ARLA Propertymark Reviews 

Darren was most kind and considerate, putting me at ease from the moment we started the meeting which I felt allowed me to get more than I anticipated out of our discussions. It was an extremely beneficial meeting and a lot of helpful information has been provided by Darren to help ensure I meet all my compliance obligations, there was a sense of help and assist which was gratefully received. Propertymark are working with us! Thank you Darren - those reading ahead of a meeting, please do not waste time worrying.

Following an audit by Darren, we were left with a wealth of information that was extremely beneficial for us as a company.

Darren was friendly, knowledgeable and his attention to detail was impressive. He took the time to not only go through our process and and procedures but talked to us about the reasoning behind any recommendations that he made.

Darren's customer service is fantastic and his communication was superb throughout. His friendly demeanour and support put us at ease and as a result we updated many processes following his recommendations.

We very much appreciate Darren's input and thank him for his professionalism and feedback. The audit was overall a very positive experience and we are grateful for his time.

Our audit was most informative and delivered professionally whilst putting us at ease. These experiences are always daunting but Darren was extremely pleasant and made the whole process enjoyable whilst giving us up to date knowledge and advise. We are very grateful and found this meeting most helpful. Thank you Darren

We recently met with Darren Kitchenside for our first Compliance Audit via Teams. As we did not know what to expect we were more than pleasantly surprised how relaxed and supportive the whole experience was.
Darren was very professional, put us at ease and offered great suggestions in some areas he felt we were not presenting ourselves well.
Nothing he suggested felt overwhelming and we have been able to review our website and documentation to best showcase what we do well, to ensure we stay fully compliant with our awarding body and within the realms of the law.
We received full quality feedback soon after, which was clear and precise.
Overall a very positive experience and we were very appreciative of Darren's professionalism and support.

I had the pleasure of working with Darren, the PropertyMark Auditor, and I must say that my experience was nothing short of fantastic! From start to finish, Darren's professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail were truly remarkable.

Darren's extensive knowledge of the property market and his keen eye for detail made the auditing process seamless and efficient. He took the time to thoroughly examine our property management practices, ensuring that we were not only compliant with industry regulations but also operating at the highest standard of excellence.

What truly sets Darren apart is his commitment to excellence. He didn't just identify areas where we needed improvement; he also provided us with valuable insights and recommendations to enhance our property management processes. His guidance was instrumental in helping us streamline our operations and deliver an even better experience to our clients.

Furthermore, Darren's communication skills are exceptional. He explained complex concepts in a clear and concise manner, making it easy for our team to understand and implement necessary changes. His friendly and approachable demeanor also made the auditing process a positive and collaborative experience.

In addition to his professional expertise, Darren's dedication to customer satisfaction is second to none. He went above and beyond to ensure that all our questions were answered, and he provided ongoing support to help us implement the improvements he recommended.

Working with Darren has been a game-changer for our property management company. Thanks to his audit and guidance, we have not only achieved compliance but also improved our overall efficiency and client satisfaction. I cannot recommend Darren, the PropertyMark Auditor, highly enough. If you're looking for a true professional who will help elevate your property management business to new heights, Darren is the person you need on your team. Thank you, Darren, for your outstanding service!

Very easy process and informative.
I found Darren Kitchenside to be very knowledgeable and professional.

Fair and informative meeting, friendly and did not feel threatening as anticipated by the word "Audit". The advice received was well worth the time taken to attend, indeed, so informative, I could claim 1 hour CPD points for attending!

I had an Audit review with Darren on the 20th July 2023. This was done in an extremely professional manner sharing a lot of useful information that I will be incorporating into our business.

Had an audit by Darren Kitchenside - a very pleasurable experience. Darren shared a great deal of information and helped us tighten up our procedures to ensure we remain compliant. A great service - thank you.

A positive experience with some good extra pints raised to make sure you have everything covered.

