Agency guide to explore the effects of ROPA and how agents can prepare now

In this guest blog, Sally Lawson, former ARLA president and expert in supporting the lettings industry to generate leads and increase revenue, explores the effects of ROPA and how agents can prepare now. Are you ready for ROPA?

The property sector is still waiting for confirmation on when the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) will come into force. Exactly how the ROPA report recommendations will be responded to and implemented by the Government remains to be seen, but we know a key element of any industry changes is likely to be focused around the requirement for all agents to have specific qualifications.

That means there’s plenty you can (and should) be doing to prepare, while we await the details, to ensure that current staff and any new recruits you take on begin developing their skills

Highly-qualified staff are going to become even more sought-after than they are now, and with the high employee turnover rates associated with the industry, you’re going to need to make sure your recruitment, training, and retention processes are all effective to be certain you comply with ROPA and continue to grow your agency.

But how do you do that? At Agent Rainmaker, we’re helping hundreds of businesses prepare for the changes – and I’ve put together my top four tips for those looking to secure a bright future post-ROPA.

Switch up your recruitment process

Currently you might be doing all the work – inviting CVs to be submitted through an online recruitment site and then pursuing any applicants who you want to take through to the next stage. What we’ve seen to be more effective in getting candidates who really want to work for you, is switching the process up so they become much more active participants even at the early stages.

This means they fill in a specific application form rather than submitting a generic CV – and then they need to book a ‘culture fit’ online interview with you. From our own experience, around 10 per cent of potential candidates will go to the effort of filling in the form, and around half of those will then book an interview. It means anyone who reaches that stage is genuinely interested in your agency, and makes their potential future with your company a little more secure.

Clear expectations

While showing your new recruit where the fire exit is and how to log on to their computer is crucial on the first day, setting out clear expectations should also be part of a robust onboarding process.

If you set out from the beginning what training you require each member of the team to undertake, and the timescale you expect this to be achieved in, then everyone knows exactly how they’re expected to progress in their role.

To avoid repetition, you could record a video which sets out this information and upload it to an online onboarding system, along with other key resources, which each new team member can view on their first day and come back to down the line if they need a reminder.

Set aside training time

Training should already be a necessity rather than an optional part of all roles within the agency – but if it’s not now then it’ll definitely need to be soon. All of my staff have a quota for career professional development days over the year – and it’s up to them to make sure they schedule in that time. After all, we’re here to support them but the responsibility for their own development lies with them.

This means when it’s time for a pay or performance review, whether they’ve met their CPD quota for the year is taken into account.

Company culture

Culture is something I talk about a lot, but there’s a very good reason: it’s essential to your business going forward. You can have a fantastic recruitment process which makes sure the right candidate is secured for every vacancy you have; you can have the world’s best training scheme; but if everyone leaves after a year because they’re unbearably miserable at work, then what’s it all worth?

After-work drinks, an on-site cinema room, free lunches and team building getaways are all aspects I’ve built into the Agent Rainmaker way of working – not just because I care about my staff and how much they enjoy working with us, but also because there are tangible benefits to the business of doing so.

Because while it’s true that happy staff equals happier customers, those who are content in their job also stay at a company longer – meaning you can train and retain qualified staff, and compliance with that element of ROPA (when it finally comes into place) will be much simpler.

Author – Sally Lawson, Agent Rainmaker

Sally Lawson established her own lettings agency aged just 18, growing a franchise network responsible for many thousands of properties across the UK before turning her attention to coaching and mentoring other agents.

Alongside her Concentric Property group, the former ARLA president is committed to transforming the fortunes of other agents through the Agent Rainmaker training enterprise. Visit agentrainmaker.co.uk for more information.