Meet Stephen, our Sales Executive at Tarka View, Crediton
26 October 2020When Sales Executive Stephen King brought a new build home 14 years ago, little did he know that he’d just discovered his perfect career. Fast forward to June 2020 and with more than a decade of new homes experience under his belt, Stephen joined our team at our popular Crediton site, Tarka View. Sales Executive Stephen now enjoys meeting house hunters daily, helping them find their dream Devonshire home. As a collection of 185 new homes, this is one of our busiest sites, offering a range of house styles for all types of buyers. We managed to catch Stephen for a quick chat on how he began his career in the housing and construction industry and what he loves about his current position at Devonshire Homes:
Hi Stephen! Tell us about your background in the housing and construction industry…
I was introduced to the housing and construction industry 14 years ago whilst buying a new build home myself. I got on really well with the Sales Executive and she actually said “I think you’d be really good at this” which inspired me to look into it. After completing a training course, I went on to do temping work and then started working directly with house builders shortly after that.
What stands out for you about Devonshire Homes?
Having worked with a range of different house builders, Devonshire Homes really stands out for me with its build quality, it really is that of a premium builder. It’s so high and what the customer receives as standard, other house builders would charge extra for.
What responsibilities do you have as a Sales Executive at Tarka View?
The main part of my job is meeting and greeting house hunters who visit the Tarka View Marketing Suite and giving them more information on the house styles we currently have on offer. It’s about understanding their household set-up and what they are looking for in a new build home so that I can match them with the right property. Once a house hunter has reserved their plot, I’m there every step of the way from communicating with their chosen solicitor to helping them choose their extras and colour options, and of course addressing any worries or concerns they may have along the way. It’s more important now more than ever for me to keep our customers updated with the progress of their home. We would usually invite people to the site regularly so they can see the build progress of their home but unfortunately, this is not currently possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing procedures we have in place. Now, my job has evolved to walking around the site and taking photographs of the homes so that I can send our customers regular updates. I’ve got to admit that our customers are loving this. They end up having an electronic scrap book of photos which show how their house has progressed over time. Another part of my job is obviously moving people in! I make sure the exchange and completion on the home runs as smoothly as possible and I help customers get settled into their new Devonshire home.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic effected the house hunters that come through the door?
At Tarka View, our customers have actually been very buoyant throughout the pandemic. We’ve continued to receive high levels of interest in our new homes and I’m pleased to say a great many of them are converting to sales. Our house hunters who reserved their new home before the national lockdown are just pleased that the industry is up and running again. They’re really excited, they want to move forward and they can’t wait to get the keys to their new home. We’re thankful that it’s been business as usual for us!
What do you enjoy most about being a Sales Executive at Tarka View?
I love handing the keys over to a new homeowner. The excitement on that day is just amazing. They’re always so over the moon to have this brand-new property, all shiny and sparkly! Seeing people start that next chapter in their lives is a really nice feeling. That’s one of the reasons why we do this job.
What benefits do you think you bring to the role and to Devonshire Homes?
I’m quite an organised person and I think I’m good at instilling confidence in my customers. They feel confident in me and know that I’ll look after them throughout the entire journey. They know that if they have any questions, they can just ask me, and I will answer them truthfully. I will be very straight down the line with people, so they know where they stand, and I think that allows house hunters to build confidence in their Sales Executive. If I don’t know the answer, I will go away, find out, and come back to them.
Finally, do you have any aims or goals as a Sales Executive?
Just that I want to do the best job I can for both the customers and Devonshire Homes!