If you are summoned for an audit - don't panic!!
Darren was really helpful and made it clear that it was to help protect and prevent our business from any future liability in most situations. He was indeed very helpful and informative - Thank you Darren

I was initially frustrated to have to make the time for an audit, having very recently provided all the necessary compliance papers. I am however delighted to have taken the time to look through my procedures with Darren. His tips and recommendations were invaluable and I'm very grateful for the time he took with me.

Had a very good meeting and review with Darren. Came away with many useful suggestions and good advice. His depth of knowledge is wide ranging and also his appreciation of all that we do right was good to hear. His suggestions on how we can improve were warmly received

When I first received the email letting me know we were going to have an audit I have to admit I went somewhat into panic mode. Having never had an audit before I really did not know what to expect, so imagined the worst, What will they find? What haven't I done, what will happen if we don't pass? Even more worried when I got the next email with all the things i needed to prepare for the meeting...at that point realising that there were definitely things I should have been doing, and yet had not. So I bit the bullet and decided to give Darren a call, and so, so glad I did. He totally put my mind at rest and gave me the reassurance i needed. This is NOT a test. The whole point is to help highlight any areas where we could do better and it wasn't a pass/fail test. Darren was very friendly and incredibly helpful. I need not have worried. The whole experience actually was helpful and practical, and if anything I came away knowing that for the most part we have got things right. I would advise anyone who is feeling anxious or worried to just give Darren a call before hand.. it really did make the difference for me.

When I got the email saying that ARLA/PM are coming to do an inspection, my heart missed a beat and I immediately scanned through my recent crimes and misdemeanours - "OMG! What have we done wrong?" a bit like when I drive past a police car (but that may just be me..) I needn't have worried, Darren was excellent in every way. From the pre-appointment call through to the end of our three hour meeting with him, he was calm, rational, informative and above all helpful. Thank you Darren. I would heartily recommend any agent call him in for a check up. Invaluable.

Being a small independent and not having a large staff pool means we are all busy. This means that some things may get overlooked. A property mark compliance visit via a team video call or a physical visit was something i was not looking forward to. Darren actually called a day or two in advance to put me and my wife who deals with the finance at ease, which was much appreciated. The visit was pleasant and very informative and helpful. Don't Panic its not a terrible experience.

The thought of being audited can evoke trepidation for any business, especially a small one, even if one believes that they make every effort to ensure that all their affairs are in order. I guess that’s just human nature. Prior to his planned visit, Darren took the trouble to call me In advance and without exaggeration, within seconds a sense of reassurance was palpable. To add context, bizarrely and ironically, a feeling of apprehension rapidity mutated to anticipation. On the day itself, I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Aside from being informative and educational, I unexpectedly benefited from pointers on how to streamline certain processes and that some were even redundant (despite efforts cautiously to go above and beyond). In an unrelenting environment of ever increasing bureaucracy where small firms such us ourselves can spend every waking hour worrying about being continually compliant instead of focusing a living, what’s not to like about that?! Darren is professional, personable and demonstrates a human element which seems to be sadly disappearing from society. Was the experience what I was hoping for? No! It was better! I would also add that a previous visit from Ian Potter several years ago was a similarly pleasant experience. In conclusion, for anyone anxious about this process, in my opinion, it is to be encouraged…..and may leave you wanting more!
D.S. Properties (UK) Ltd

Darren Kitchenside visited Parkheath. His inputs were really useful and constructive.

Darren Kitchenside was a true gentleman whilst carrying out our audit
He provided our remote review via Zoom and was extremely helpful & professional with great insights & tips to maintain professional standards across all areas of our business
With good suggestions to ensure compliance and many helpful ideas to ensure that we are on the ball in all aspects of our Agency from Lettings through to Sales & AML, we are very grateful to him & ARLA for keeping our Company one step ahead of its competitors

Naturally apprehensive about our Compliance Audit however Darren was very personable and led the audit in a friendly and informative manner, offered suggestion and advice where needed and quickly followed up with an easy to follow bullet pointed email checklist for me to follow up on. Turned out to be quite an enjoyable experience and has made me feel confident that we are fully compliant. Thanks Darren - looking forward to the next audit (and thats a sentence I never thought I would hear myself say!!)