UK

Property Management Software – Revolutionary Lettingrental Service For Estate Agents

Property blogger

With the changing pace of technology, the lettings industry has changed hugely from the days of collecting rent door to door to now receiving online transactions. It’s now easier for landlords to get their payments on time and similarly further payments are made to contractors etc. with ease. Not only this, the chance of losing cheques is greatly reduced. Handling the day to day work and online transactions for a small or start up business is fine but when it comes to expanding the business manual processing puts you at a great disadvantage. In such cases you will be researching the Property management software available in the market. At TBL We have come up with the complete solution PropCo Enterprise-software specialising in residential lettings, accounts and property management.

This Property management software delivers some unique and outstanding features giving you complete control of your property portfolio:

Residential Property Lettings
Marketing
Property Maintenance
Client Accounting
Document Management
Work flow Automation

The enhanced features of PropCo Enterprise that make it the best in the UK include:

System Structure
Multiple client account
Receiving rent/ fees and payments etc
Access data
Marketing
Property
Landlord’s
Contractor’s
Data Conversion

This property management software PropCo Enterprise has the flexibility to cater for the needs of both multi user and single user letting agents, from large to small. PropCo Enterprise takes care of the entire letting cycle of a tenancy starting right from the applicant matching to the tenant booking to maintenance of the property contractors, if needed with customer satisfaction as the main focus.

Along with the core Property management software, PropCo Enterprise from TBL also offers PropCo Web which delivers a robust web presence showcasing the products and services of our clients. When PropCo web is integrated with PropCo Enterprise further features such as Landlord and Tenant Portal, Interactive mapping etc. can be delivered making the product available to applicants easily and grabbing the opportunity to convert them into tenants!

Coming to our Client base, we have a long list of clients throughout the UK. The largest clients that we currently have are Countrywide Residential Lettings who have selected our property management software after a rigorous tender process.

Gazeley for sale despite difficult UK commercial property market

Property blogger

Asda, the supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart, the US retailer, could sell its global property development business in a deal that could fetch up to 400m. There are also rumours that Wal-Mart is looking to sell Asda as well.

The company told staff yesterday that it was looking for a buyer for Gazeley, an industrial developer, which will interest rivals such as San Francisco-based AMB and Australia’s Goodman International.

Gazeley is one of the largest industrial property developers in the UK and also operates in a number of other countries, including India, Mexico and China. It was acquired by Wal-Mart as part of its takeover of Asda in 1999.

Formed in 1987, the group operates as a standalone business, but also provides Wal-Mart and Asda with distribution and storage warehouses across the world.

Wal-Mart has picked a potentially difficult time in which to sell a property business, but Andy Bond, president and chief executive of Asda, said: “This is not a core business for us. We have previously had several unsolicited approaches for Gazeley and have now decided to review our strategic options, which might include a sale of the business.”

However, capital values have been in free-fall as fears have emerged over occupier demand. This, coupled with the greater difficulty in securing debt for the deal, means Asda is unlikely to secure a high price.

ProLogis, the US industrial developer, was linked with a bid for Gazeley two years ago. At the time, Asda said it had no interest in selling the company.

A significant part of the value of Gazeley will be its large undeveloped land bank, with more than 20 sites in the UK alone, and more across continental Europe and Asia.

Gazeley is the preferred developer of distribution space for Wal-Mart International, including Asda in the UK and Wal-Mart China. Wal-Mart is understood to be keen to sell the business with guarantees that ensure this strategic relationship continues, which would allow it first choice for prime sites in the future.

Pat McGillycuddy, chief executive of Gazeley, said: -We have produced consistent profit growth over the last five years and developed leased warehouses across Europe in 2007 with an investment value of 325m.

We have a successful business model and a strong management team that will add value to any new business partner.’

Wal-Mart wants to keep existing management in place following the sale if possible.

