Are Harcourts the best?

Press, 27 January 1988, Page 25

Are Harcourts the best?

The Harcourts Real Estate corporate slogan describes them as the “extra effort team.”

It is a claim many real estate agencies might make. Unfortunately for them, however, Harcourts, have the facts to prove it. With just 9 per cent of the Christchurch real estate sales force, Harcourts sell 32 per cent of all real estate sold. And of all their Christchurch offices, Harcourts City regularly tops the figures. The managing director of Harcourts Real Estate, Mr Steve Collins, believes that their success is due to a young management team, adept at employing both innovative ideas and a highly effective sales team.

A “Harcourts person” is a much sought-after commodity, and the ability to a) spot one, b) develop their full potential, is a large part of what makes a Harcourts manager.

Mr Bill Lloyd, the city branch manager, is such a person, as his team’s sales-figures show. He has 16 years experience in real estate sales and personnel management. He has been with Harcourts, and Collins Real Estate before it, since 1977. Mr Lloyd believes that a Harcourts person is made, not born. That is why every agent they employ is sent on a two-week training course before they start. They are shown how to relate to people’s needs, how to empathise with their situation, and how to use their instructors’ experience to gain an understanding of the business which might otherwise take years to grow. Their innate abilities

are developed through close supervision and extensive in-house training. Even those at Mr Lloyd’s level do a course every two or three months in customer relations' and personal development. Harcourts teach their sales force to give their utmost and to provide the ultimate service to “our” public. Having learnt to do that, they only need to sit back and wait for the returns to come in.

Harcourts take their people seriously. Prospective agents are interviewed, and then assessed by Partingtons, the management consultants. According to Mr Lloyd, they are looking for the raw materials of which a Harcourts person is made. He or she is motivated by success, looks for the highest possible standard, and above all, wants to be better than the rest — and is prepared to give a better standard of service to get there. This service involves adhering to the Harcourts marketing plan, which, in true Harcourts style, has been drawn up as a formal guarantee to their clients.

It is a 12 point plan, promising that details of a

property listed will be distributed to “every appropriate Harcourts office and every Harcourts salesperson within 24 hours of listing, to ensure that every appropriate salesperson is immediately aware your property is for sale,” and that “we guarantee to keep in touch with you throughout the marketing programme so you will be aware at all times of the progress being made on the sale of your home.” They also promise the use of their computer matching system, a software package developed exclusively for use throughout the Harcourts Real Estate network.

Computer streamlining and exceptional marketing are part of the reason

Harcourts have become “the household name” in Christchurch. But once more the real reason comes down to the people behind the sales figures. Their belief in themselves, their belief in their company and their belief in the Harcourts ethic of service.

Mr Lloyd attributes their success to three things — the “sheer dynamic energy” of Steve Collins, the “extreme competence” of the local management, (whose experience belies their years), and their commitment to give a better service than any of their competitors. “We’re here to stay. We owe it to public and to the people who trust us with their careers.”