Referencing Update from Lucia Marchesi, Referencing Manager
Posted by Ellie Dreisenstock on March 30, 2021
The last 12 months have been unprecedented for our referencing teams and our customers
In 2020 we rapidly went from being fully office-based to working at home. Moving from a team used to working in one large office to being based in their own home space brought its challenges and took some getting used to, but what a team! They’ve been exceptional whilst working remotely. Video calls and chats have really helped us maintain our interaction, and we can’t wait to see everyone together again as a full team when it’s safe to do so.
I have to praise the team’s professionalism; it’s been vital that we retain our customer-focused culture and continue to deliver an unparalleled service level, which they have done brilliantly.
Using technology to improve speed and service – whilst combatting fraud
We’re handling more references than ever as the need to move through the pandemic continues. Demand for let property is high in most areas, particularly outside the capital, so it’s vital that we’re balancing high-quality checks with efficiency. Our Same Day Referencing service, which uses Open Banking technology, delivers quality at speed for our customers.
Open Banking means we can complete references faster but, most importantly, supports our continued drive to prevent the risk of fraudulent tenant applications. At a time when our letting agent customers are working remotely, our combination of technology delivering data directly from the tenant’s bank account to confirm income and rental payments is coupled with our team of experts completing checks on every application.
We’ve seen an increase in the percentage of tenants using open banking, enabling us to deliver our Same Day Referencing service for over 50% of our references.
We were proud to innovate using Open Banking for tenant referencing back in 2019, but we’re continually using technology to optimise our service. We’re all getting more used to adopting new technologies in all walks of life, and tenant referencing is no different. Tenants are getting more comfortable using technology to support their applications.
High-quality tenant referencing is the first line of defence in protecting our letting agents and ultimately helping to ensure that their landlords’ investments are protected. Referencing is at the heart of everything we do; I’m so proud of how the team have adapted in the past year.
Thanks, Lucia
