Posts by Alex Evans
Advising on Buy-To-Let
With rental prices on the rise, many people will be thinking about purchasing a property with the intention of letting it out through an agency. But when advising people – especially first time landlords – on buying a property to rent out, what should you make sure they know? Here are some of the top…
Read MoreWhy you need an App
With portal giants such as Rightmove and Zoopla it might seem like there’s no need for your own app. Why should you spend the cash on your own app when you can piggyback on the success of these well established brands? While these portals are fantastic tools, an over-reliance could be detrimental to your business. As an…
Read MoreBuying real estate is the ultimate in consumerism
I’m a big believer in looking at macroeconomic trends. For example: there will be more mobile computers (smartphones) than PCs sold. Mobile phones are also more ‘convenient’ as they are always on our person and generally more simple to use. Another macroeconomic trend is the printing of funny money. Pioneered by the US, much of…
Read MoreWhy is the property industry not consolidating faster?
The Real Estate Pundit writes primarily about Property Technology: https://twitter.com/realpundit Seriously, in a massively fragmented industry, few companies make big money and none come close to dominating in any sphere. What is it about estate agency that perpetuates an incredibly long tail of same-same service providers. There’s very little difference between one agent and another, consumers…
Read MoreAre online-only agents just FSBO in disguise?
The Real Estate Pundit writes primarily about Property Technology: https://twitter.com/realpundit And there it is: the deafening chorus of traditional estate agents screaming “Yes!”. For years high street agents have been crying foul that Rightmove allows For-Sale-By-Owner sites to sneak listings next to theirs. But with the barrier to entry for a new estate agent so low,…
Read MoreAgents: Don’t risk a £5,000 fine…
We want to express to every letting and property management agent, how vital it is to sign up to one of three government authorised consumer redress schemes. It’s already a legal requirement for estate agents to be signed up with these redress schemes, but it’s soon to be for many letting agents. From October 1st,…
Read MoreThe What, Why and When of Agents’ Mutual
1. Estate agents, who typically dominate high streets across the UK, pay Rightmove a membership fee to advertise property listings. Property owners and landlords are explicitly not allowed to list on Rightmove directly. 2. Rightmove send buyers and tenants back to agents via email and phone. These people are called ‘leads’. 3. This low-effort way…
Read MoreA new campaign for innovation
As we continue into recovery it’s useful to refer to the economic clock which describes four recovery steps. So far we’ve been moving through ‘hesitant and uneven’ recovery where we typically experience one step back for every two forward. As a result, most of us have been noticing the good news/bad news mix in the…
Read MoreWhat makes a good letting agent?
What makes a good letting agent? There are many qualities, resources and skills that a letting agent should possess in order to provide the best possible service to their clients. Regulation Being associated with the relevant regulated bodies will provide guidelines and regulation to a letting agent. This is helpful to both the letting agent…
Read MoreIs your marketing washing it’s face ?
Can you imagine a landlord buying a property for investment purposes and not checking if it’s going to wash its face; in other words cover its monthly costs. That would be risky wouldn’t it ?
Read MoreAre Estate Agents making the best of the agency window?
Estate Agents are by the very nature of their business very reliant on the quality of their window display to attract prospective buyers passing their agency window. So what’s the problem? It’s all very standard with rows upon rows of properties with very little in the way of varied customer engagement through the use of…
Read MoreAgents: Are you under threat?
During the last few months, many online agents have started to grow in the current property industry. For example, agents such as Hatched.co.uk, Purplebricks and OpenRent have been in the media spotlight, as potential leading online estate agents. OpenRent recently launched its televised campaign on Channel 5, as well as holding campaigns in the Express…
Read MoreMake the Grade
Getting your staff qualified will not only set your agency apart from the crowd, but will also demonstrate commitment to your employees. Rachel Escott talks to two Scotland-based managers who discuss the impact that qualifications have had on their own careers, why it is imperative to find the time for training, and the importance of investing…
Read MoreThe Importance of a Mobile Site
So, you have a fantastic website, It’s got everything you need to take on an online market. On a PC, Your design is clean, efficient and intuitive. Great! But what happens if you try to connect to your website via a mobile? Or even a Tablet? Suddenly, each feature you’ve added becomes an obstacle that…
Read MoreA Simple Guide on the Use of ‘To Let’ and ‘For Sale’ Boards’ for Agents
After recent problems over the display of ‘To Let Boards’, we have decided to produce an article specifically on the display of ‘To Let’ and ‘For Sale’ boards. Back in April, Newcastle council were planning on banning the use of ‘To Let’ boards as it was having a negative impact on the visual amenity in…
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