...”DON PRIME
Pat Gibas, who helped launched my-let last year. Tom Wysocki who has taken on the West Hallam franchise.
“I was a landlord myself andfound the lettings agencies Idealt with were just not up toscratch.”
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Derby property developerDon Prime.
