Estate Agent Talk
Which Rugby Referee does Your Agency Resemble?
I’m not a big rugby fan but I have been sucked in during the World Cup. My sporting background is in football and I’ve always found it interesting how respectful rugby players are towards the ref compared to footballers. I watched the Wales versus South Africa match at the weekend and I was struck by…
Are you guilty of playing ‘Estate Agency Top Trumps’?
Without a doubt, there’s an agent in your town who lists more than you, if you are part of a group or chain, there will be an office that has a higher profit or some other target. There will be a negotiator in your office who gets paid more. There will be a fellow manager…
Christopher Watkin
Maximise your selling potential during winter.
People seem to think that selling your home in the winter is a lot harder than it is in the summer. But there are actually a number of advantages to selling your home in the colder months. Take a look at our tips below and to see how you can maximise your selling potential. Ice…
Leading Estate Agent Adopt New Conveyancing Panel Management Software.
Dawsons estate agents have implemented the Hoowla Panel Management Software Solution to help save time generating quotes and improve reporting and feedback from solicitors. The software will be used across all of Dawsons branches and in 7 legal firms that regularly receive client referrals, ensuring a secure and consistent approach to conveyancing for clients of…
I want to change the face of estate agency in the UK
Really? If you are going to have a cause, at least make it a worthwhile one like ridding the world of poverty and disease. Maybe you started your estate agency (and lettings at that) because you thought you could do a better job than your old boss …. you wanted to prove them wrong. Sorry,…
Christopher Watkin
Noise information and guidance now available for wary home buyers.
According to a recent European Environment Agency report ‘Environmental noise is linked to approximately 43,000 hospital admissions, and up to 10,000 premature deaths per year’. Staggeringly, despite noise being cited as one of the most common nuisances that can affect house-holders and one of the main causes of purchase dissatisfaction, it is often not investigated…
The Value of Personal Connections.
A couple of weeks ago I was reminded of the value of personal connections. I love the social world, the ability to connect and build relationships online has been a powerful resource for my business. As a writer it is so easy for me to hide away behind my pen and paper and remain in…
Industry Interview: Katrine Sporle CBE, Property Ombudsman.
What attracted you to take up the role of the new Property Ombudsman? As soon as I heard about this role I had a really good feeling. For me, it’s the right time, right place and a right fit for my skills and experience. Also, co-incidentally, a close friend of mine has recently used The Property Ombudsman for…
Christopher Walkey
The Plague of Prime Central London – The real effect of stamp duty.
Experienced estate agent based in Knightsbridge and anonymous guest writer for mypropertyeye.com gives us his thoughts on SDLT. Prime Central London is a term that is growing to encompass more and more of the capital’s postcodes, but there is arguably one that still is in a league of its own. SW1X (Knightsbridge/Belgravia) includes some of the most famous and…
Why invest in property?
Steadily, but assuredly, the economy has moved into a new cycle. Gone are the years of decline and stagnation and, in their place is a period of consistent economic growth, falling unemployment and, at last, wages increasing in real terms. A good time to invest then, but what should you invest in to best secure…
Will online agents take over the world of estate / lettings agents?
Be honest, nobody really knows the right answer, nobody knows exactly what will happen, nobody, not even EasyProp, eMoov or House Simple with their millions can produce the future they want, on demand. Now I know some people are better at speculating than others … but not by much. The people who are supposed to…
Christopher Watkin
Property Managers: How much more are you expected to do?
The goalposts have shifted. An influx on new lettings laws introduced this October mean the role and remit of a property manager has changed yet again. While the Government want to make life for tenants and landlords more transparent, it becomes murkier and more complex for property managers. Even more rules to abide by and…
ARPM
There is No ‘Perfect Deal’ for the Investor Who Waits.
If you keep waiting for a great deal to come your way then you are in the wrong job. Most Estate Agents commercial property gets picked up by proactive investors who have the guts to act upon their market knowledge and are willing to take risks. And while you are waiting for that great money…
Congratulations! Your office just lost you an instruction!
If you’re like most HS agents, you probably have an expensive fascia and window display. And maybe some very expensive shop fitting? After all, the office is a major window to the world and your prime ‘fixed asset’- it’s advertising and marketing that promotes your brand and company image 24/ 7. As the nights draw…
10 ways to beat the bigger agents in your town
Here is a straightforward and easy marketing strategy for the smaller letting and estate agents, trying to compete in a town, full of big corporate or well established (but lazy) independents Treat your client like they were the only client in the world Care … and mean it Be flexible … rules are meant to…
Christopher Watkin