Estate Agent Talk
The 2015 raterAwards – Less than 1 month to go!
The 2015 Branch raterAwards are just weeks away from being decided – now’s the time to chase up all those reviews that you’ve been waiting on, as the branches with the best reviews by 11th December are the ones that will secure the Gold, Silver and Bronze in their geographical areas. With 1 in…
Are you a Rat or a Hamster? An open letter to independent estate agents.
Hello there, I’ll get to the point. The industry has an image problem. A bloody big one. Most people do not trust estate agents. Heck a lot of agents don’t even trust agents. Every time there is a top ten list of the least trusted / most despised professions in the UK estate agents will…
Alex Evans
Leading industry service provider wins awards for multiple Estate Agents.
For the second year running Fairfield Displays and Lighting have won the highly commendable Silver Negotiator Award for Supplier of the Year ‘Products and Services’. Competition gets fiercer each year and undergoes a strict judging process. Fairfield being the only company in this particular field, maintaining second place is no mean feat. Priding themselves on…
The winner takes it all!
You’ve got one chance at a valuation. You either win it or you don’t. How do you put yourself in the best position to win more, more of the time? Do you offer more or less marketing than your rivals? A good and engaging write up, thoughtful and well taken images, a media tour, floorplan?…
Alex Evans
Taking data and scraping away your content by New Start Up concepts…
I recently got asked regarding the emergence of the many new online concepts within the industry and what I thought regarding their business models. I did have a chat regarding GetAgent that I saw had not too good press recently following issues from some agents that the content they have isn’t their right to take…
Christopher Walkey
The “Buying Your Home” Checklist.
Buying a home can be one of the biggest commitments that you will ever make and also the most expensive. You need to make sure you get everything right. If you have bought a home before you will be familiar with the process and what’s needed to successfully buy a home. But if you’re new…
Alex Evans
When the s**t hits the fan don’t say ‘No comment’
What follows is a true story but the names and a couple of details have been changed to protect the innocent (and in this case they were innocent). A fortnight ago I got a call from a stressed client saying his lettings department had just received a call from the local paper. His agency’s office…
Are you aware about the Analytics from Twitter?
So we all use Twitter right? We’re guessing so since you’re reading this blog.. If the answer is yes but you’re not too sure which was your most successful tweet or how many mentions you got last month then you are in luck! Twitter has some built in analytics for you and best of all…
Alex Evans
Competition – Celebrating Inspiring Agents.
Negative press about our industry seems to be growing, yet the inspirational stories about the kind and wonderful things we do for clients gets ignored. It’s time to redress the balance. I want to celebrate the wonderful work estate and letting agents do throughout the country on a daily basis. This is about those caring…
Stephen Brown
Industry Interview: Roy Condrey, Founder DiedInHouse.com
The idea came about when a tenant of mine texted me in the middle of the night stating, “Do you know your house is haunted?” I did not know it’s history, so I started researching online. I was looking for a “CarFax” for homes if you will, a DiedinHouse.com and I did not find such…
Christopher Walkey
Why Don’t we Share Stories of Inspirational Agents?
I get fed up with watching all the negative TV programmes and reading newspaper articles about Estate Agents and Letting Agents. Last week was the Watchdog story about a Letting Agent. Whilst I accept this makes great news and highlights the fact that as an Industry we need to raise our standards, I want to…
Stephen Brown
Are you in a one way relationship with your Conveyancing Solicitors?
It takes two to manage a successful relationship. Do you feel you’re giving more than your fair share with the local solicitors you refer work to? Something as simple as waiting on a quote for a customer, even having to chase for it, can push you over the edge. At Hoowla we have expanded our online conveyancing…
Alex Evans
Rogue landlords, agents and tenants will continue to operate.
Following the announcement from The Home Office that from 1st February 2016, the Right to Rent scheme will be extended across England, Wayne Treveil, CEO of Tenants Plus Ltd, who provide a property marketing and tenant lead service to the industry, declares that it will have little impact on the private rented sector, but also…
Christopher Walkey
Infographic: Traditional vs Online Estate Agents 2015.
Buying or selling a home can be a life changing process. It’s a stressful time, when you need good advice and support from a trusted estate agent. Choosing the estate agent that will guide you through your transaction can be a big decision in itself – never mind which school you’d like to be close…
Alex Evans
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…
Alex Evans