About Walton Robinson
Walton Robinson is a Newcastle-based estate and lettings agency, and a specialist in residential lettings for students, professionals and families in and around the Newcastle area.
With decades of experience in the property market, and in-depth local and regional knowledge of Newcastle and the North East, the agency also offers professional service for those investing, buying, selling or developing property.
The Training Need
As a busy agency located in a city hub, with students, families and professionals all looking for their ideal let every day, Walton Robinson staff are often rushed off their feet.
General Manager, Amy Gibson, comments: “It is more important than ever to ensure staff are fully trained, so we want to work together with our team to ensure they are supported throughout training and moving towards achieving their qualifications. That is why we opted to work with The Able Agent.
“I know how tricky it is to dedicate time to learning in a fast-paced working environment. Our staff members found The Able Agent platform incredibly user friendly. They have created something that is easy-to-use and slots in really well with a busy working environment. The videos and module-based learning, delivered in small sections, meaning you can study more effectively and easily than if you were just reading blocks of text. The course caters for every type of learner and allows the team to use it in a way that suits their time and learning style. This makes the experience less stressful and means they absorb more information.”
The Learning Experience
Given the flexibility and ease-of-use of the programme provided with The Able Agent, staff at Walton Robinson were enthusiastic and willing to get involved with qualification. Training sessions were available during office hours for those taking part, but the team were dedicated, putting in the necessary additional time and effort outside of office hours to gain the award.
Successful Outcomes
Five members of lettings and sales staff at Walton Robinson have now successfully gained their Level 3 CePAP through The Able Agent training programme.
Recent CePAP graduate and Property Management Manager, Gareth Thompson, comments on the experience: “The Able Agent course has given me greater confidence in my knowledge of the property industry and reinforced a lot of my skills.”
General Manager, Amy Gibson, says: “I am so proud of our team members who passed the exam. It’s great that they are also getting something out of the qualification and training process which is encouraging for other employees to see.
“We are noticing staff who have completed the exam, as well as those who are still training, develop more confidence and expand their knowledge, which reduces the questions that filter through to senior management. From a customer’s point of view, we are getting queries more often regarding qualifications, so we can demonstrate to customers we take this seriously and have qualified, capable staff, which strengthens their trust in us.
“Having the structured training available is also assisting us in our recruitment drive. Training is a focus for many jobseekers and people often ask in interviews ‘what is your training set up’. We can explain to them we offer professional development and the opportunity to upskill”.
Walton Robinson will be continuing working with The Able Agent, with four more members of staff currently training for their CePAP qualification.