You may already know us as a leading East Sussex estate agent which has had a presence in our part of the world since the mid-1990s. You might also understand that we’re experts in sales, lettings and block management, with offices across Lewes, Heathfield, Uckfield, Bexhill, Eastbourne and Hastings as well as our Head Office located in St Leonards. (Having started out with just one office.) Or that our track record in the area, our knowledge of the property sector here, and the strength of our local contacts, are second to none.
But you may be less aware of what exactly sets us apart from our competition of Letting Agents. Here, we outline why we think we’re first choice, every time, for so many people.
- A skilled and qualified workforce
We’re members of ARLA Propertymark – the leading body for the property sector. But so are many agents. The Oakfield difference is that our staff are properly qualified to do the job we employ them to do. In practice, that means all our team members either hold the Level 3 qualification or are studying towards it with Emma Hawkins our Lettings Managing Director holding a Level 4 qualification.
The Level 3 Propertymark qualification in the letting and management of residential property is the most popular one among valuers, negotiators and property managers. It marks the holder out as a professional, properly qualified letting agent. There are four modules and exams, all complementing day-to-day work in the sector.
- A centralised accounts team
We have a dedicated accounts team who spend all their time taking care of the accounting side of lettings. That encompasses everything from chasing rent arrears to processing payments for both landlords and contractors and dealing with financial queries and issues as they arise. All of which means people get paid far more quickly and things like rent arrears get dealt with more promptly than some of our competitors manage. At Oakfield we pride ourselves on ensuring that our Landlords get paid the same day we receive payment as no Landlord wants to be waiting days for the rent to be paid to them.
- A dedicated contact for tenancy renewals
One of our team members does nothing but handle tenancy renewals. With 17 years’ industry experience, she is highly skilled in liaising with tenants and landlords to agree new rents and terms whenever this needs doing. Again, having someone focus solely on this side of things is very efficient and effective. It means we never miss deadlines for new contracts, and can help negotiate the best deals for all concerned.
- An experienced property management team
Every member of our property management team has been doing their job for more than five years. The department is headed up by Chloe Taylor, Property Management Director who has over 13 years experience. That means our landlords have complete confidence that they’re dealing with experienced property managers who fully understand the relevant legislation and have a detailed appreciation of the different elements of tenancy management. What’s more, if we take on your property, you’ll get a dedicated property manager, meaning you have just one point of contact at all times who knows you, your Tenants and your property.
- Access to an online portal
As a client of Oakfield Estate Agents, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to an online portal, and many people tell us how useful they find this. Landlords can see all their statements and tenancy documents in one place whenever they want them, and can note any maintenance issues which have cropped up. Meanwhile, tenants have access to the same portal, and they can use it to report any maintenance issues as they occur along with pictures and videos which can help resolve issues far quicker.
- Property visits
Unlike many other estate agents who outsource this job, we have a dedicated member of staff whose job it is to do all our property visits. She gets to know the properties well, and the tenants who live in them. As part of her role, she also produces detailed reports to send to the landlord after each inspection.
- Our community commitment
As mentioned, our roots in our part of the world run deep. So we’re determined actively to help our community as much and as often as we can. We’re therefore delighted to support local good causes, events and organisations, from school fetes to football teams and more. Equally, we encourage staff in their individual charitable endeavours through sponsorship; recent examples of this include team members raising funds through a bungee jump and a marathon.
Local charities we have supported include Warming up the Homeless, the Raystead Centre for Animal Welfare, Running Space and Holding Space, and you can read more about them here.
Oakfield says
We believe that all the above elements make up what we like to call the Oakfield difference. They’re why we’re widely considered to be one of the area’s best Letting agents. We’re the local operators you can trust, whether you’re new to the lettings industry and your are choosing a managing agent for the first time or you have a portfolio of properties you are looking to place with an agent Oakfield can tailor our services to suit your needs.
And with over 2,000 Google reviews online from happy customers, you can have complete confidence in the way we work.
We’ve been around a while, but we’ve lost none of our passion for what we do and are determined to keep growing and succeeding. Whatever your situation, get in touch today to discuss it.