IT for busy property businesses
Estate agents, letting agents and property managers spend the day on the phone, on the property portals and out at viewings. When the internet drops, the phones stop or the property software will not load, enquiries go to the agent down the road. At the same time, you are handling client money, tenancy documents and identity checks, which makes security just as important as reliability.
Cyber Fits is a family run IT company based in Sunderland, supporting businesses of around 5 to 100 staff across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside, including lettings and property businesses. Through our sister brands we can also look after your phones and broadband, so one local company keeps your branches working.
Client money, AML and security
Letting agents in England that hold client money must belong to a government approved client money protection scheme, a requirement in place since April 2019. Estate agency businesses, and letting agency businesses handling rents of 10,000 euros or more a month, must also be registered with HMRC for anti money laundering supervision, which means carrying out and recording customer due diligence.
Those rules are not IT rules, but they create IT responsibilities. Client money moving by bank transfer attracts fraudsters, who send fake invoices or emails claiming a landlord, buyer or contractor has changed bank details. Identity documents collected for AML checks are exactly what criminals want for identity fraud. We do not advise on compliance, but we put the technical protections in place:
- Email security that filters phishing and impersonation, and multi factor authentication on every account.
- Protection for your domain so criminals find it harder to send emails that look like they come from you.
- Secure storage for identity documents with access limited to the staff who need it, rather than copies sitting in inboxes and downloads folders.
- Managed, encrypted laptops and phones that can be wiped if lost.
- Staff training and a simple rule: any change of bank details is confirmed by phone on a number you already hold.
Branches, broadband and phones
Every branch needs a dependable connection, good WiFi for staff and, often, a separate network for visitors. We design networks that keep office computers, window displays, guest devices and CCTV apart, and we can link branches so files and systems are shared securely.
Phones matter more in property than almost anywhere. Our sister brand Virtual Voice Office provides business phone systems that ring across branches and on mobiles, can route calls to whoever is free and help you avoid missed enquiries. Cyber Fibre provides business broadband, so connection problems are handled by the same family of companies as your IT.
Office moves and new branches are a good example. Ordering broadband early, porting phone numbers without losing calls and having the network ready before the first day of trading is the kind of detail we plan for you, so a new branch opens with everything working.
Property software and portals
Most agents rely on a property management or CRM system that feeds the portals, books viewings and manages tenancies. We look after the computers, connections and Microsoft 365 setup it depends on, and we work with your software supplier when something goes wrong, so you do not have to sit on hold.
Working out of the office
Negotiators and property managers need email, calendars, documents and the property system on their phones and tablets. We set up Microsoft 365 and device management so staff can work anywhere while company data stays protected.
Why property businesses choose Cyber Fits
We are a local team that understands how property businesses work, and we can look after IT, phones and broadband together. You get managed IT support for one fixed monthly cost, engineers who can visit your branches and plain English advice. Book a free IT review to see where your business stands.