Simon Duce, Managing Director.

ARPM 

Who are you and what does it say on your business card?

Simon Duce, Managing Director.

What is ARPM and what does it do?

ARPM, short for Ash Residential Property Management. We provide white-labelled outsourced tenancy administration and property management services to estate and letting agents so they can focus on fee-earning activity.

What services do you offer and in what ways do you work with estate and letting agents?

We work closely with estate and letting agents to first understand their business, challenges and objectives so we can then develop a package of services that works for them.

For our partners looking for a completely hands-off and hassle-free solution, we deliver a full property management service that takes care of everything from the day the tenant moves in. This includes rent collection and 24/7 property maintenance with the option to benefit from our pre-tenancy administration service whenever businesses need it. However, all services are also available as stand-alone, which works for businesses with some in-house staff or who need the instant ability to scale up operations.

What makes your product different and how does it benefit agents? 
We’re not software providers, but real people with a deep understanding of the private rented sector who utilise the best available systems and software while working on the behalf of estate and letting agents, under their name. Our property management team act with complete confidentiality and treat landlords and tenants as if they were their own.

What is your greatest achievement in your current role and what made it so special?

When our managed client portfolio reached 5,000 properties, that was a real milestone.  And when the second person who joined the business back in 2008 reached her 10-year work anniversary last year, it was a very proud moment.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

Helping estate agents realise their potential and grow their lettings portfolios and developing our own staff.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing estate and letting agents at the moment?

Undoubtedly the loss of income arising from the Tenant Fee Ban and number of private landlords looking to leave the sector or reduce their costs.

What is your property prediction for the remainder of 2018?

There will unfortunately be casualties over the coming year, but if estate and letting agents can survive and weather the storm, there will be a bigger market share of business up for the taking.

The key to overcoming any challenge is to face it head on. Letting agents need to take the time to seriously review their business and how it operates now and carry out a detailed financial analysis of how market changes will realistically impact their income – no matter how painful it might be. Only then will they have a true ‘gap analysis’.

It is then a case of looking at ways they can cut costs while increasing income streams.

Country house or city apartment?

Country House

Trendy roof terrace or traditional English garden?

English Garden

Would you rather be a free-moving tenant or settled owner occupier?

Settled owner occupier

What is your favourite room in your home?

Kitchen/breakfast room

Homes under the Hammer or Location, Location, Location?

Location, Location, Location

Visit ARPM here.