Interview between The Little Villa Company and Property NC Magazine

Issue 18, October 2006

The following is an interview between The Little Villa Company and the Property NC Magazine published October 2006:

Property NC Magazine continues to inform its delightful readers about the best companies in the TRNC. The Little Villa Company in Kyrenia with its kind and professional staff gave information about their company and their norms in business life. As we made an exclusive interview with Richard Connor and his business partner Paul Ellingford, they were so kind to share their backgrounds as well as their future projects. Here are some of the questions we asked…

When did you establish Little Villa, can you introduce your company and yourselves?

The Little Villa Company has been established for almost 4 years in North Cyprus by me Richard Connor, and my business partner Paul Ellingford with the aim to supply its customers with good quality properties from reputable builders and developers. We are able to achieve this because the company is run by a fully qualified Building services Engineer of which I have many years experience in the industry including spending most of my working career overseeing the construction and development of Canary Wharf, and Broadgate in London, UK. Paul’s many years experience in sales and marketing provides an excellent compliment to this and thus we able to concentrate on providing our customers with a superior service, whilst carrying out quality control on the builders and developers we market for.

Why is the company called “The Little Villa Company”?

When we were establishing the business, we were trying to think of a name that was fun, different, that people would remember, and putting across the message that purchasing a property through us is enjoyable, as well as being interesting and informative. We know that in this industry we must have high and constant standards of ethics, responsibility and integrity in the treatment of customers, staff, builders, developers, and of course, our competitors. In the end we thought that we are a little company that sells villas, hence The Little Villa Company.

So, you don’t just sell “Little Villas”?

No. One of the main focuses of the company is that we only sell good quality houses. As mentioned, we personally vet the developer and the design and construction of the property until we are satisfied that the build is of good quality, and using quality materials. I don’t want it on my conscience that a property purchased though The Little Villa Company could fall down in 10 years time, and I wouldn’t expect anyone to purchase something that I wouldn’t. That’s why we don’t have hundreds of properties on our books, and only have a specialised and select few. Our prices are mostly among the keenest, but we know the importance of competing on quality. Few customers are concerned solely about the lowest price. If we are to satisfy them and get further business from recommendations, we must be at the forefront of quality, as well if you’re a small company, you have to be the best.

Explain about your Customer Charter.

We thought we should have a Customer Charter to outline the promises and responsibilities of The Little Villa Company, which are as follows:

“Friendly, courteous service” - Our main aims is to put the customer at the heart of the business, and develop the business around the customer. That is why our friendly and knowledgeable staff will endeavour to advise and assist every step of the way. To us, one satisfied customer is better than any expensive advertisement because the message they give is of personal satisfaction, not simply a promise of good service.

“Committed staff” - The Little Villa Company is run by a small and enthusiastic team. This in turn produces effort, creativity, and flexibility, and encourages responsiveness to customer perceptions and needs.

“A service free from pressure, carried out at your own pace” - We absolutely guarantee that the customer will not be pressured at any time, as we want them to enjoy purchasing a property through us and to be pleased with the service that is received. We don’t believe in allocating time slots, and will spend as much time with the customer that is required. I once spent a whole week with one couple showing them the options available and giving them my advice, which was nice as we’ve now become very good friends!

“All properties personally vetted by our experienced personnel” - This outlines what I explained earlier, with focusing on only quality properties.

“Helpful tips on what to avoid” - An ever increasing amount of people are purchasing a property in Northern Cyprus as an investment, or with the dream of a new lifestyle. Therefore, making the right choice in the property field is essential, and that is where our expertise and selection of properties can be of immense value.

“Free independent advice” - Whether a customer is looking to purchase a property, has purchased a property, or wants any information about Northern Cyprus, we are always at hand to help.

Complete peace of mind - This applies to both customers and to us at The Little Villa Company. We are confident in the quality of properties that we sell, which gives peace of mind to our customers, as well as ourselves.

Are your customers satisfied?

We can honestly put our hand on heart and say we have not had one dissatisfied customer. I would be lying if I said some customers have had no problems, with timing of hand over, or some problems with their new homes, but this is why buying through The Little Villa Company is to their advantage. We never abandon our Clients once they have bought from us; we are here to assist right up to, and after handing over the keys. We have had other property buyers who have not bought from us, but have been recommended by others for us to over see their villas whilst they are not on the island, as other companies do not offer the support we do. I am pleased to say that all our customers become our friends.

Why should foreigners buy property or land in North Cyprus?

The bottom line to this question is “where can you buy a holiday home or retirement villa this cheap?” Most of the Mediterranean is on par with UK prices. North Cyprus is a beautiful place to live and holiday, it is inexpensive to be here and the climate will make everybody smile! North Cyprus is the place to invest now, as who knows how long the property market will hold these prices for? It is very rare people are in the right place at the right time to capitalise on property price increases, so if you are looking to make an investment by buying land or property, now is the time.

Disclaimer: All the text displayed from the above interview is as taken from issue 18 October 2006 of the Property NC Magazine. Copies of the magazine with this interview are available to view at our office.