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“The decision to switch software provider was not one that we took lightly” says Andy Holdsworth IT Director at Midlands-based estate agency Burchell Edwards. “We looked long and hard at all of the major suppliers in the industry but once we’d seen what VebraLive could do and then having visited several large agencies already using the system, the decision pretty much made itself.”

“Even though we strongly believed that VebraLive was right for us, we were still concerned over the potential impact of converting our 15 offices from Dezrez to Vebra. We needn’t have worried, the team at Vebra held our hands from start to finish. The migration brought over all of the data we needed to be able to operate 100% on day one, and the switch was as painless as it could have been. Since go-live, the service we have received from their Support team in York has been outstanding, staff are knowledgeable, polite and most importantly patient!”

Burchell Edwards, now part of Connells, operate throughout the East Midlands and from the outset, insisted that their software of choice must help improve their customer experience and bring significant efficiencies to the business.  Andy continues, “ VebraLive certainly lived up to its billing, it has made communication with our clients far simpler and more effective, our marketing activity more targeted and instant and our staff 100% happier.  The biggest indicator of whether we had made the right choice came very early on as all of our staff came back from their training itching to use the software. The next indicator is clearly the impact on the business and with transaction levels bucking the local trends and customer satisfaction at record levels, we’re convinced that we have chosen the right partner.”

“It’s now almost 6 months since we went live and VebraLive is still helping us improve our business. The service we receive from Vebra continues to impress and I would happily recommend Vebra to any agent looking for software to help transform their business.”

• Property Presentation - This includes digital print, 360° tours and EPCs,
• Business Marketing - This includes email marketing, social media, iPhone app and website design.
• Business Services - This includes conveyancing, mortgages, client cash accounting, tenancy documentation and direct debit modules,
• Software Services - This includes datafeed services and training.

GMG Property Services, the largest supplier of software to the property industry, has teamed up with Home Move Box to help take the stress out of moving house by providing new buyers with a free box of essential products when they move into their new home.

The Home Move Box is designed to get home movers up and running during their first few days and contains everyday basic items, such as tea, coffee, various cleaning products and special offers from Virgin Media and British Gas.

This service is available to all agents using Vebra and Core software and it is easy to implement the process at the click of a button. All the agent has to do is register the buyer’s interest in receiving the box, via their software, enter the estimated completion date, which then prompts a reminder to order the box. This is done at no cost to the agent, although they do need to have the home mover’s permission to have the box sent to them, due to data protection.

Mark Goddard, Managing Director of GMG Property Services, commented: “Every home owner in Britain can now receive a free hand-delivered Home Move Box, which we believe takes out some of the stress of moving! We have integrated the service into all our residential sales software so all the agent has to do is click on it to start the order process. It really is a quick and simple way to add a personal touch to the agent’s customer service.”

Comment from Tim Summerley, Managing Director of Vebra, leading estate agency software provider

“Looking back at my comments from this time last year, the phrase ‘uncertainty’ seemed to crop up with monotonous regularity. Twelve months later one would hope that the message could be different, and in some ways it is. We have had a successful 2010/2011 and for the first three months of this financial year, we are ahead of where we were for the same period last year. How do we explain that? Perhaps we have all come to terms with the uncertain environment? Perhaps things aren’t as bad as we’re constantly being told they are? Or perhaps those of us that are still around are better business people than we were when we entered the economic downturn? In reality it’s probably all three.

If like me, you have given up listening to the great and the good of the property industry telling us that the market is improving…on its knees….prices are rising….and falling….banks are lending….there are no first time buyers etc... Then who do you listen to? For me, it’s very simple, I listen to what our clients and our staff are telling me. I analyse the feedback from our sales teams, our support staff and our trainers, as in my opinion they are best placed to tell me what kind of market we’re operating in.

So how has this influenced the decisions we’ve made over the last 12 months? All of the feedback has told us the same thing: Customer Service and Product Development need to be at the heart of everything we do. Now that may not sound ground-breaking, and perhaps it’s not. However, I would argue that any business that isn’t constantly reviewing its products and services is probably missing the point. Over the last 12 months we have invested heavily in our Support Operation; from a new Head of Support to new systems and increased numbers of staff. Whilst there is always room for improvement we have made huge strides in reducing call waiting times and first time resolution. We have added more developers to the team and as a result have been able to release significant new versions of a number of our products with more to follow. We have increased communication with our client base, via our monthly bulletins and quarterly newsletters. And most importantly of all, we have reviewed all interaction points with our clients under our Customer Experience Programme; from your first enquiry, to the installation of your software, to your day-to-day experience of our on-going support.

