Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned professional, you want your partnership with a referencing and insurance provider to be a smooth one.
Ensuring you understand the system and your questions are answered in a timely manner, whilst offering you the support you need, is essential.
Here at HomeLet, we understand this, so we have tailored our onboarding journey to be a straightforward and flexible one, with your agency in mind throughout the process to personalise our approach.
We've built a step-by-step guide to show you what the first month could look like when you join us:
Step One: Getting Started
When you enquire on our website, you'll be asked some basic questions to understand your needs, such as your company name, contact details, and an idea of the amount of references you complete on a monthly basis.
Once one of our New Agent Team has read through your details, they will be in touch to learn more about your business. Every agency is different, some have years of experience, some are brand new and all will have their own way of organising and completing tasks. This is why this initial conversation is so important, as it helps us to better understand your own particular needs so we can recommend the right products and approach to use.
For larger agencies, you’ll receive a full demonstration of our portal and how it could work for you. We can run though how it compares to other systems you may have used previously and answer any implementation questions you may have. Whilst, for smaller agencies, the process can be a lot quicker, with everything handled in a single call, right from signing up to accessing the system.
Step Two: Clear and Transparent Pricing
Having a clear understanding of how much it will cost is a basic requirement for most; you need to know whether you're going to be able to factor this into your business plans. This is why we feel it's so important to offer pricing that is both clear and transparent - to help you make a decision that is informed and accurate. At HomeLet, there are no fees for onboarding or subscription and no minimum reference requirements, we simply operate using a pay-as-you-go model. We’ve also built in setting up a direct debit while you’re completing the onboarding form – making setting up simple from day one!
During our onboarding calls, we can discuss the various referencing options with you. However, once selecting what you'll need from your package, there are no limitations - you will still be able to explore additional services you may be able to make use of, such as Rent Guarantee insurance or tenants’ insurance.
It's common for agencies to start with a simple referencing-only plan but to then go on to add other products once feeling more at home with the system, and you can opt in for more products and services at any time.
Step Three: Compliance Made Simple
Prior to your account going live, we'll need a few compliance documents from you. These will include:
- An ICO registration number (to confirm data protection compliance)
- Professional indemnity or public liability insurance (a PDF copy of your certificate will be sufficient)
- Client Money Protection (CMP) membership (essential if you want to offer Rent Guarantee insurance).
This can all be managed through a straightforward sign-up form, which must be completed by a company director listed on Companies House.
If you need assistance completing the form, or you have any questions, our onboarding team will be on hand to help support you.
Step Four: Training and Support
As soon as we've received and reviewed your information and your documents are approved, we can then start setting up your account and guiding you through using the portal.
Any training delivered can be on a one-to-one basis or delivered to the whole team, whatever you feel will work best for your company and team structure.
We'll be able to run you through everything from submitting applications to how best to navigate the system. This will also include access to Vision+, our training library, for self-service support at your fingertips, at any time of day.
After you've completed your initial training session with us, we will send you a few useful resources for you to access, as well as a recording of the session for you to refer back to.
Step Five: Ongoing Contact
For the initial 30 days, you will have a dedicated member of the New Agent Team who will stay in touch to see how you're getting on. They will check in regularly to ensure everything is running smoothly and you can discuss with them whether you would prefer this to be weekly calls or just the occasional email.
It is during these calls or emails when you can explore with them the idea of any additional services you may require. Whilst some agencies prefer to start slowly, with referencing as their main need, others prefer to move quickly, on to offering Rent Guarantee insurance or to various other insurance products. Either option is fine with us - we’ll adapt to your pace and the priorities you want to focus on, and provide all necessary training for you to offer the insurance products to your customers.
By the end of the first month, your account will transition to one of our Customer Development Managers or a member of our HomeLet Customer Success Team, and this will depend on your agency's size. However, it's important to remember that you’ll never be left without support; our teams are always on hand to answer questions and keep things moving.
Ready to Get Started?
HomeLet onboarding is specifically designed to be efficient, tailored, transparent, and supportive. From your very first enquiry to you being fully set up on the system, you’ll know exactly what to expect at every step of the way and there will always be someone to call if you need any support.
We always put our customers at the heart of everything we do, so whether you’re a start-up agency or you're long-established, our aim is the same: to ensure you have the tools, confidence and ability to successfully manage referencing and insurance with ease, leaving you to focus more on your landlords and tenants.