In the spotlight: Charlotte Gray, director of Professional Property Letting
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Charlotte Gray, director of independent Edinburgh lettings agency, Professional Property Letting, acquired the business seven years ago. She leads a team of three, including a head of operations and property management, senior property consultant and an assistant property manager.
We’ve shone the spotlight on Charlotte, to find out more about Professional Property Letting – and we’ve learned that property is in her DNA, how the business has evolved since she took over the helm and why not every client is the right client.
Tell us a little about the business and what you do.
Professional Property Letting (PPL) specialises in residential lettings and property management.
We’re a close-knit team of four, providing a complete service for landlords, from marketing and tenant finding to maintenance, inspections, compliance and day-to-day management. We also offer HMO management, refurbishment and property investment and sourcing advice.
Being a small independent agency means we stay closely connected to our landlords, tenants and properties. As we grow, it’s important to me that we retain that personal, approachable service while maintaining a high level of professionalism.
What inspired you to acquire the business and how has it progressed since then?
Before acquiring PPL, I worked for two letting agents in Edinburgh as a business-development manager. My family work in property, so I’ve always been involved in lettings and property refurbishment.
Since acquiring the business, it has evolved considerably. I’ve continued to develop and strengthen PPL’s property-management service, grow our portfolio and build relationships with landlords. At the same time, I’ve been very conscious that I don’t want growth to come at the expense of the personal service that PPL offers.
For me, the progression of PPL has never been about becoming the largest agency, but about continually becoming better – improving the services we provide, building a strong reputation and creating a business that landlords and tenants know they can rely on.
What makes your business different from others in your sector?
As well as the personal service we offer, I believe that our hands-on approach, accessibility and genuine care for the properties and people we look after set us apart.
Why do landlords and renters choose your business?
For landlords, we offer the reassurance that their property is being properly looked after. We understand how complex the lettings industry has become, particularly when it comes to legislation and compliance, so a big part of our role is taking that pressure away and making things as straightforward as possible for landlords.
For tenants, we want them to feel that they are renting a home rather than simply occupying another property. If something goes wrong, they know who they are speaking to and that we will work to get it resolved. Good communication and treating people fairly are very important to us.
What are you most proud of achieving since you acquired the business?
I’m particularly proud of the reputation PPL has and the fact that so much of our new business comes through recommendations and word of mouth – there’s no better endorsement than an existing landlord or tenant being happy and recommending us!
The business wouldn’t be what it is without my team though, and I’m exceptionally grateful to them for helping PPL become what it is today.
How has the business evolved since you took it over?
I’ve tried to take everything that was good about PPL and modernise it. We’ve become much more hands-on and proactive in the way we manage our properties, we’ve improved our systems and processes, developed the team and strengthened the PPL brand.
The lettings industry has changed enormously, particularly with increasing regulation and compliance requirements, so we’ve had to continually adapt and make sure we’re providing clients with the knowledge and support they need.
What has been the key to the company’s success?
Keeping things personal and never losing sight of the fact that property management is really about the tenants and landlords, as without them, the business wouldn’t be here.
What is the biggest misconception people have about your industry?
The biggest misconception is that letting agents simply find a tenant, collect the rent and arrange the occasional repair. In reality, there’s a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to manage a property properly.
The private rented sector (PRS) in Scotland is highly regulated and constantly evolving and so a large part of our job is making sure our landlords understand their responsibilities, their properties remain compliant and that changes in legislation are dealt with correctly.
Alongside that, we’re managing maintenance, inspections, tenant communication, rent, contractors, safety requirements and all the unexpected situations that naturally come with managing property.
There’s much more to being a good letting agent than collecting rent. We’re looking after what is often one of our landlords' biggest financial assets, while at the same time managing someone’s home, and we take both of those responsibilities seriously.
What trends or changes are you currently seeing in your sector?
The biggest change we’re seeing is the increasing level of regulation within the PRS in Scotland. Being a landlord is much more complex than it was a few years ago, and keeping up with legislation, compliance and changing responsibilities has become a significant part of property management.
What are your ambitions for the business over the next couple of years?
I’d like to see PPL continue to grow, but in a controlled and sustainable way. For me, it has never been about becoming the biggest letting agency in Edinburgh, but about becoming one of the best and building a business that people want to work with.
What is the best piece of business advice you have ever been given and how
did it help your business?
The managing director of a company I once worked for told me that not every client
is the right client for your business, and I’ve found that to be true. The right relationships are far more important than simply growing the numbers.
That advice has given me the confidence to have difficult conversations and occasionally walk away from business that hasn’t been the right fit. Protecting PPL’s standards, the team and the service we provide is more important than growth for the sake of growth, and I believe that has helped me to build a stronger business with clients we genuinely enjoy working with.
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