Mobile Chip and PIN Keypad Helps Birmingham Letting Agent Let Properties Faster

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. - March 31, 2013 - PRLog -- In a recent interview, Daniel Sperber from IQ Property in Moseley explains how it has helped his letting agency secure better tenants quicker.

So what made you choose a mobile Chip and PIN keypad?

“Picture the scene, it’s a typical Saturday with a diary full of viewings. We have three potential tenants lined up to view a particular house and we expect all three will want it due to its attractive price and central location. As an agent, we just need to identify the best tenant and get them to commit to the property so we can start on the referencing.”

Okay, so that’s easy enough, the tenant just needs to complete an application to start the referencing…

“The challenging part is getting the tenant to commit and by that we mean commit financially. Whilst the market is good, quality tenants are still highly prized so we know that other letting agents in Moseley will also be after them. What’s more, proactive tenants are more likely to view multiple properties so we need to gain a commitment before another agent does.”

I think I see where you’re coming from, so you mean speed is of the essence?

“Absolutely. In the past, we would have asked them to pay our referencing fee and this would reserve the property. However, people don’t carry much cash on them nowadays and so they typically had to find an ATM or even go home and make a bank transfer. If this happens it’s almost inevitable that you will lose a proportion of otherwise ideal tenants, simply because you couldn’t complete the deal there and then.”

So the key to agreeing a quicker let is being able to take a deposit whilst you’re still at the viewing…

“Yes, and having the mobile Chip and PIN keypad has allowed us to do exactly that. Most people carry a debit or credit card in their wallet and so taking a deposit whilst still at the property is a simple and effective way of reserving it. What’s more, the tenant gets instant confirmation that the property has been reserved for them. Clearly this is a better outcome for all concerned.”

It sounds great but I imagine there is a cost associated with taking card payments?

“We do incur a charge per transaction from World Pay who supply the card processing facility and the mobile terminal. However, given that we can let our landlords’ properties more quickly and we waste less time with unnecessary viewings, it is a sacrifice we are happy to make.”

Are there any other innovations in the pipeline?

“We have an open minded approach to technology. We don’t use technology for its own sake, only if it improves the overall customer experience. Some things are better done the old fashioned way. That said we do have a couple of things which we are trialing so watch this space!”

http://iqproperty.co.uk/
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