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SHOCKING SECRETS TO SELLING YOUR HOME MOST ESTATE AGENTS

WONâ€™T TELL YOU YOUR MUST KNOW REPORT

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1 STEVE NEWSHAM

It really is this simple… my

A VERY BIG WELCOME

The very fact you have requested this report tells me that you either have some unanswered questions about everything to do with house moving or you’re simply curious about our world of Estate Agency? First of all, you may be wondering who the heck I am and what qualifies me to give you this valuable information where we’ll discover some secrets most Estate Agents wont dare to share. I have 15 years experience in this industry and have assisted over 3,500 families move home right across East Anglia in that time. Prior to that I enjoyed a career in the UK holiday industry spanning some 20 years and learned my craft from the best in the world. Over those years I learnt my skills from the likes of Disney in terms of everything Customer Service related to World leading sales trainers and Team leadership processes with mentors such as Sir Clive Woodward, Adrian Moorhouse and many other high profile sports and business leaders. I have been doing this for many years and most of my business comes from personal recommendations, now is the time to allow many more people into our secrets, whichever estate agent you choose! This is why I am qualified to lift the lid on this industry, don't forget I am not a born and bred Estate Agent, I have however had real life experiences, I have learned the hard way and have been in the buyers and vendors shoes and as I said earlier, only came into this industry 15 years ago. So why did I choose this industry? That’s an easy question to answer, because I believe I can make a difference and give people a more enjoyable experience rather than the ’most stressful events in your life’ which is the stigma UK Estate Agents have given it... come on get a grip, moving home, in most cases should be exciting, not stressful... my team and I have already created a better experience and have made good friends from many customers over those years. You may be asking yourself why share this information, what’s in it for me to give all these secrets away? Am I sharing this with the hope that you will list your property with me? This report is probably going to go out to 20,000 people throughout 2020, even if 20% of that amount decided I am the right person to sell their home, I doubt whether I would be able to cope with that. Infact some people will be disappointed that we wont be able to help, however I am more than happy to assist any way I can with advice, tips and tricks wherever I can and my goal is to try to transform estate agency, make it more accessible, transparent, friendlier and most importantly, inspire to give a better service and value for money.

‘It really is this simple… my 2020 mission is to genuinely help as

many home sellers as possible to move home, stress free, without being overcharged... Whether you choose me or not!’ I am going to tell you things you wont hear anywhere else, information that most agents wouldn't dare to divulge. In half an hour when you have read this, you will be armed with more knowledge and so much more confidence that you will be able to make informed decisions about the right estate agent for you, whether that be a local independent, large corporate or online you will be able to choose wisely, the first time. I am going to explain, warts and all my opinions on what to look out for, how to select the estate agent for you and little tips on getting the very best out of your chosen Agent.

‘So, sit back. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride’.

Steve Newsham

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE? Note from the Author, Steve Newsham

‘ I am going to tell you things you won’t hear anywhere else, information that most agents wouldn't dare to divulge’ TWENTY SEVEN things … 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

How often do people move Why are we moving home? Look or Market first - which way round? The 5 ‘P’s Jargon Buster Selection Process Do your research Ask Around Build your List Independent or Corporate? That First Meeting The Valuation What you’ll need to know - our TOP 10 TIPS Have they sold houses just like yours? Who’s doing the viewings at my house? Proactive v Reactive Buyers waiting Tie in Contracts Can I get some feedback please? Where’s my property going to me advertised? How do I prepare for viewings? Charges & Fees Ask your agents loads of questions The Sales Process Legals We Live in a 24 Hour World

27. This is where the

Magic happens 3

HOW OFTEN DO WE MOVE?

Not something people do every week, one in ten of us hasn't moved in 30 years. I’ll start my report by quoting an article I read in the Independent. It was a survey from a mortgage company and the article suggests that around 60% of adults have lived in the same house for more than 15 years, while one in 10 say they haven’t moved for 24 years or more. Almost a quarter of those questioned have lived in 10 or more homes in their lives with moving unsurprisingly more common in younger people - 54% of under 25’s have already lived in three or more places. On average people will move three times before they are 45.

