Rob Clifford Blog

I've said it before and I'll say it again - and this will not come as a shock to you - the image of lettings agents particularly in the mainstream media is still not great at present.

This being the case I have to sometimes wonder if owners of certain letting agencies have not taken leave of their senses when it comes to the way they portray their businesses and the level of service which they provide. Anyone in their right mind would probably think that adding fuel to the prejudiced and negative media fire which is still going strong would be a daft idea however this doesn't appear to stop some agents effectively bringing the sector into disrepute.

I'm all for promotion, advertising, marketing and seeking ways to generate business from multiple sources, publications and websites, however one thing we always keep in mind is reputational risk and the impact it has on our brand. Clearly, when you are representing one of (if not the) biggest real estate brand in the world, you always need to have a close eye on the potential impact you can have, not just in the UK, but globally whenever you are looking to raise your profile.

This was certainly in my mind when I saw a recent story on LAT that focused on the banning of a letting agent's advert by the ASA because (essentially) it showed a bit too much female skin for the regulator's liking. You can judge for yourself whether this was the ASA being overly prudish' as one online commentator thought it or an error of judgement' on the part of the agent as others felt it to be. I'm inclined to go with the latter judgement not least because I tend to agree with the ASA view that this type of image has nothing whatsoever to do with the lettings business.

And before anyone points out that images of near-naked models has been used to advertise everything from ice cream to socks in the past I would argue that (given the overwhelmingly negative press the letting agency sector is receiving at present) that it would be far preferable to use images which represent the service we provide and the clients we serve.

If you want to represent your business as one which doesn't take its proposition seriously then by all means go ahead but don't be surprised if the very people who you want to entice don't take you seriously either. I'm not suggesting that advertising or marketing has to be dull and must not include humour because of course it can but I would hope we, as a sector, are a bit farther down the road than deploying advertising which attempts to prove right the adage that sex sells'.

The big question is in the long-term is how do we want our sector to be perceived Are we looking to exacerbate the relatively poor perception of our sector or are we looking to cultivate an image and reputation for excellence and an ongoing commitment to delivering quality for both landlords and tenants alike If it's the latter, then how best can we do this By embarking on a programme of raising standards, ensuring higher skills in our businesses and offering a broad range of support and benefits to our customers Or by producing one-off adverts which attempt to drag in clients through the lowest common denominator

I know the reputation I want to achieve and sustain with Century 21 UK and I sincerely hope that the vast majority of our peer group want to do the same. You may know the old saying which warns us that a positive reputation takes an age to attain and merely seconds to lose. I would suggest that right now our industry needs to commit to a long-term plan to re-establish a positive reputation and that by focusing on how we want our businesses and sector to be perceived in the years to come we can aim to deliver this. Rome wasn't built in a day however and it will take all players in the sector pulling together to bring about the substantial shift in consumer perception which our sector deserves.

Rob Clifford is Managing Director of Century 21 UK