Estate Agent Talk
Should You Buy a House Now, Later… or Never?
In many affluent countries, buying one’s first house is a mark of success, a symbol that one has “arrived” or at least is on the way up. But with house prices on the rise, and wages for the most part remaining stagnant in a global economy that hasn’t fully recovered from the Great Recession, the…
Christopher Walkey
Do 0% fee deals work?
There is a huge temptation to offer 0% fees to attract new house sellers and landlords as a new start up agent .. in fact, many established agents do it as well.…so every agent, new or old could learn something from this article. The idea of 0% (free) is attractive, especially to new start estate…
Christopher Watkin
Brexit means Brexit
Several weeks ago, we heard the UK was leaving the EU and what happened… panic set in. Whilst one half of the UK were revelling in their success, the other half were going in to meltdown. The stock exchange was all over the place, Sterling fell off a cliff, political resignations went around like wildfire…
Do these roads, street and location names Really Exist!
I am sure we have all done it, as we are driving in our car, riding our motorcycles or burning off the calories on our bicycles, we have spotted that oddly named village or street sign and with today’s social media trends, we no doubt have taken a photo of it to share! I have…
Christopher Walkey
How to Combat the Rise of Online Estate Agents
As the battle between online and high street retailers rages through all industries, the fight for the property market is heating up. Online estate agents may have gained steam lately, with companies like Emoov and Yopa attempting to undercut traditional property marketers, but it’s not quite game over for high street agents. Your biggest advantage…
Christopher Walkey
Key Questions to Ask Before Getting a Loft Conversion
A loft conversion can be a great addition to your home, providing a lot of extra space to be used as a new bedroom, playroom, office or anything you want. However, arranging a loft conversion will be a timely and somewhat expensive endeavour. Therefore, it is important to answer a few essential questions before you…
Christopher Walkey
The Rise and Rise of Manchester’s Property Scene.
I was recently interviewed on Key 103 radio as part of Adam Catterall’s talk show which was discussing a recent Manchester Evening News article. The newspaper piece was about rising house prices in Manchester, and I was asked to give my “expert” opinion on the subject. I have also been asked on countless occasions since…
Why do new estate and letting agents fail?
… and also, whilst I am at it … why do more established agencies find it so hard to grow? Could these things be the reasons? The cost of attracting landlords and homeowners to use your agency is too high, the difficulty of attracting homeowners and landlords to even ask you out for a free valuation…
Christopher Watkin
What does Brexit mean for London property?
Almost 2 weeks after the UK somewhat surprisingly voted to leave The European Union, the dust is now starting to settle. Focus has shifted away from the merits of the decision and onto the implications, specifically how the UK will negotiate an exit. With a new prime minister and cabinet now in place, the fog…
Christopher Walkey
Townends Estate Agents Reacts to Bank of England Decision to Cut Base Rate to 0.25%
Yesterday, the Bank of England made its first interest rate cut for more than seven years, slashing its base rate from its already historic low of 0.5%, which it has held since March 2009, to 0.25%. It is a move aimed at stimulating the economy after Britain voted to leave the EU in the referendum…
Christopher Walkey
High Street Estate Agency is Dying
Those of you in your 40’s and 50’s will remember Sunday evenings, taping the Top 40 with your finger on the pause button, so you didn’t get the DJ talking over the songs. We listen to those songs and went down to Woolies to buy the Singles and when we were old enough the albums…
Christopher Watkin
5 Worthwhile Value Adding Investments
No vendor wants to sell their property for a below par price, meaning that investing finances and effort into home improvements can greatly aid the guarantee of achieving a good price on the sale. Enhancements to a property can breathe a new lease of life and add to the current value of the home. We…
The ‘Waitrose Effect’ Has The Potential To Add Up To £38,666 To a Property
The ‘Waitrose Effect’ is sweeping the nation, signalling to any homeowners within rational walking distance of a Waitrose supermarket that their property could potentially be worth up to £38,666 more than a similar property without a supermarket, according to a recent survey. It was discovered that living close to any supermarket has a positive effect…
30 years this week – Suzy Lamplugh:
“On the last Monday of July 1986, in broad daylight and in the middle of a working day, the unthinkable happened. Suzy Lamplugh, a 25 year old, disappeared during the course of her work as an Estate Agent while showing a client round a house in Fulham”. SuzyLamplugh.org This week marks the 30 year anniversary…
Christopher Walkey
Agency shows Confidence in its Future by Opening Centre of Excellence
Multi-award winning estate agents Gibbs Gillespie have shown their confidence in the future of the property market by investing heavily in their own in house training academy. The company which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has ten offices across Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire opened the doors of its new centre of estate agency…