Posts by Andrew Stanton
Will it be Amazon Estate Agents soon?
This is not a news flash that Amazon has formerly started up a chain of estate agents in the UK, more thoughts that with the demise of Debenhams, and its purchase by Boohoo, but without the physical stores, has buying and selling now entered a new phase for good? And where does that leave estate…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 26/01/2021
CAN AGENTS SMOKE ON A ZOOM CALL IN THEIR OWN HOME? It is not clear what if any fallout can come from smoking in your own property, but if you are undertaking company business on a video conference call and you light up, will you fall foul of company procedures and be reprimanded? An owner…
Read MoreA-B-C Always be closing, but maybe just today take a day off
A-B-C Always be closing, but maybe just today take a day off. In Glen Garry Glen Ross an exceptional play by David Mamet, re-worked and expanded with the inclusion of Alec Baldwin as Blake in the 1992 film version, we hear the immortal lines, ‘A-B-C. A, always; B, be; C, closing. Always be closing! Always…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 25/01/2021
COUNTRYWIDE PLC – THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING It is just three weeks before the shareholders of Countrywide Plc vote on whether or not to accept the Skipton building society (they own Connells) cash acquisition to purchase them. If the deal happens, the new owner has said that it will not look to make huge closures…
Read MoreMillennials and Generation-Z property buyers, are they just too demanding?
Over a year ago I penned my thoughts on this, but with the pandemic, if anything the speed of digital adoption, and the appetite of digital users seems to have leapt forward x 10. So, so I thought it worthy of sharing. Obviously, some of the referenced companies are also in slightly different positions to…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 22/01/2021
RICS AT LAST IS FORCED TO ACCOUNT FOR ITSELF As we have been reporting for some time RICS has been torn apart by allegations that its governance has been opaque and there are big questions over its handling of financial matters, which as yet unproved may be a serious breach. There is now to be…
Read MoreWho would be an Estate Agent – The Evolution of an Industry
Using the coverall term estate agent to mean an estate or letting agent, why would anybody want to get into the profession in the first place, and why is there such a high turnover? As I have it on good authority that nearly 40% of those within the property agency are considering changing their company…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 21/01/2021
SLIGHT DIP IN NON DOMS PURCHASING IN CAPITAL According to recent data from Search Acumen’ there has been a 5% dip on the amount of property bought in the capital by overseas buyers, this might be the impact of leaving the EU or it could of course be Covid-19 upsetting the supply chain, with investors…
Read MoreSocial Media for Estate Agents – It does not sell houses?
With the vast majority of agents only playing at using social media, posting their inventory to sell, or let on Facebook, and maybe the odd twitter here and there, I want to discuss a few reasons why social media is an essential, not a random bolt on revenue generator. I am not advocating spending thousands…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 20/01/2021
SDLT DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT – GOVERNMENT PUTS THE BRAKES ON It would appear that there will NOT be a debate in parliament regarding extension to the Stamp Duty Debate, as no debates triggered by a petition of over 100,000 signatures are being debated in the house. So, time for those who want to see action…
Read MoreDAY IN A LIFE … Heather Staff, Co-Founder of Street.co.uk
What does a day in the life mean? Definition (expr.) a typical day; a normal day. Examples I wonder what a day in the life of a Rock star is like? We begin this series of daily insights with: – Heather Staff, Co-Founder of newly launched Estate Agency CRM street.co.uk and prospecting tool, Spectre. Heather and her brother Tom, have…
Read MoreBricks & Mortar the best investment for the future?
A recent report has stated that property prices have risen by 51% in the last decade, which surely must mean that it is above all others in the investment stakes as an asset base. Why then increasingly have we got generation rent? And unlike in Margaret Thatcher’s heyday less emphasis is being put on getting…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS – 5 top stories 19/01/2021
FIRST TIME BUYERS MAY BE PAYING 40% TOO MUCH INTEREST ON THEIR MORTGAGES Despite the Bank of England having the lowest base rate ever at, it was lowered to 0.1% last March, recent figures published show that a huge chunk of First Time Buyers, over 68% of them took out a mortgage loan for a…
Read MoreBREAKING NEWS: 18/01/2021
DEBATE IN GOVERNMENT ON EXTENDING STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY Having exceeded 100,000 signatures, on the petition asking for a debate on SDLT and extending the holiday date, there will be 48 hours before a date is given for when the debate will be heard. When the matter is debated and IF the extension is allowed on the strict…
Read MoreWhat does extending the Stamp Duty holiday petition really mean?
At 15-minutes past Eleven, PM on Sunday night there were 109,599 signatures to the petition that wanted to extend the stamp duty holiday, 9,586 more than was required to trigger a debate in parliament. According to the government website there will now be 48 hours before a date is given for when the debate will…
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