Estate Agent Talk
My local property market review for 2014 and predictions for 2015.
As 2014 draws to a close, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the local property market scene, dust of the crystal ball and attempt to take a look into the future! 2014 was generally a good year for home owners in the Cheadle area with prices up 11% on the previous year. Average…
Do agents get the vendors and landlords they deserve?
No ..quite the opposite You might not get the landlords and vendors you deserve, but you will probably end up with the vendors and landlords you attract. If all you bang on about is how cheap you are, you will get vendors and landlords who only want a bargain. True you can attract vendors/landlords with…
Christopher Watkin
London house prices fell between Nov and Dec.
Property asking prices fell by the greatest amount ever recorded in a single month in December, property website Rightmove has reported – driven by London homes being put up for sale for £30,000 less than a month ago . The average asking price for a house in London fell by more than £30,000 between November…
Allen Walkey
Good news for first time buyers under 40.
A scheme offering 100,000 first-time buyers new homes with a discount of 20% to help people onto the property ladder will be launched by David Cameron later. Those under 40 who have never owned their own home can register their interest in buying via the Starter Home Initiative from the start of 2015 – six…
Allen Walkey
I can’t convert my FREE VALS to LISTINGS… I am rubbish!
There will be difficult landlords and vendors, aloof to your best sugary pitch on the free valuation or market appraisal. Listen to me ..try not to take it personally. You are in property game, selling your services to landlords and vendors and like all salespeople, you have to develop a little bit of a thick…
Christopher Watkin
Property language: time to think again?
You might have noticed recently that one of the UK’s most unmistakable properties has been put on the rental market. Relatively unassuming until you see the roof, the three-bedroom cottage in Oxford has a 7.5 metre fibreglass shark embedded in the tiles, installed to mark the 41st anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. It fell to…
ARPM
Stamp duty – masterstroke or policitcal electioneering?
Chancellor George Osborne yesterday in his Autumn statement was either entering into the seasonal spirit by providing hard pressed home buyers with an early Christmas present, with a long overdue overhaul of Stamp Duty or it was a smart political manoeuvre with one eye on the forthcoming general election in May 2015! As it is…
Stamp Duty Reform 2014.
Stamp Duty Reform 2014 Last week, George Osbourne surprised us all by creating a huge shake-up to the way Stamp Duty works in the UK. As an estate agent I have been lobbying for a change in the stamp duty rules for some time so we’re thrilled about the changes. However, this pesky property tax…
YOUNG, BRASH and C*CKY … the problem with some younger Neg’s in agency.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing so they say. How many times have you seen a young whippersnapper Neg or Valuer/Lister make the same mistakes you did? You see, I have always thought that this saying was one of empowerment in that, if you have even a little knowledge, you could be competent…
Christopher Watkin
Don’t try and out-fox Foxtons.
If you are an agent, planning to open an new office, you have a number of ways of launching, but let me tell you one thing .. don’t try and outfox the masters of a new office opening .. Foxton’s. You can’t copy what Foxton’s do .. you haven’t got their budget, you haven’t got…
Christopher Watkin
All Estate/Letting Agents are sharks and liars.
The typical stereotype of an estate/letting agent …… and they can restrain our ability to network, grow and work well. Stereotypes, however, are not inherently bad—rather, they give someone a reference point to inform them during a new situation. Holding too tightly to a stereotype is the problem. Much of the public continue to view…
Christopher Watkin
The financial advantages of a professional cleaning service.
Whether you’re working your estate agency from home or at the office, small or big, there is undoubtedly rubbish and dust littered around your premises that goes unnoticed to the untrained eye. Hiring a commercial cleaning service can help you to keep up with your daily office cleaning. You may not have time to worry…
Alex Evans
London’s Mayfair Becoming Top Prime Market, Again!
The rare air of Mayfair has inspired wonder for many generations, mainly thanks to its position on the Monopoly board. However, since World War II, the real world has left Mayfair failing to meet the prestige inherent in its name. The great news is that Mayfair is fast recovering its status as one of the…
Online agents – Big savings or, paying up-front for failure?
As an agent who has always embraced new technology and working practices, I have no problem with online agents, in fact, I have often looked at diversifying into that area myself on occasions. However; what I do find unsettling, is when agents of any camp (online or high-street), make bold claims about being better than…
Estate Agents Collaborate To Revolutionise The Luxury Home Marketplace.
Maurice Kilbride Residential Sales Limited, one of South Manchester’s leading and most innovative Estate and Letting agents, has joined forces with Britain’s Best Home who are a fast growing luxury property portal. This new partnership will create one of the premier estate agency and luxury property marketing companies initially in South Manchester but plan to…