Coldwell Banker's Concierge Services becoming popular in area

By Jennifer Vogelsong
Sentinel Reporter

Need a plumber, digital phone service or a chimney liner? The place to call just may be a local real estate agent. Some real estate companies are beginning to offer their customers complimentary concierge services that connect homeowners to services they need before, during or after the sale or purchase of a home.

Much like a concierge that can be found in the best hotels, these concierge services feed the demand for one-stop shopping.

Whether it is home improvement and renovation or coordination of utility and newspaper services, the concierge connects homeowners to pre-screened service providers.

Coldwell Banker started the first full-fledged concierge program in the midstate in March with only five vendors. Nine months and 766 jobs later, they offer clients a total of 34 vendors, offering a total of II 9 services.

Susan Melcher, operations manager for the concierge program at Coldwell Banker, says it offers homeowners a risk-free way of getting things taken care of.

"Out of 766 assignments, we've only had one where we've had a problem and we were able to work it out with the vendor," Ms. Melcher says. "We interview and screen the vendors so intensely to start, the chances of anything happening are few."

The company only uses vendors who are insured and bonded, or those with certification and licenses, if applicable to the field.

Vendors pay a monthly fee to Coldwell Banker for the marketing of their services to Coldwell Banker clients, but she says vendors don't seem to mind because they like working through the concierge service.

Customers can call the concierge to get estimates from a number of service providers the company has deemed reliable.

If a homeowner is looking to sell his house, the realtor may note carpets need cleaned or replaced, a paint job needs touching up or a leaky pipe in the basement needs fixed. "they can call us," Ms. Melcher says.

After nine months offering the concierge service, Ms. Melcher says the company is figuring out what services clients tend to ask for the most.

"Paint jobs and carpet cleanings - we know we need to have a lot of vendors in those categories," she says. "It works out nice for them (the vendors) because through the Yellow Pages, people who call might just be feeling around, whereas a call from us is something pretty definite."

The company has found the biggest users of the service tend to be retired homeowners who prefer not to simply select a name out of the Yellow Pages when they need repair or improvements done.

"Anyone can run an ad in the yellow pages, but you don't always know who is going to walk through your front door," Ms. Melcher says.

She says a more mobile society is causing people to move more often, and the increasingly customer-oriented business world is causing consumers to demand more for their money.

"A house is probably the largest purchase in someone's life, so a person is not going to feel great about handing over a lot of money if they don't get a little something back in return."

The one-stop shopping makes it possible for homeowners to take care of everything from their mortgage and settlement to Internet and newspaper services with their real estate company.

"They come here and in one stop, everything right down the line is taken care of," Ms. Melcher says. "That makes it a lot more pleasant, because (when buying or selling a home) you feel like a tennis ball being hit back and forth."

The stress of moving can get to be too much for some people, especially older homeowners looking to move into retirement communities or smaller homes.

"Those people really need a lot of help to get out of their big homes and often times their kids are not nearby, so that's helped a lot for them," Ms. Melcher says. "When people are getting close to retirement and it's time to sell that house and move in somewhere else they have years worth of junk and can be overwhelmed by it.

"We can help them deal with it and get ready." First-time buyers also tend to appreciate the service. "It's stressful when you have to buy a house, and when you're in a new area, it's nice to be able to know someone is there to help you and take a little of the stress off," she says. "A lot of times people will think down the road, if we helped them out, they will use us when it comes time to buy or sell their next home, because it's so stress-free. It's not 'Oh my God, I forgot about the electric or gas."'

Ms. Melcher recalls a couple moving into the area from Canada who insisted the carpets in their new home be cleaned the day before they moved in and dried in time for them to take up residence in the home. They also wanted the local newspaper to be in their driveway when they pulled in.

Call 1-800-879-7180 for immediate assistance with your service requirements.