Job Title: / Lettings/Marketing Officer
Department: / Business Services, Enterprise and Regeneration / Reporting To: / Head of Business Services, Enterprise and Regeneration
Section: / Property, Enterprise and Regeneration / Grade: / 7
Purpose of Job
To ensure income maximisation from the letting and management of commercial and residential properties and the development of customer relationships through the marketing and promotion of the property management service to existing and new customers.
Context & Scope
The post will assist with providing a comprehensive property management service to Queens Cross Housing Association and its subsidiaries and related companies.
Queens Cross Factoring Ltd provides a factoring service to 2,500 owners in mainly traditional tenements and new build properties in the north west area of Glasgow. With a turnover of £1.7m, the company is continuing to grow as a result of Queens Cross Housing Association’s development programme and its good reputation as a factor. The post-holder will be the lead officer responsible for marketing the service to prospective new customers and introducing new customers to the service as part of changes of ownership within the existing portfolio as well as the lead officer responsible for shared ownership, shared equityandthe letting of mid-market rental properties.
Queens Cross Workspace is a registered charity involved in creating and maintaining local employment in the Queens Cross area. The post holder will be the lead officer responsible for the marketing of Queens Cross Workspace’s 70 commercial property (100,000 sq ft of retail, office and workshop properties)including responsibility for negotiation of lease agreements, extensions and dilapidations (within pre-agreed limitations). This post is crucial to encouraging business start-ups and companies to relocateas well as maintaining existing tenancies to allow the charity to have a greater impact on regeneration within the local area.
The role requires the post holder to have knowledge of the property sector and lettings in a commercial or residential lettings environment, with a commensurate level of knowledge of marketing to ensure suitable promotion of the subsidiary companies’ services.
The post holder will be required to assist with reviewing and developing relevant letting policies and procedures to ensure adherence to all landlords’ responsibilities and within factoring to the Scottish Property Factors Act.
Given the nature of the role and the significant time demands and deadlines, there will be a number of competing priorities and the post-holder will require a high level of planning and organisational skills. There is also a requirement for aconsiderableattention to detail and accuracy in communications and in dealing with relevant legal and regulatory responsibilities.
The post is office based but will involve viewings of void properties and meetings with customers and other stakeholders, sometimes out-with office hoursand occasional lone working.
Major Tasks & Job Activities
Letting Service Provision
The post-holderwill be the lead officer responsible for our letting service:
- Marketing and re-letting of void residential and mid-market rent properties
- Being responsible for dilapidationsand management of relevant Health & Safety responsibilities eg.fire safety, gas servicing and fixed wiring testing
- Negotiation and setting up of commercial lease agreements, including issuing instructions to solicitors and occasional change of use through Glasgow City Council
- Setting up of Scottish Short Assured Tenancy agreements from initial enquiry, including taking up appropriate references etc.
- Analysis of title deeds burdens and share apportionments
- Shared ownership agreements, including all administration of buy-ups and sales and issuing of annual rent letters
- Change of ownership process, dealing with solicitors, collating of appropriate warranties and certificationand liaising with colleagues and contractors to allow for accurate billing
- Applying for empty property rates relief
- Managing of energy supplier, water rates and rates changeover of tenancy
- Development of brochures, newsletters, annual reports, written statement (in line with the Scottish Property Factors Act) and other pro-forma correspondence
- Annual internal property inspections
- Organising reinstatement value surveys for existing and new stock
- Assisting with general departmental tasks such as answering telephone enquiries, emails and written correspondence and in the invoicing process.
The post-holder will be responsible for achieving a number of key performance targets:
- Increased number of enquiries for void properties
- Increased conversion of enquiries to lets
- Management of void turnover times and rates
- Development of customer engagement tools, surveysetc. to assess performance and presentation of results
- Preparation of reports, statistics and other information as required.
The post-holder will be the lead officer responsible for marketing activity:
- Development of marketing and re-letting policies and procedures
- Development and implementation of marketing strategy and action plans
- Driving publicity and promotion of services to attract and retain customers.
- Update and maintenance of online information
- Developing use of social media and website as a marketing tool
- Assist with relevant grant applications
The post-holder will be responsible for achieving a number of key VFM objectives:
- Budget responsibility for management of dilapidations and void re-let conditions
- Assisting with developing internal processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the service
The post-holder will be responsible for building and sustaining external relationships:
- Engaging with prospectiveand existing customers, colleagues within Queens Cross Housing Association, external service agencies and other stakeholders
- Dealing with front line resolution of and recording complaints
- Arranging customer focus groups and liaison events, and carrying out satisfaction surveys
- Encouragetradewithin commercial tenants group
- Promote of community links with commercial tenants
- Partnership working with similarly aimed charitable trading and property management companies
- Developing links with enterprise and social enterprise bodies to assist the marketing of the units.
Other Tasks & Activities
Health & Safety
The post-holder will:
- Understand their responsibilities as an employee under Health & Safety legislation.
- Comply with the Association’s Health & Safety Polices and relevant legislation.
- Ensure that all company activities are discharged in a safe manner, minimising risks at all times.
The post-holder will:
- Be responsible for identifying their own training requirements in relation to the role and proactively seek ways to improve their own knowledge and skills
- Attend training and personal development courses as and when required by the Association.
- Understand their own responsibilities under the ICT User Policy.
- Maximise the use of ICT facilities and technology initiatives and contribute to their development as appropriate
The post holder will observe and promote the Equality & Diversity and Customer First policies at all times:
- Tailor service delivery to the needs of individual customers
- Make a difference to customers by delivering on commitments
- Take ownership for delivering a first class customer experience
- Look for solutions when issues or complaints arise
The post holder will:
- Assist in Queens Cross Housing Association’s aim to reduce the negative impact of services on the environment by considering the sustainability of activities and resources employed.
The post holder will:
- Attend meetings out with normal working hours, as and when required.
- Carry out any other duties which may be reasonably requested by the Head of Business Services and undertake any duties subsequently allocated by the Association’s management.
- The duties of the post will be reviewed and modified in line with the exigencies of the service.
/ Person Specification
Job Title: / Lettings/Marketing Officer
Department: / Business Services, Enterprise and Regeneration / Reporting To: / Head of Business Services, Enterprise and Regeneration
Section: / Property, Enterprise and Regeneration / Grade:
Category / Essential Criteria / Desirable Criteria
Experience / Minimum of 5 year experience of a commercial or residential lettings environment
General marketing and promotion / Experience of working for a housing association or factoring company
Dealing with solicitors regarding sale of properties/ letting terms
Marketing and promotion in a service industry
Qualifications / Degree level or equivalent experience / Qualifications in marketing, residential or commercial letting
Knowledge / Property management service delivery in a commercial setting
Property marketing
Property Management Software Systems / Use of RPM system
Knowledge of housing sector
Regulatory and legal framework (Health & Safety, landlords’ responsibilities and factoring).
Planning regulations
Designing of brochures,newsletters etc.
Customer surveys development
Skills Abilities / Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to prioritise and organise workload to meet deadlines
Negotiation skills
Competent in Microsoft Office including Excel and Powerpoint.
Ability to analyse, layout and present information including statistics / Website and web portal update and development
Behaviours / Customer focus
Must be able to communicate well in different situations
Ability to manage time effectively
Proactiveapproach to problem solving
Takes ownership of service delivery
Must be able to work on own initiative as well as be a good team-player
Flexible, adaptable approach and the ability to attend meetings and events out with normal office hours / Commitment to personal development
Values feedback
Other Requirements / Current drivers’ licence