As a result I’m now convinced that we are ideally placed to offer all of our clients industry-leading service. Clearly, our clients are best placed to tell us if we’re making progress and we very much appreciate their feedback. Just like any other business, we won’t necessarily get it right every time, but we will make sure that we learn and strive to constantly improve the services we offer.”

Staff from across GMG Property Services, parent company of Vebra - leading estate agency software provider, took on the ultimate cycling challenge and have successfully completed the London to Paris Bike Ride!

Otherwise known as ‘The GMG Power of 10’, Beverley Szczech, Amy Tricklebank, Helen Warner, James Toogood, Ben Harding, Damian Haydon, Alasdair Swanson, Daniel Martin, Chris Wray and Ed Mardell all trained hard to ensure they were saddle ready for the event.

The group – unfortunately minus one member - set off from London very early on Friday 24th June and cycled through the picturesque Kent countryside before getting the ferry crossing into France and spending the night in Dieppe. The Saturday was spent cycling through historic towns and sleepy villages in Normandy before coming to rest in Gounay en Bray. On the Sunday, the group made their final descent into Paris before finishing at the city’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, late afternoon.

Organiser, Beverley Szczech, commented: “It was hard work, but a fantastic experience and as a group, we achieved our ultimate goal, despite there being a few emotions on the way. There were lots of hills, particularly through the Kent countryside, but lots of laughs too! We saw some beautiful scenery, but nothing more beautiful than seeing the Eiffel Tower and knowing we had done it! This has really inspired me and I am already looking for my next challenge!

James Toogood, the official GMG Power of 10 Tweeter, said: “Despite the many 5.30am alarm calls and cycling in heat wave conditions on the last day, it was an amazing feeling cycling up to the Eiffel Tower and it was a great team effort all round. Thank you to everyone who supported us and sent encouraging messages along the way, which kept us all going.”

Mark Goddard, Group Managing Director of GMG Property Services, said: “Well done to our GMG Power of 10 team for taking on and successfully completing such a grueling challenge. It was an immense team effort, which they should all be rightly proud of.

“We are coming to the end of our two-year partnership with Shelter and fundraising has varied from madcap activities, such as the London Marathon and the Vertical Challenge, to car washing, skittles nights, quiz nights, cake sales and bag packing in M&S. The London to Paris Bike Ride was our grand finale and we are very pleased to announce that we have raised well over £15,000, with more still to come in. A big well done and thank you to everyone who has been involved, no matter how big or small the contribution.

“Shelter is a hugely important charity cause and we are pleased to do our small part to help Shelter with its fight against homelessness and bad housing.”

To see how the team got on with their training and photos along the way, go to our Facebook page or check out our Twitter page.

A team of 10 people from across the GMG Property Services group - parent company of Vebra, leading provider of estate agency software, have taken on the challenge to cycle from London to Paris over three days, covering over 310km, to raise money for the housing and homelessness charity, Shelter.

Otherwise known as ‘The GMG Power of 10’, Beverley Szczech, Amy Tricklebank, Helen Warner, James Toogood, Ben Harding, Damian Haydon, Alasdair Swanson, Daniel Martin, Chris Wray and Ed Mardell are all currently training to ensure they are saddle ready for the event.

Taking place on the weekend of the 24th – 27th June, the group will set off from London early morning and will cycle through the picturesque Kent countryside before getting the ferry crossing into France and spending the night in Dieppe. The next day will be spent cycling through historic towns and sleepy villages in Normandy before coming to rest in Gounay en Bray. The final day of cycling will see the group heading for Paris before finishing at the city’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, late afternoon. They then return back to the UK the following day, safe in the knowledge they can relax on the Eurostar!

Organiser, Beverley Szczech commented: “Everyone in the team is doing really well and   training hard, so we are on track to complete this challenge. Fundraising has varied from car washing, skittles nights, quiz nights, cake sales and bag packing in M&S – anything to raise money for Shelter.

