Leading the way in town and around – and selling/letting more than their competitors. That’s the service commitment made by Country Properties, an independent, multi-site estate agency supplying a wide range of homes, from studio flats to ‘castles’ both at home and abroad.
The 22-branch franchise network covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and the Cambridgeshire borders and is the brainchild of entrepreneur Mick Rogers.
Mick set up his first office in North Hertfordshire in 1974. Three decades on, robust systems, customer orientated business principles and an energetic and innovative approach to marketing, has accelerated the growth of the network and created an enviable business reputation for the group.
Christine Buzzard, otherwise known as ‘Buzz’ is franchisee for Baldock, Ashwell and Biggleswade in North Hertfordshire. With over twenty years experience, Christine knows the business inside out. Dor-2-Dor had a long standing marketing partnership with the estate agency, Christine explains “One of the ways we have built our business is through leaflet dropping.
Mick Rogers was fanatical about ‘spreading the word’. As each franchisee’s Royal Mail contract ended, the switch was made to Dor-2-Dor as they offered us more flexibility.”Country Properties is a strong advocate of leaflet marketing. Originally its staff distributed leaflets but as the company grew, it made sense to outsource to leaflet delivering to enable employees to concentrate on customer service. Christine says “Our target audience does not fit into neat, post code orientated bundles – and Dor-2-Dor understands that.”
Carrying out a leaflet distribution every month has resulted in a consistent response and new business. All franchisees follow the same marketing system and DOR-2-DOR is now seen as an integral part of their promotional strategy. Marketing literature is re-invented constantly, an indication of the vitality, pride and spirit that exists within Country Properties personnel. The closeness of the franchise network is clear; the individual territories work both independently and as one – to prioritise the customer and thus expand the network.
Christine Buzzard said:
“Every household marketed becomes aware of your business even if they do not keep the leaflet. In a nutshell, DOR-2-DOR provide a value for money, professional service that get results.”
