Professional practice is under threat from reforms that will restructure the market. Traditional service values and standards are under threat as never before. The consumer is expected to believe that glamorous packaging in the form of wider choice and lower prices are worthy goals even where they come at a price that means poor standards and addtional cost for some. The public may only come to realise what is lost when the choice of service provider is left between large corporates offering standard packages. Personal choices then will come at a prohibitive price and access will be restricted to a few.
Small to medium sized professional businesses that are owner managed are most at risk from these trends.
Per Pro has been formed by Michael Garson, solicitor and estate agent, to
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enable the professionals to put the positive case for professional practices and to meet the challenge of the Home Information Pack and other 'reforming' legislation: and
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to give clients an insight into the work, standards and ethics of the traditional property professionals.
Recognising that professional bodies such as The Law Society (TLS), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) may not be able to fully reflect the views of all their members, there is a place for a cross disciplinary organisation for small to medium independently owned professional firms.
PerPro seeks to balance the influence of organisations of the commercial organisations that have entered the new market for pack provision and those who wish to obstruct improvements to the market. There is a real danger that many property professionals will be forced to close down - not just in relation to doing new business but where existing loyal clients will be ‘sold’ a packaged HIP with a bundle of additional services.
Many have doubts about the legislation and the way the process and procedure is unfolding but the government seems determined to justify the experiment by ensuring greater transparency albeit at a high cost.
PerPro provides an information portal for professionals to promote points of difference between customised services and commoditised offerings.
Like-minded professionals offer to consumers the benefits of:
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Independent ownership;
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Ethical and customised service;
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Transparency of interests with Client confidentiality;
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Client needs always in first place
It also provides a window for clients to access information on HIPs and other property topics to better instruct their own professionals
'Informed instructions make for better outcomes’.
