Pass the Keys is excited to announce we are now expanding to East Kent! Welcome, Megha & Dave!

At Pass the Keys, the heart of our fast-growing business is our unique selling point - a digital platform that automates 70% of the property management process.

As official Airbnb cohosts, over the last five years, we have a proven record of making the process of connecting beautiful holiday homes to keen holidaymakers seamless and pleasurable for both our homeowners and guests alike.

We have the pleasure of introducing Megha and Dave, our newest Franchise Directors for the Canterbury District and surrounding areas. They have both been an integral part of the digitisation process of the Architectural Engineering and Construction Industry for the past decade. Now, they join us with extensive first-hand experience in utilising digital technology and data analysis to optimise the performance of a business. Here we find out a bit more about their journey to becoming a part of ‘the’ short-let property management company of the digital era - Pass the Keys.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

We met in 2008, when I was pursuing a Master’s Degree in Fine Art & Digital Media and Dave was working as a Mechanical Engineer. We have a passion for planning and efficiency, to us, these are a fundamental part of sustained success, whether personal or professional.

After the 2008 recession, we chose to reinvent our careers and joined forces to pool our knowledge professionally. Since then, we have managed to build up a thriving contracting business in digital design, taking advantage of the digital revolution within the Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. It has always been our long term ambition to diversify into property development & management.

What drew you to partnering with Pass the Keys?

Having researched the developments in the property management industry quite closely, Pass the Keys stood out for us. Getting to know the business and the people involved, we realised that Pass the Key’s sustainable and progressive business model was the perfect fit for us. Since its inception in 2015, it is not by chance that Pass the Keys has grown at a rate of 3x year on year!

The Pass the Keys business model, which automates the majority of property management, enables Franchise Directors to focus on the hospitality and expansion side of their business. In particular, we can pay attention to tailoring our services to the needs of individual hosts (homeowners).

Crucially the digital technology used by Pass the Keys affords complete transparency and effective communication between the property managers and our homeowners. Hosts have all the information about their property from the current revenue status to the latest clean to the guest history at their fingertips on a user-friendly app.

Why does the Canterbury district need a short-let management company like Pass the Keys?

The Cathedral city of Canterbury, well known for its private schools and universities is steeped in history. With its cobbled streets, leading to quaint boutique shops, pubs, restaurants and theatres. All housed in a plethora of breath-taking architecture, complete with ancient city walls.  The city then spills into the blissful surrounding countryside leading to the harbour town of Whitstable and the golden beaches of Herne Bay. These coastal towns both have a unique charm of their own.

It is no wonder that the area sees a high footfall of travellers from near and afar throughout the year. The latest statistics show that Kent is the third most visited county outside of London. And Canterbury district taking a lion’s share with the highest visits and the highest visitor spend in the county valued at £491 million as per figures published by visit Kent. This has meant a high demand for short-let properties is ever exceeding the supply year on year.

Pass the Keys will enable independent landlords to maximise their revenue by providing them with a hassle-free property management solution tailored specifically to optimise the rental value of their individual properties within this ever-growing market.

What is your top tip for homeowners short-letting their property on sites like Airbnb?

When looking for a holiday let we quite often want the comfort of a hotel coupled with the privacy of our own home. With that in mind, we believe there is a sequence of fundamental steps that directly affect the performance of property on sites like Airbnb - a clean clutter-free property with all the amenities in place - professional pictures to highlight the same - a well-written advertisement that describes the property and its surroundings cohesively - above all continual competitive pricing by monitoring the market data regularly.

And once you have made your presence known. It is just as important to ensure the guests have a memorable stay which ideally would include 24/7 guest support to ensure all their queries are answered in a timely manner.

With the South East coast seeing the fastest growth in staycations last year and considering the current global crisis we find ourselves in, now is the right time to jump on board with Pass the Keys. As the current lockdown measures are gradually relaxed, homeowners can safely open their doors to people looking for a staycation to blow the cobwebs away. At Pass the Keys, we will ensure stringent measures are in place in line with the government recommendations to protect the safety of guests and staff alike.

If you have a property in Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay & surrounding areas and are interested to find out how much you could earn as a short-let host through Airbnb, give Pass the Keys Canterbury a call on 01227 931 231 or email canterbury-property-management@passthekeys.co.uk.

You can also visit our website and get a quote on how much your property could earn through short-letting at https://www.passthekeys.co.uk/canterbury/