“It’s been a tough journey, which has seen us cycling through heavy rain, gale-force winds, as well as the few odd days of beautiful sunshine. There have been great stories of falls, bumps and bruises, including one of the team breaking his foot in two places and he wasn’t even on the bike at that point! We’ve been able to share our experiences and advice, such as how to deal with steep hills, stopping chaffing, getting rid of calf cramps, plotting training courses and the best one for the girls – don’t wear lip gloss when cycling as flies will stick to it!”

Mark Goddard, Group MD of GMG Property Services, said: “I would like to wish all of the team the very best of luck with this amazing challenge and I really admire them for all the fundraising they have done so far and the effort they have all put in with their training.

“Shelter is a hugely important charity cause and we are pleased to do our small part to help Shelter with its fight against homelessness and bad housing.”

For further information and to keep up to date with the GMG Power of 10 team, visit the Facebook page

PPS Live 2011 - officially the largest event in the UK for the professional property industry - took place on 10th and 11th May, with Vebra’s parent company, GMG Property Services - leading estate agency software supplier - once again proud to be the main sponsor.

The show attracted over 4,500 visitors and Vebra was pleased to be one of the largest exhibitors, showcasing its latest products and services. Experienced members of the sales team were on hand to give demonstrations or talk through any queries, as well as fantastic giveaways, which included fortune cookies, branded bottles of water and pens, which seemed to go down very well with visitors to the stand!

A lot was achieved over the two days and as well as completing two deals on the stand, a number of good leads were generated and the sales teams took the opportunity to also catch up with existing customers.  

By Tim Summerley, Managing Director, Residential

However what is becoming increasingly apparent is that, even more than before, agents are expecting their software to work extremely hard for them. If it isn’t already, making the most of your data is becoming the key to developing and growing your business and staying ahead of the competition. I think that probably explains why we received more enquiries in February than we have seen in any single month for almost two years! Logic might tell you to batten down the hatches and wait for the market to turn, however I believe good agents are seeing this period as an opportunity to review their businesses, processes and systems to ensure that they are best placed to take market share while others wait and hope!

Targeting the right people at the right time has got to be critical to getting the best instructions or the most serious applicants and either directly via our software or our integration with partner, Brief Your Market, makes this easier than ever. Having the ability to send your matches via email while you have the applicant on the phone, attaching other marketing offers or information about your business will demonstrate exactly how serious you are about your side of things. You’ll not only eliminate the need to send large documents that often fail to make it through your would-be client’s firewall, but you’re also minimising your marketing spend!

Measuring your activity may sound obvious, but do you know what your teams are doing and is it generating business for you? When agents are working with fewer staff trying to win business in an increasingly competitive market, it is absolutely vital that you can trust that your staff are doing the right things at the right time. Set your expectations within your software and then let it drive your activity. If your software isn’t helping you to do this, then you need to ask why.

If you’re now thinking you should be getting more from your software, but your current software doesn’t allow you to do some or all of the things I’ve discussed, then please give us a call - we’d love to hear from you!”

For further information on our software, call 08446 626 464 or visit www.vebra.info and www.coresystems.co.uk

GMG Property Services, the UK’s largest supplier of software solutions to the property industry, is pleased to announce that Paul Boggeln has been appointed as Head of Residential Product, working across all products within its leading residential sales software brands, Vebra and Core.

In his new role, Paul will work closely with the Development Team to co-ordinate the future direction of residential software products by providing a critical link between the support team, the training team, Vebra and Core’s third party suppliers, as well as their existing and potential clients.

Paul has worked as Business Development Manager for GMG Property Services since October 2009, but prior to this he was Office Manager at Core and Head of Client Services for Propertyfinder. He also oversaw the re-launch of The Media Design House, which is part of GMG Property Services’ portfolio and more recently was seconded to manage Vebra and Core’s Support Team.

Tim Summerley, Managing Director, Residential, commented: “Given our on-going investment in additional development resource, there is a need for a dedicated senior manager to determine, plan and implement our product strategy across our entire portfolio which includes EstateCraft, Solex, GMW, Encore32 and our Live products. We now have a very healthy development pipeline driven largely from client requests and Paul will now further develop the detailed plan of where we want each of the products to go over the coming months and years.

“Paul will be responsible for making sure that the commercial side of our business is driving development so that we are able to deliver the products our clients want. His new role will therefore be critical in not only helping us to further grow our business, but also in ensuring that we work even more closely with our existing client base. I’m sure Paul will be a great success in his new role and I wish him the very best of luck.”