Norfolk & Suffolk Offices

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THE JOURNEY OF OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH

Katie blog picture

It is hard to believe the first blog I wrote about getting my ducks in a row was around 3 years ago, the amount that has happened and changed since then is insane….  It is strange isn’t it how  when you think of a period of time in one context it can seem like an age ago and yet in another the blink of an eye… it is also interesting to compare over a period of time, exactly what having your ducks in a row looks like….

When we first launched ATTIK both Mike and I were of the mindset of keeping the business small manageable and us in control of the customer service experience, with just us two and the occasional help when needed from a viewings rep on the property side and my Parents came once a week and opened the shop on a Wednesday. This was back in 2015.

For some time I had, had my dream about creating a business that would help people who had lost a loved one or they had gone into care and the family had been left in a state of overwhelm concerning the sale of the property and the clearance of the property. I also wanted to encompass my love of vintage and antiques into the business and so the business model of the estate agency and shop developed.

This was all very well and good and the business grew organically by word of mouth and no advertising. I was very aware of the fact that although we both had many transferable skills to bring to the table, what we had created was unique and we didn’t want to run before we could walk… to this day, and I touch wood as I say this, we have not had one customer complaint and we can honestly say customer service is at the forefront of our minds every single day.

So three years on and my dream remains my dream, just an ascended version and one I am blessed to be living every day and now with the most amazing team round me. In 2017 we were literally working all of the hours that god sends, round the clock managing all of the areas of the business, customer service hadn’t slipped but we knew of we didn’t hire someone our health soon would, but who? It has to be someone who we trusted to do things our unique way. For some time I had  been building  a relationship with Samantha Withers and the agency she worked for. I loved working with her and it was clear we shared the same moral code, work ethics and approach to customer service. And so Sammy joined the team. Best decision we made!

Towards the end of the 2017 and during 2018 the shift in the business then came, as the fashion was changing it was getting harder and harder to get people out to Dereham to the shop and the property side of the business was getting busier and busier, and so the shop began to take a back seat. By this point Mike had built up great relationships with the local auction houses and so this was the natural progression in terms of selling the items for the clearance customers.

Into 2018 and our new expanded team was beginning to become a little stretched, and so the lovely Lucy joined as a trainee negotiator and in house photographer.  Again Lucy was the perfect fit for our unique style and took to selling houses like a duck to water. The customers love her! And she is a joy to have in the team.

Another shift also happened in 2018 but more of a personal one with me. Having become a Reiki healer over 12 years ago it is something that I had only ever practised on myself and friends. The more and more grieving customers I had been dealing with and also customers going through difficult separations, divorces etc, I have felt really called to help them through a more holistic approach. So off I went and did my Reiki refresher and also the Reiki Master certification.

I know it is unconventional to offer alternative therapies alongside the property sales, I offer coaching as well as the healing and so many of our customers have lapped up the experience. I am so passionate about offering spiritual guidance and practical advice to my clients, to help prevent them making rushed decisions that they may later regret…

It took courage to offer these services in such a competitive, judgemental, industry, and I know our unique approach is not for everyone and that is fine. But there is a new wave of conscious humans, wanting to make a difference, and I am fiercely one of these people.