Sara Stevenson, Lettings Director at Sourced Living,�...

Who are you and what does it say on your business card?

My name is Sara Stevenson. I am the Lettings Director at Sourced Living, which is a part of the Sourced Property Group.

What is ‘company name’ and what does it do?

Sourced Living is a lettings franchise. The Sourced Living head office team are there to support the Lettings agents, who match property owners with residents, maximising returns with its unique flexi-let approach.

What services do you offer and in what ways do you work with estate and letting agents?

Sourced Living is a franchise offering which provides professionals in the industry with a “lettings business in a box”. Those that join our network get access to training, support, leading industry tech, ongoing development whilst being supported by an already established brand in the property industry. We have newbies and well-established agents in the sector who have decided to start their own lettings business with Sourced Living to create a residual income.

What makes your product different and how does it benefit agents?

The Sourced Living lettings agents provide a unique flexi-let offering to both landlords and tenants, supporting not just traditional residential lettings but also short term lets, serviced accommodation and Homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs).

The franchisees are also a part of the Sourced Property Group which has a 220 strong network of property investment franchisees, who feed landlord leads to the Sourced Living lettings agents.

There are also options for funding should Sourced Living franchisees want to purchase any management portfolios from other agents in their area, meaning that they can expand their business much more quickly.

What is your greatest achievement in your current role and what made it so special?

Being at the beginning of this fantastic journey and creating and starting this unique offering for professionals in the industry. It has been challenging pulling everything together so that our franchisees have the top industry software which is all accessible from one bespoke platform that we have built. Our bespoke CRM system frees our agents from so much admin and accountancy headaches and is really simple to use.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

Seeing our franchisees succeed, and seeing the ambitious goals they have for the future and being a supporting arm in that!

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing estate and letting agents at the moment?

Landlords not using an agent for full management and agents cutting their fees to win business. UK Agents can really undervalue their own worth and in a lot of cases are charging the lowest fees in Europe.

What is your property predictions for the next 12 months?

I think the lettings market will continue to grow and be strong. We have new legislation coming into place which should provide confidence for renters and see landlords using agents more to ensure they are compliant.

Country house or city apartment?

Country House, I love character properties.

Trendy roof terrace or traditional English garden?

Roof terrace, in the sun with an Aperol and some olives.

Would you rather be a free-moving tenant or settled owner occupier?

I envy the free moving lifestyle, which would be a choice for me later on in life, for sure, but for now I am settled, focused and kept busy by my lovely family.

What is your favourite room in your home?

Kitchen/snug. We always gather in this space as a family and when we have friends round. It’s a good place to cook together, eat together and relax together, the hub of our home.

Homes under the Hammer or Location, Location, Location?

Location, Location, Location, got to love big Phil and Kirsty!