Page 7 - David Burr Rooftops Magazine Winter 2017/2018

ask, well lots actually. On average 80% of our time spent on a sale is spent taking an offer to completion in the current market. You only need to visit various online chat rooms to see some of the poor experiences people have had and in many cases having to subsequently instruct a traditional high street agent. Buy cheap buy twice comes to mind.
Property brokers are another emerging choice. Two have opened in London and are broadly based on the American model. This is a highly specialist service focused on the higher end of the market where an expert (and I really mean an expert) with good local knowledge, and lots of experience in one area, will use his or her contacts to do business. Be that buying or selling.
To increase your exposure, they have a hub through which they can access all the property portals. Now this might not work for an individual who is unsure of where they want to live and at the moment the model is in its infancy. Also the network is somewhat limited.
The national chains or UK franchises might be your next port of call. They all
have their images from the top to the lower end of the market in an area. Most national agents struggle to maintain the standards throughout all the offices and the service can vary enormously from branch to branch. They are not always as networked together as you might think, and some even give a pricing menu as to what service you might like, from the basic on-line service to the proper hand holding you would expect. If you just want an on- line service I am not sure why you would not just use an on-line only agency.
The last but by no means the least is your local independent full service agent. Every town and area has one or two. They are normally very experienced and have worked in the area for a long time. Sometimes they can be a single office outfit or they have multiple offices across a region. For an independent agent to thrive, in an ever increasingly competitive market place, they have to be completely on top of their game, the quality of service and advice has to be second to none. If things go wrong, their reputation can be ruined at a dinner party, or in the school playground. They will go the extra mile to
“We are in a unique position to harness these potential buyers with prominent street level offices featuring large window displays.”
carry out the viewings, negotiating the maximum price, chasing solicitors, surveyors, mortgage companies and in many cases managing complicated chains to ensure the sale completes. Remember they are only paid if a property is sold or let. One of the criticisms of local independent agents has been the fact that they are not nationally networked and if you are moving from St Albans to Truro, (a more popular route than you might think) then using two different independent estate agents is trickier. The London Office was set up 25 years ago to provide this national link for leading independent Estate Agents.
At our office in St James’s, potential purchasers are able to discuss their requirements with professional qualified staff, who can answer questions about prices, market conditions, commuting times and schools. We can then search the database for them and give out brochures of suitable properties marketed by our offices in Suffolk and Essex. We are in a unique position to harness these potential buyers with prominent street level offices featuring large window displays.
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