Who are Partner Relations?

I was recently asked by an older relative what I do for a living. “I work in Partner Relations”, I replied. I was met with a blank stare. I couldn’t blame him. Gone are the days when we all had simple, obvious job titles (secretary, fireman, coal miner). Yet, despite the fact that Partner Relations sounds like a flowery job title, which anthropologist David Graeber touches on slightly, it’s not only a real department but a key function within SilverDoor.

So if you’re unfamiliar with Partner Relations, here’s an overview of what we do all day:

Source new UK and international properties

SilverDoor currently has more than 100,000 serviced apartments available in over 70 countries. The majority of these are in recognisable business centres like London, New York and Zurich, but we’re also able to source serviced apartments in less obvious places, and often at short notice.

Upload and update new apartments

The process for uploading apartments to our website has evolved over the years, from a simple tick sheet of around 30 ‘Features & Amenities’ to more than 100 fields; covering everything from ‘Property Services’ to ‘Pet Policies’.

Inspect and review

There’s nothing like seeing an apartment first hand and we visit as many as we can, both in the UK and abroad. It not only means that we can inspect obvious details such as the quality of the furnishings and the size of the rooms, but also inconspicuous details. For example, is there a busy main road that’s been “omitted” from the photographs?

Develop relationships

We work hard to establish and maintain relationships with our property partners, both during the working day and after hours. Our knowledge and experience means that we’re able to help new (and established) apartment owners realise the potential of their apartments, and how to pitch them to the right type of client and at the right price.

Partner Relations work long and hard, opening new doors for the business and making sure that all of our international serviced apartments are represented with the utmost care. It may sound flowery, but this department is quite aptly named.

- By Lise Marie