Businesses for Sale

Dyson Vs Hoover – The Value Of Intellectual Property

Property blogger

Most people have heard of a Hoover, but almost as many have now heard of a Dyson, too, as the brand has become synonymous with innovation in vacuum cleaning, and in other household products, too.

Dyson’s success – the company now has more than a third of the UK market for vacuum cleaners – has not been without conflict. One major factor in its advance has been make sure that its product innovations – in combination, the company’s intellectual property – were carefully protected.

Legend has it that James Dyson was inspired by the air extractor at a coating plant, and used this inspiration to create his famous cyclonic vacuum cleaner. The initial frustration that made him look for a new idea was how the efficiency of his regular vacuum cleaner decreased as dust filled its bag.

Dyson had the good sense to consult an experienced intellectual property (or IP) lawyer who advised him to ensure his new technology was patented. And, thanks to that important step, he was in the ideal position to be able to defend himself against a much larger rival, when they developed a product that looked remarkably similar to his cyclone vacuum. That rival was Hoover, who Dyson took to court in 2000 to sue them for patent infringement. It is understood the successful claim meant around $5 million in damages – but more importantly, it stopped Hoover and others from copying the Dyson design and ensured his leading design had no clear rivals in the marketplace.

Hiring a specialist IP lawyer as Dyson did will make sure you are informed about the best way to protect your intellectual property, whether through use of a patent, or another route such as registering a trademark or a copyright. It is vital to seek advice and take action early; had Dyson waited until his first model was selling well, he could have laid himself open to having his proprietary design copied, without any legal protection or comeback against those benefiting from the sales of a product with a similar design.

With patents, the rules of patentability are specified by the law, with certain discoveries disallowed from the process. These exemptions include items already existing in nature, scientific theories, and some diagnostic methods. And to qualify, a new product must be capable of actual manufacture; and it has to be obviously new.

Taking advice on your intellectual property from an experienced, qualified IP Lawyer is hugely important when considering whether a patent is the best way forward for you, as well as when making sure that you have filed the documents properly and so afforded yourself the best commercial protection. Taking the right IP advice could mean your invention turns you into the next James Dyson!

Top Reasons For Buying A Property Abroad

Property blogger

There are several reasons why people choose to buy a second property abroad.

Ownership of property outside the UK is increasing in popularity. Fuelled partly by lower house prices and better climates, and made more favourable still by low-cost airlines, the appeal of a second property abroad is understandable. Once the preserve of the rich, a holiday home in Spain, Portugal, France or anywhere in the world for that matter, can now be acquired easily by the majority of the UK population.

There are three top reasons that people choose to buy a property abroad:

To live permanently in a new country

Some people move abroad for work, whilst others choose to retire outside the UK. Moving to a new country on a permanent basis is a challenge and a risk, and so many people choose to buy a property abroad, whilst keeping their UK home and renting it out. This means that they have somewhere to come back to should things not work out as planned. For many, moving to a new country is one of the best experiences of their life. The chance to live in a new culture; learning the language, eating new foods and soaking up the sun, is exactly what people are looking for.

To have a permanent holiday base

Some people like nothing more than the security of having a permanent holiday base. You know where to go, what shops are available, where the best beaches are and what attractions are nearby. You dont have to waste any of your holiday time getting acclimatised and your accommodation is a home-from-home. Whats more, you can visit it as often as you like throughout the year, and you can invite friends and family to come along and enjoy the holiday with you, or lend it to them so that they have a ready-made holiday base of their own.

To rent to other holidaymakers

Many people choose to cover the costs of buying and running their property abroad by renting it out. There are two main ways to do this; hiring an agent to rent the property on your behalf, or handling all the rentals yourself. An agent will take a percentage fee, but will handle all the bookings, cleaning and maintenance of your property. If you manage the rentals on your own, you will need to find someone trustworthy who can clean and prepare the property for your customers and handle any issues that arise when people are staying in your property. Renting is a very effective way to cover costs, and even to make a profit, but you have to limit the times when you can use the property and be prepared for damage and wear and tear to increase.