Posts by Sam Ashdown
Why you Don’t need an App
Where’s your phone, right now? I bet that it’s not more than three feet from you; am I right? And there’s around a 50% chance that you’re even reading this post on your phone. When I reach for my computer to search for something on the internet, around 50% of the time, that computer is…
Read MoreWhy you Don’t need an App
Where’s your phone, right now? I bet that it’s not more than three feet from you; am I right? And there’s around a 50% chance that you’re even reading this post on your phone. When I reach for my computer to search for something on the internet, around 50% of the time, that computer is…
Read MoreYour Core Values and Why They Matter
I was presenting at a local businesswomen’s networking event this week and I asked the ladies in the room to take part in an exercise: to define their top three core values. They found it hard: really hard. To try to define everything you stand for, and do, in just three words, is hard. Try…
Read MoreThe 7 most popular tips of 2016
Every week during 2016 I emailed a tip to help independent estate and letting agents. Did you get them? These are just 7 of the 52 I sent out in 2016, and if you are not on the list, you missed out on some fantastic free tips, tricks and tactics to grow your agency. To…
Read MoreThe Power of Prediction Marketing – What it is and why it matters to you
By the time a vendor calls you to book a valuation, you’re already too late. You’ve either won the instruction, or you haven’t. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Or is there? You see, when that homeowner calls to arrange a visit, they know which company they will instruct. They will probably follow…
Read More10 Key Estate Agency Marketing Predictions for 2017
Marketing is changing, and the speed of change is pretty mind-blowing. It was only 10 years ago that Rightmove listed less than 10% of properties for sale, YouTube was just a baby, and Mark Zuckerberg was trying to launch his new idea: The Face Book. Fast forward to today and who could have predicted the…
Read MoreNew Landlords – where to find them and how to get them
How independent letting agents can attract and convert new landlords by using creative and innovative marketing tactics. Landlords are elusive creatures. Hard to find, difficult to market to, and almost impossible to poach. Most traditional methods of marketing just don’t work on landlords. With a vendor, at least you know where they live. Trying to…
Read MoreBuying Boards?
You’re in an MA in a house you really want. It’s a prime property, in a lovely area. But where to pitch the price to win the instruction? Say you think it’ll fetch £450,000, so maybe you say £475,000, then watch their faces. They don’t seem ecstatic, so you soften it slightly by adding a…
Read MoreWhy I love independent estate and letting agents
I love independent agents. I love you because you give your heart and soul to what you do. You miss parties and nights out; you stand in the rain on a Saturday watching your kids run around a muddy field, then go straight to a viewing. Your alarm clock always goes off too early; you…
Read MoreWho’s Your Pacemaker?
Do you ever watch the London Marathon or the Great North Run? I do, with a mixture of awe and guilt. Awe that so many people had taken on such a momentous challenge, of their own free will, and guilt, that I was enjoying the event from my sofa, while many people less fit than…
Read MoreBe PROUD of your Independence
Don’t hide your independent status: it’s what vendors want. Small, local, independent estate agents are often slightly embarrassed to be seen as such. Creating a website that looks like you’re a corporate is a mistake. You’re independent: be proud of all that entails: personal service, attention to detail, high level accountability. Vendors tend to look…
Read More11 Ways to get more Landlords
How letting agents can attract and convert new landlords by using creative and innovative marketing tactics. Landlords are elusive creatures. Hard to find, difficult to market to, and almost impossible to poach. Most traditional methods of marketing just don’t work on landlords. With a vendor, at least you know where they live. Trying to reach…
Read More7 Tips for Winning over a Savvy Seller
I was in a local café the other day for a meeting. We ordered food, and my crabcakes were frankly, awful. After two exchanges with the staff, I returned it, mostly uneaten, explaining why I didn’t like it. When it came time to pay the bill, I was very surprised to see that they had…
Read MoreWhy are you an estate agent?
Do you bounce out of bed before the alarm every morning, with a spring in your step and a smile on your face? Or do you hit the snooze button seven times in a row before eventually dragging your body out from under the duvet to face the world? How you get up in the…
Read MoreShould you be first through the door?
When you go out to a valuation, would you choose to be the first agent to go in? Or the last? Or perhaps the one in the middle? I’ve heard arguments for every which way, with no real conclusion. Having researched this issue, talked to loads of agents and put my curious mind to work,…
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