Interview with Ian Waxman founder of PAD Residential
Ian Waxman is founder of PAD Residential, an Estate & Lettings Agent based in Manchester City Centre. He’s been in the property business for over 40 years, so today we asked him 4 key questions to find out a bit more about him and his history…
1. Tell us about yourself and how long you’ve been in the property industry.
Technically I’ve been involved with the property industry since the age of about 15, my family ran a small estate agency so from a very early age I was involved. Answering phones, listening to other people’s problems, making lots of tea, just trying to be helpful. I was learning from an early age how an estate agent should be run without even realising it.
Fast forward 40 years and I’m running my own based in Manchester city centre. Reading that number seems like a long time but it has absolutely flown by. I enjoy my work and it’s never felt like a chore.
I graduated with a degree in Economics from Liverpool university and currently run PAD Residential with my wife Sue. It seems like property is in our blood because my daughter also works with me as well!
2. What is the property market like at the moment in Manchester, has Brexit affected it and what does the future look like?
When you look around Manchester at the moment it’s clear to see that construction is booming, and there is another cyclical push to increase the numbers of new apartments in the city centre.
My personal observations are that the developers always go high-end and never really affordable. There are so many architectural accountants who could be perceived to under deliver or over price to make the margin. The buildings today are for the next 20 years so the demand adapts to supply at some point.
The Manchester market is an interesting for sure. I think it always will be.
3. What is your one tip for helping someone sell a property?
You can never go wrong when you cover the basics, but when you don’t it can be embarrassing. So just the standard things declutter, paint anything that needs it, stage and price right. We all know how important first impressions are.
Just remember to look at the property as if you were buying not selling.
4. Does social media play an important role in your business, attracting new clients and being a part of your community?
The growth of the digital landscape has had a profound affect on how we do business, thankfully we have adapted to it. Digital marketing campaigns are vital today, but you can never forget about traditional and offline strategy, it’s still just as important.
I have always believed that quick access to any and all information is vital to the property market, that combined with the human element at the end of the digital journey will maximise your results.
It’s a bit like health advice, you can do all the research online you want but, in the end, you want to speak to the Doctor. And that’s when you feel the most satisfied.
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