Who are you MPL Interiors
What does it say on your business card Mike Simons, Partner
What is your elevator pitch MPL Interiors offers a 'concept to completion' service to businesses looking to refurbish or refresh their offices. We're experts at reconfiguring internal work spaces for better efficiency, as well as amplifying High Street presence through captivating window displays and enhanced branding. Our core business is the property industry and our portfolio of work features some of estate agency's most successful franchises and independents.
What is your property prediction for 2014 As the property market picks up pace we will see a return to investment in aesthetics and branding. Competition to win business is growing so agents need take their pitch to clients up a notch. Part of canvassing for business will include presenting a fresh, dynamic image. Only those that move with the times will secure the profit-making business, especially if agents want to increase fees and attract a higher calibre of client.
How do you feel the internet has changed the role of a traditional high street agent You can't argue with the statistics and every agent knows that probably 90% of property searches start on the leading portals. However, as people become more discerning in their choice of estate agency (especially in light of some unflattering press about property professionals) a credible brand and High Street presence is essential. When dealing with people's most valuable asset, many clients still wish to conduct face-to-face business as it builds a level of trust that the internet just can't deliver.
What is the most satisfying part of your job It has to be placing our 3D designs next to the photos of the finished job - it's often hard to tell the two apart. Space planning and visualisation is a crucial juncture for MPL and the client as it's the first tangible glimpse of how a finished office will look. Our designers are amazingly accurate with colours and furniture placement, giving our clients confidence in our choices and approach. Knowing that we can replicate a 3D drawing down to almost the last inch gives us immense job satisfaction, and shows how unified our designers and fitters are.
What are your top three pieces of advice to estate agents thinking about refurbishing their office
1. Involve all your staff - a refurbishment can boost in-house moral as much as it can increase business. Involve your team from the start as they might have views on where desks might be better located and why more power points are essential.
2. Less is more - the temptation is to cram as many properties as possible in a window but this makes for a messy look and can also obscure any inviting interior design scheme you may have in your office. We understand that showing stock, including what's sold/let, gives the impression you're busy and successful but there are other more streamlined ways to display property. LCD screens in the window can be programmed to promote an infinite number of properties, while a single window-mounted touch-screen allows users from the outside to search your whole database and even register their details via a pop-up keyboard screen.
3. Do it once, do it right - we don't want any agent to have doubts about an office refurbishment but when regrets do crop up, it's almost always 'I should have done the lot'. A piecemeal refurbishment or rebrand might cost less in the short term but it can lead to brand confusion and further outlay in the future.
Zoopla or Rightmove Tough call but Rightmove for its backroom analytics.
House or apartment House, as outdoor space is essential
City or countryside Countryside but close enough to a major town centre so you don't feel too isolated
Modern and stylish or period and original Can we mash the two and say a stylish period home
Rent or buy To buy - it's an investment!
New business or finished job Both. We feel energised by a busy new business pipeline but handing over a completed office is a momentous moment for all involved.
Kirstie Allsopp or Phil Spencer Phil Spencer as he hasn't diluted his passion for property with sewing or crafts!
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