Interview with: Bernadette Sheridan, CEO Brinkleys Estate Agents
Location: London
Reapit client since: 2024
PayProp client since: 2018
With nearly 30 years in the property sector, Bernadette “Bernie” Sheridan has experienced agency life from almost every perspective. Now in her role as CEO of Brinkleys Estate Agents – a long‑standing agency of more than two decades in South West London – she leads a comprehensive operation covering sales, lettings, property management, rent collection, tenant find services and bespoke solutions for landlords.
Running a business with such a wide remit can be demanding, but Bernie says Reapit gives her team the visibility and stability they need to excel.
With tightly connected tools supporting sales, lettings, property management and automated client accounting, Reapit provides agencies with a single source of truth. For Bernie and her team, that means confidence that they’re operating with reliable data, clear oversight and technology that adapts as the business evolves.
“We like to give all our clients the very, very best attention that they can get, which is one of the reasons we use Reapit and PayProp.”
A need for transparency and insight
Before adopting Reapit, Brinkleys struggled with the constraints of their previous CRM. Senior leaders had limited real‑time insight into performance, and often only discovered issues once a process was completed – far too late to intervene effectively.
The team needed better visibility of their pipeline, where bottlenecks sat, and how each branch and department was progressing. Unlocking more value from their data was essential, as was connecting branch teams with remote staff in a more unified way.
Bernie recognised that without a platform capable of tying these pieces together, daily inefficiencies could easily take root. Reapit, she says, was the clear solution.
Smooth onboarding and effortless scaling
If Bernie could communicate one message to other agencies concerned about onboarding, it would be simple: don’t be.
She describes the move to Reapit as remarkably smooth. The platform is intuitive, the data migration process was handled efficiently, and support was available whenever needed.
Even when Brinkleys acquired an additional portfolio mid‑onboarding, bringing those properties and historic records into the platform was seamless. Reapit’s ability to scale gives Bernie confidence as she looks ahead to future acquisitions.
One CRM powering full visibility
Brinkleys now operates both sales and lettings entirely through Reapit, eliminating the transparency challenges they previously faced.
One of Bernie’s preferred features is Power Reports. Whether she needs a quick high‑level snapshot or a detailed breakdown by branch, staff member, client or property, Power Reports delivers accurate, dependable insights whenever she requires them.
“I love the fact that Reapit works for both sales and lettings because we can see all aspects of the business in a snapshot.”
Faster, better‑qualified opportunities
Bringing the business together on one platform has transformed cross‑selling and upselling.
For example, if a landlord casually asks what their rental property might achieve on the sales market, that information now flows instantly to the sales team. Within moments, an agent can access the landlord’s details and send a desktop valuation.
Where opportunities previously slipped through the cracks, they now convert more quickly – and Bernie notes that this alone makes Reapit worth the investment.
Supporting a mobile and remote workforce
For Brinkleys’ remote staff and agents constantly travelling between appointments, Reapit’s mobile‑first solution, Reapit Go, has become a critical tool.
Agents can log viewings, update follow‑ups and add new entries in real time, with updates syncing instantly back to the main Reapit platform. This means no duplicated admin later and full visibility for the entire team the moment updates are made.
A transparent, efficient client accounting experience
Brinkleys relies on PayProp for client accounting, alongside what Bernie describes as a “phenomenal integration” with Xero, the accounting software they use internally.
Before PayProp, the team battled a slow and awkward rent collection and reconciliation system. Today, payments move through the process far faster, with landlords receiving funds sooner – a tangible selling point for onboarding new clients while keeping existing landlords satisfied.
Bernie says Brinkleys is now among the fastest processors of rent money on the platform.
Landlords also appreciate the system’s transparency. They can review every transaction, arrears position and communication instantly, and receive clear monthly statements.
Behind the scenes, Reapit safeguards Brinkleys’ data with enterprise‑grade security, including encryption, ISO27001 certification, multi‑factor authentication and strict permission controls, ensuring client information, and in many cases, client money, is protected throughout.
Service that feels like a partnership
One aspect Bernie consistently praises is Reapit’s customer service. She describes it as a genuine partnership. With a team of specialists that include former estate and letting agents, Reapit offers responsive guidance, practical growth advice and relevant industry insights tailored to the challenges agencies face.
“What you find with a lot of PropTech is that they have mostly tech people with no industry experience. The difference with Reapit is that they have customer service people that do have industry experience, and that means they speak the same language as us. Our experience is their experience, and their experience is our experience. That’s what makes it a great collaboration.”
More time for people, property and purpose
Within just three months of onboarding Reapit, Brinkleys reported improvements across staff satisfaction, client experience, reporting quality and operational efficiency.
Most importantly, Reapit has given the team back valuable time – time they can invest in clients, running viewings, supporting community initiatives like their annual winter coat collection, and delivering the standout service Brinkleys is known for.
“Estate agents love people, and they love property. It’s quite simple, really. They’re not often experts at admin, which is why having a great CRM and a great accounting system is so priceless. It lets them get back to doing what they’re good at, and what they love doing.”
To see the difference Reapit could make to your agency, book a demo!
