Sharing our secrets

Your High Street branch is your biggest asset in a sector where online competition is omnipresent. A physical estate agency branch offers something online never will. You’re in the flesh, in person – a tangible presence that people can visit for advice, reassurance or just a cup of coffee. But what do clients find when they arrive at your branch?

If your unique selling point is local property experts in your local community – with the ability to call in and conduct face-to-face business – your office should be first-class, to stand the best chance of winning an instruction and create business advocates. Great office design can help strengthen your agency and improve your business in four main ways:

Guide

WHY YOUR OFFICE MATTERS...

HOW TO ACHIEVE A BETTER BUSINESS THROUGH BETTER BRANCH DESIGN

Your High Street branch is your biggest asset in a sector where online competition is omnipresent. A physical estate agency branch offers something online never will. You’re in the flesh, in person - a tangible presence that people can visit for advice, reassurance or just a cup of coffee. But what do clients find when they arrive at your branch?

If your unique selling point is local property experts in your local community - with the ability to call in and conduct face-to-face business - your office should be first-class to stand the best chance of winning an instruction and create business advocates.

To make the thought of a makeover that bit sweeter, MPL Interiors is offering Estate Agent Today readers 10% off a full office refurbishment*. Just quote MPLEAT17 when contacting us.

If you need any more persuading to replan, relocate, rebrand or refresh, read on!

IMPROVE IN FOUR WAYS....

Better branches can help strengthen your agency and improve your business in four main ways:

1. BRAND AWARENESS AND EXPOSURE

Your corporate identity can influence the interior design, window displays and outdoor signage we create for you, subliminally reinforcing your brand in your local community. Colours, fonts and logos can be applied to many design elements and we can totally rebrand your company if required - especially useful if you’re targeting a new market or have recently merged with another agency to form a new business. Your window display is a 24/7 advertising tool and should work hard for you even when you’ve locked up for the day. Consider the latest digital display screens, LED pockets and even a touch screen than can be operated by passers by from the other side of the glass.

2. PRODUCTIVITY

How you arrange and define the space within your branch will impact on the happiness of your staff, the dynamics of your departments and the productivity of your workforce. Any branch that doesn’t change to meet the demands of the current property market or keep up with competitors will curb success, demotivate staff and, ultimately, dent profits. The good news is there’s always a way to improve your branch through refurbishment It’s possible to create reception areas, soft seating zones and dual-purposes spaces with our clever space planning and shop fitting techniques.

3. THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY

A customer journey is the path a client takes from the moment they step through your door to the moment they leave. At every point they will be drinking in your environment, making assumptions about your business based on what they see. The aesthetics of your branch should reflect the level of service you offer and mirror the clientele you want to attract, as well as provide a comfortable place to conduct business.

4. STAFF HAPPINESS AND WELLBEING

Happy, motivated staff will produce better results, and will repay you with loyalty and a good work ethic. A branch refurbishment is a chance to introduce modern features and improve many workplace aspects, including ergonomics (sit/stand office desks and specific computer chairs), communal kitchens to encourage lunch breaks and staff engagement, washrooms, office heating, air conditioning, health, safety and equality, storage and lighting.

WHERE DO I START?

Getting the best from your office refurbishment. A branch refurbishment is an investment that will pay for itself over and over again by raising brand awareness, attracting new business and providing a motivational place for staff to thrive. Before you begin a branch refurbishment, it’s worth remembering:

INVOLVE THE PROFESSIONALS

When you partner with an office refurbishment company like MPL Interiors, you buy in to their planning, organisational, budgeting and industry skills. Our concept-to-completion service has taken the hassle out of refurbishment for hundreds of estate agents already.

REBRAND TO ATTRACT A NEW CLIENT

If you’re business strategy is to improve fees by attracting a different class of clientele and more expensive properties - perhaps by opening a new branch in a new geographical area - a total or even subtle rebrand can help align your business with a target market. Ask us how colour, pattern and even font choices can help reposition your agency.

HARD COPY AND DIGITAL PLANS ARE ESSENTIAL

Costly mistakes happen when there has been no forward planning. 2D paper space plans and 3D computer designs help agents visualise what a refurbished or re-planned workplace will look like when complete, with the ability to tweak elements before work has started on site.

CONSIDER STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS

Sometimes reconfiguring your existing branch can prove more cost effective and less disruptive than moving to a new premise. Smart space planning and a layout redesign allows you to look at your branch through fresh eyes.

GET THE RIGHT PERMISSIONS

If you’re a tenant, consult with your landlord before undertaking any refurbishments. If the premises falls within a conservation area or has listed status, check for any covenants and liaise with your local planning department

OFFICE RELOCATION? NO PROBLEM...

Any worries concerning an office relocation will be instantly lifted when you appoint MPL Interiors to handle the fit out of a new premises. Talk to us in more detail about a new branch or office but the top-line considerations include:

  • Identify why you’re moving office – is it for more space, to downsize or to target a new audience?
  • Realise what’s wrong and counterproductive in your current office to avoid the same mistakes in a new one.
  • Agree a budget that will please stake holders (and the bank manager).
  • Instigate a formal consultation process involving all staff and stakeholders
  • Clearly communicate timescales to staff – the when, where, what and how
  • Ask for smart scheduling to keep your agency running during the relocation and refurbishment process

Download the guide

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Brand awareness and exposure

Your corporate identity can influence the interior design, window displays and outdoor signage we create for you, subliminally reinforcing your brand in your local community. Colours, fonts and logos can be applied to many office design elements and we can totally rebrand your company if required – especially useful if you’re targeting a new market or have recently merged with another agency to form a new business. Your window display is a 24/7 advertising tool and should work hard for you even when you’ve locked up for the day. Consider the latest digital display screens, LED pockets and even a touch screen than can be operated by passers by from the other side of the glass.

Productivity

How you arrange and define the space within your branch will impact on the happiness of your staff, the dynamics of your departments and the productivity of your workforce. Any branch that doesn’t change to meet the demands of the current property market or keep up with competitors will curb success, demotivate staff and, ultimately, dent profits. The good news is there’s always a way to improve your branch through office refurbishment. It’s possible to create reception areas, soft seating zones and dual-purposes spaces with our clever space planning and shop fitting techniques.

The customer journey

A customer journey is the path a client takes from the moment they step through your door to the moment they leave. At every point they will be drinking in your environment, making assumptions about your business based on what they see. The aesthetics of your branch should reflect the level of service you offer and mirror the clientele you want to attract, as well as provide a comfortable place to conduct business.

Staff happiness and wellbeing

Happy, motivated staff will produce better results, and will repay you with loyalty and a good work ethic. A branch refurbishment is a chance to introduce modern features and improve many workplace aspects, including ergonomics (sit/stand office desks and specific computer chairs), communal kitchens to encourage lunch breaks and staff engagement, washrooms, office heating, air conditioning, health, safety and equality, storage and lighting.

To make the thought of a makeover that bit sweeter, MPL Interiors is offering Estate Agent Today readers 10% off a full office refurbishment*. Just quote MPLEAT17 when contacting us.

Let's exchange ideas.

Get in touch to discuss style, space and specifications so we can reinvent your interior design.

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