Have UK Estate Agents got their ‘head in the sand’ in 2019?

July 9, 2019
Have UK Estate Agents got their 'head in the sand' in 2019

Ian Westerling is a seasoned property professional in the UK property industry, ex Director from Strutt and Parker, ex Ops Director at Hamptons International, ex MD at Humberts and now Ops Director at ActivePipe. I asked him into the studio to chat about UK Estate Agency over a series of standalone interviews.

 

Christopher Watkin

I teach, guide, support, mentor, consult, counsel, partner many hundreds of UK Estate and Letting Agents in their quest to grow their estate and lettings agencies business. Old school techniques of touting, landlords wanted leaflets, ring us for a free valuation, we have sold this in your street leaflets don't work anymore. There are too many competitor agents .. meaning cheap fees are epidemic, overvaluing is almost a norm to get the stock and don’t even mention about the online/hybrid threat. So a few years ago, I set about looking around the UK and spotted that certain agents (not many mind you) in certain towns were still seen as the ‘go to person on property’, the person the newspaper editor rang up every week for a comment and I looked at what they did and they were doing some thing quite remarkable…. Only one thing but they were doing it so well .. and reaping the reward in terms of decent listings and decent fees, happy staff, decent sales pipeline and exchange income, managed lettings portfolios in the many hundreds .. but more importantly, they really enjoyed the job… they enjoyed getting up in the morning and people looked up to them Over 400 agents around the UK are on a mission to change the way our Estate and Lettings agency profession is perceived and looked upon, doing it town by town, city by city. I guide these 400 agents, teach them, mentor them and support them to be seen in a different light, to be seen as the ‘go to person for property’, actually be the ‘local property expert’ and prove it. Christopher Watkin 07950 147 572 christopher@christopherwatkin.co.uk

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Some Instances Where Landlords Are Liable for Slip and Fall Accidents

In bustling urban environments, slip-and-fall accidents can disrupt lives, leading to injuries and legal complexities; landlords are responsible for maintaining safe premises. From icy sidewalks to poorly maintained staircases, instances where landlords may be held accountable for slip and fall accidents are diverse and nuanced. Understanding these scenarios is a matter of legal obligation and…
Read More →
Breaking News

Sales agreed up 12% on last year despite annual mortgage costs 61% higher than 2021

UK house prices broadly static but sales volumes are up 12% year on year UK house price inflation unchanged from last month at -0.2% Almost two thirds (64%) of all homes are in local markets with annual price falls, down from 82% last October with a clear north-south divide emerging. Higher mortgage rates continue to…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Understanding House Value in the UK: A Simple Guide

Everyone talks approximately assets expenses, from the records headlines shouting about the contemporary marketplace traits for your friends debating whether or no longer now is the proper time to shop for or sell. It might possibly appear to be a jumble of numbers and possibilities, but at the heart of it, knowledge house cost isn’t…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What does latent defects insurance cover?

When a building is insured during the construction phase, coverage doesn’t necessarily end once the final brick has been laid. Failures and problems with design and workmanship can go unnoticed for several months or even years, leading to larger issues while someone occupies the building. Fixing such large structural defects can be extremely costly, so…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 24/04/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Smart Spaces delivers the world’s first implementation of HID’s mobile credentials in Google Wallet at Workspace Mobile access control integration makes entry to The Light Bulb building effortless for customers London, April 23, 2024 – Smart Spaces announces today that it has partnered with trusted identity provider,…
Read More →
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

An average rate of 6% for the first time since November – Rightmove’s weekly mortgage tracker

Headlines The average 5-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.89%, up from 4.45% a year ago The average 2-year fixed mortgage rate is now 5.29%, up from 4.75% a year ago The average 85% LTV 5-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.82%, up from 4.42% a year ago The average 60% LTV 5-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.36%, up from 4.15% a year ago The average monthly mortgage payment on…
Read More →