Estate Agent Talk
It is a Cliff
A fortnight before Christmas and there are more cliff-hangers than reindeers on Santa’s sledge, let us go through the seasonal pre-Xmas list. Countrywide PLC – a tug of love between Connells, a proven model of profitability and other factions that ‘have a plan’ but have not had their mettle tested. In truth needing the backing…
Andrew Stanton
How to choose the right estate agent to sell your home
Choosing the right estate agent is essential. Moving to a new house is a huge decision and can be very stressful, so it’s vital that you find someone that you like and trust to help you with the process. If you are looking to put your home on the market soon, here are some tips…
EAN Breaking News
Regulation or Education – What is the best for Real Estate?
I believe in education, qualifications and developing yourself, as everyone now is very much their own person and own brand. Being a consultant for real estate and proptech I fully support the argument that property professionals – need to keep up with industry changes. But there are two camps of thought, on one side Baron…
Andrew Stanton
9 Garage Upgrades That Increase Your Home’s Value
When you hear the word garage, what comes into your mind? Have you thought of a car, too? Well, that’s given. Many people tend to associate the garage with a space to store your car, but unknowingly, there are other things you can do within your garage area. Here’s a quick fact: upgrading your garage…
EAN Content
Contaminants that stain the facades of high rise commercial buildings
High rise buildings are part of our cities’ characters and identities. But even the most impressive looking building can lose their shine and look dirty, particularly when they have precast and concrete facades. As a building owner, how do you identify the source of pollution? This is the key to removing the problem stains and…
EAN Content
Affordable Housing Crisis – London Mayor Candidate proposes Modular Housing?
There has for a long time been an affordable housing problem in London. It used to be primarily the central areas that had unaffordability, but this trend spread out to the outer city areas and cheaper regions suddenly became expensive thanks to the likes of buy to let drives and also over crowding. No longer…
Christopher Walkey
Deal or No Deal- Why the Sale of Countrywide Matters
As I write this I must declare an interest before I start, I am grateful to Countrywide as I started my agency career with them in the 1980’s and in my first year, I earnt five-times my previous salary pre-agency, and became a manager with a brand new BMW. Back then graft, service and esprit…
Andrew Stanton
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!
Prior to my epiphany with Proptech a few years ago, try saying that with a few seasonal drinks inside you; I was a traditional property man, a stalwart of the status quo, and slow to adapt to change. Not quite one of the ‘if it is not broken don’t fix it’ brigade but close. Now…
Andrew Stanton
Key Trends in Logistics Real Estate
Commerce is the lifeblood of any economy, and the logistics system is at the heart of it all. Trucking fleets, railcars, and other logistic systems are the often overlooked infrastructure that makes trade possible. Logistics real estate stands at the center of the ever-shifting system. Logistics real estate has increasingly become lucrative due to logistics’ centrality…
EAN Content
Are you a Punk Rocker?
Back in the mid 1970’s, as a youth I spent much time wearing a black bin bag, bondage strides and listening to the Sex Pistols, I was trying to be alternative – me and half the country. In time I found myself all grown up and wearing a conservative suit for over three decades, selling…
Andrew Stanton
Managing client’s expectations
In late August 1988, when the world was young and I was a fearless negotiator, I was on the way to my first million, or so I naively thought. Having agreed industrial amounts of sales due to my brilliance – in reality due to the tidal wave of activity caused by Nigella Lawson’s dad the…
Andrew Stanton
‘Fit for purpose?’
Like a vast sea washing out at low tide, Covid-19 has revealed a new shoreline where everything looks odd and different and is up for scrutiny. From Philip Green’s Arcadia group retail model, to Countrywide PLC and their 500M losses over the last three years. Or the bottleneck of hundreds of thousands of sales that…
Andrew Stanton
The Essential Steps to Selling a Property Quickly
Now more than ever, having a sound strategy when selling any property is crucial. Due to factors such as the volatility caused by lockdowns, demand and prices for property are currently increasing rapidly. The sheer number of mortgage applications is higher than at any point since before the global economic upheaval of 2008 – but…
EAN Content
When to Refinance Your Mortgage
Mortgage refinancing is about paying off a current loan and replacing it with a new one. Lots of homeowners choose to refinance due to the following reasons: • To shorten the mortgage term • To attain decreased interest rates • To change from (ARM) Adjustable-Rate Mortgage to the (FRM) Fixed-Rate mortgage • To raise funds…
EAN Content
Rishi Sunak to the rescue or simply painting over the cracks #FurloughScheme
Rishi Sunak’s recent confirmation that he is going to extend the furlough scheme will for many be a life saving announcement in more ways than one. It’s a rescue package that will keep many afloat though is it merely a life line that is attached to simply nothing at all when we, if we ever…
Christopher Walkey