Celebrating a franchising success in Malta

Franchising is a growing trend in Malta that offers ample benefits. QuickLets has recently celebrated the success it achieved through is business model

One of Malta’s youngest franchisers, the QLZH Group, has celebrated the 5th year anniversary of its letting company QuickLets, synonymous on the island as the go-to brand for renting property. The newly revamped Ġnien Laparelli, at the foot of the Valletta bastions underneath City Gate, served as the perfect backdrop to host a grand event intended to celebrate the successes the real estate company has achieved over the last five years whilst announcing new concepts for the future of the real estate industry in Malta.

This success has been achieved by employing a franchising strategy that helped the company grow significantly in a short span of time. Her Excellency, the President Emeritus, the teams at QuickLets and Zanzi Homes, family, friends and service providers were amongst the 400 guests joining in the festivities.

It was around the 30th of April, 2014 when the initial QuickLets sign was proudly put up outside the first branch in Swieqi. The office itself was bare and simple, featuring recycled and refurbished furniture donated by family and friends, perfectly in line with the ethos of the company. The first rentals started dripping in slowly and as the name QuickLets became more known, locals and expats knew who to refer to when they needed to find a property to rent. Co-Founder and CEO Steve Mercieca was the first and sole letting specialist to disseminate the QuickLets business cards but soon the team started growing and a larger space was required. Ibrag, conveniently centralised, served as the perfect location to house the first QuickLets Head Office.

As the company’s success started growing, the top performers were offered the opportunity to open their own branches, starting a successful chain of franchise offices around Malta and Gozo. Together with its sister brand, Zanzi Homes, QuickLets today offers the Maltese real estate market a team of circa 400 property specialists spread across thirty offices, highlighting the lucrative industry it operates in.

What made this franchise model a success goes beyond a professional sales technique. The real estate company is well known on the Maltese islands for its innovative, fresh and vibrant approach to doing business.

QuickLets has always shown a clear understanding of what the future would hold for the real estate market in Malta and has introduced concepts such as the Virtual Agent Programme, Revolut payments for staff and 360 degrees virtual reality tour technology, keeping its team and clients engaged throughout their relationship as well as its franchise model relevant. On the night, the company promised more innovation in the months and years to come.

“I dreamt of this night whilst closing my first rental five years ago”, opens his address Steve Mercieca. “From the start we knew we wanted to create a culture, not just a company like any other. We built what we have today on three pillars; technology, culture and philanthropy. The goal was always to create a place of belonging and joy for our Franchisees and team, because ultimately that’s what life is all about”, he continues. 

Portraying his words were two videos, one showing the achievements of the QLZH Foundation, the non-profit organisation founded by the same group, and another featuring their most ambitious project to date, Saġġar, which aims to plant one million trees over the course of a decade. “We believe people need a purpose in life to feel fulfilled and content with what they do. This is what QuickLets offers to our team and franchise owners, whilst giving back to the planet we so much love”, continues Mr Mercieca.

The night also served as a perfect opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the top performers of the Group. The awards ceremony recognised over fifty individuals that contributed to the growth of the company, not just from a revenue perspective but also from a culture and values point of view. “The success of a company means little when it just creates income but nothing more”, says Michael Mercieca, co-founder of QuickLets and Zanzi Homes.

“We offer continuous training and development as well as individualised support to our Franchise Owners because ultimately their success is our responsibility and naturally profits are important but we make sure that whilst attracting business, our people are also growing as individuals and we felt it was important to present awards that celebrate this”, he continues. An example of the awards that fell under this special category were The Social Heart Award, The Culture Champion Award and The Grit Award.

Following the presentation, attendees were invited to enjoy the rest of the evening together, which included a fire juggler show and a gypsy jazz band which added some flair to the already impressive and imposing venue. Naturally, the conversations turned into anecdotes from the previous five years with guests recounting their most cherished memories.

The Group promised to be back to celebrate many more years in the franchising business, whilst showing its gratitude to all those people present who have been instrumental in the company’s growth.