As part of our commitment to being the UK’s leading property management agent, we strive to go above and beyond to provide an unrivalled service for our residents. Unique to Rendall & Rittner, The Residents Club is a complimentary, on-going initiative designed to offer our residents exclusive deals from local businesses and services, as well as providing access to a range of events and experiences.
Playing an instrumental role in the creation and running of the Rendall & Rittner Residents Club, we caught up with marketing consultant Gill Dunsford to find out more about her and the scheme.
What is your role in the Residents Club?
I work as a freelance marketing consultant for Rendall & Rittner and in my role I have set up, and now run, the Residents Club.
What drew you to this line of work?
Following a one-year graduate trainee course at a Thomson Regional Newspapers and ten years in media sales working in television, radio and outdoor media, I decided that I wanted to set up my own ‘experiential marketing business’ which I ran successfully for around 15 years.
Seeing the impact of the 2008 recession on my business, I decided to concentrate on my property portfolio and freelance work. As I am also a resident in a development managed by Rendall & Rittner, I approached Duncan Rendall with a commercial idea and got to know him and many of the board members. They suggested that I start the Residents Club. There’s nothing quite like it elsewhere so it was a bit experimental at first, but it is great to see that it is still growing!
What are some of the biggest challenges that you face in your work, and how do you go about addressing them?
One of the great things about the Residents Club is the partnerships that we create for residents with local businesses, but finding the right businesses to partner with can be a challenge. Working from home in a team of one can be tricky when needing to brainstorm a lot, but I am always networking and reaching out to colleagues and contacts for collaborations and ideas.
How do you work with companies to promote their product/brand?
There is no charge for participating businesses, but the cost to them is the value of the exclusive discount/incentive that we are then able to provide for residents. We tend to concentrate on working with the leisure industry to provide opportunities for our residents, including food and drink events, festivals, and theatre tickets. We have also had some good discounts on upmarket central London clubs.
What type of events does the Residents Club run?
We have run a few events in the past which performed well, including a number of theatre events and drinks and canapes for the Banksy Exhibition. We had to be more restricted in what we could offer during the pandemic but are hoping to do more events in the future including one or two wine tastings this year.
What feedback have you received from residents?
Feedback from residents has been positive, with many telling me that they had not expected their managing agent to provide something like this and members are very engaged with it. I believe that, even if residents do not take advantage of the offers, they do see this as a welcome initiative and like the topical editorial features from time to time.
When looking for opportunities to further enhance the Residents Club, we have found that, although the Residents Club is London-wide, residents are keen to meet their neighbours and those living in nearby developments. Taking this on board, I am working closely with our Community Engagement Manager, and investigating the possibility of neighbourhood ‘cluster groups’ for wider local engagement.
What is the best way for a company to collaborate with Rendall & Rittner?
I am always looking for new opportunities for Rendall & Rittner residents. If businesses can offer something that might be of interest to the community, they can contact me, and we get the ball rolling to see what could work well for everyone involved.
Residents can easily register to join the Residents Club to stay up to date with the latest deals, events and what’s on guides. Visit the Residents Club website to find out more.ren