If your still awake after those boring stats, In simple terms, I have always said that the average home owner will move once every 7 years. So why am I telling you this? Most people like you an I don’t sell or buy property that often in their lifetime … its not like buying a car, a telly or popping down Tesco for your weekly shop, its not something most people do very often … this is serious business! That is one of the reasons I have decided to write this report. When you hire your next Estate Agent, I want you to get it right and my advice and information in this report will give you the knowledge required to making that right decision. It will give you the confidence to ask the right questions and choose an agent that will work for you and have your best interest at the forefront of their business ethics.

WHY ARE WE MOVING?

There are many varying reasons people want to move. Some people indeed need to move or have been forced into that decision for personal reasons, however on the whole you may have a growing family need more space, you may want to invest in a bigger and better property or just the opposite, maybe you feel the time is right top downsize, get rid of that mortgage and enjoy a stress free retirement … the motivation to move home is a very important one. It is probably one of the most important events in your life, therefore it is equally important that the agent you choose fully understands your situation and gives you all the support you need. So many Agents out there simply want to ‘get your business’ instead of fully understanding your reasons for moving home and offering solutions for your needs, wants and desires. An Estate Agent should be like your doctor. You wouldn't go into your doctors for an appointment and let the Doctor take a wild guess at what is wrong with you and then prescribe something that you don’t need. He/she asks you lots of questions about your symptoms, he/she has compassion for your symptoms, he/she will delve even deeper into where it hurts, how long have you had it, all the time demonstrating expertise and will then come up with a diagnosis and recommendation on how to get better.

‘An Estate Agent should be like your doctor’. My job, is no different. If you want to hire me to assist you with one of the most important events in your life, its not too much to expect that I or any Estate Agent should demonstrate empathy and expertise in order to recommend a solution and get you moving in a timeframe that suits your personal goals. You will get a typical Estate Agent who will bombard you with information about how good they are or they have the best deal and big themselves up so much that they forget to discover the customers needs and wants, they rarely ask exactly what is it you are looking for in an estate agent without taking the time to find out why you are moving, what are your goals, dreams and aspirations and how can they help satisfy those very important needs.

TO LOOK OR TO MARKET FIRST?

A question I get asked nearly every day… Do we look for our new home and then put our house on the market or put our house on the market and then look? I have helped hundreds of Clients with both methods, however there is a really strong case that if you are serious about moving home, get on the market and then go shopping. There are so many variables, saleability of your property, market conditions, price, timing... It is a fact that you will have lots more credibility when going shopping for your new home when you have a super chain free buyer in your pocket. Some agents infact will not even let you look at one of their properties if you are not on the market, let alone make them an offer for it. The danger comes that you will fall in love with a property and unless you have a very healthy bank balance and you want to make the seller an offer, you will not be able to proceed. Your offer would be deemed as an unproceedable offer. Unless the vendor of the property you intend to buy from is willing to wait for you, however this is a risky business.

Sure keep your eyes on the market but try not to fall in love with a property unless you can actually proceed on it, in other words, you are in a financial position to actually buy it . Some Agents will however, persuade their Vendor to accept the offer if you market with the same agent. It’s a great strategy with the right agent … we have actually made a business out of this strategy over the years. 6

THE 5 ‘Ps’

Once you have made that decision to move, let’s talk about your property.

PERFECT PRESENTATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE What is the current condition of your property? We have a FREE 10 point report on making the very most of your property, tips and tricks on presentation and how to set up your viewings. In short, it doesn't need to look like a show home, far from it, however you do need to do everything you can to present your home in its best light. The old clichés about the smell of freshly baked bread and coffee on the go to stimulate the buyers senses are not necessary however the basics are fundamental to ensuring the very best outcome for you. Claim your 10 Point Report, however the very basics are to ensure your home is clean and tidy. De-clutter, people don’t want to see your stuff, they want to imagine their stuff in there. This is a hugely important subject and we haven’t got time or space to detail everything in this report, however one massive tip for you is this;

‘You don’t get a second chance at creating a good first impression’. That means your property needs impact upon arrival. What is your front garden like? Is it tidy, no rubbish, no weeds, your garden looking the best it can be for the time of year? What about you front door? Believe me, you will get judged on the presentation of your front door. If it needs a lick of paint, get it done. What is the door furniture like, shiny and clean? How about the door bell… does it work? These all help to create that happy feel you want from your potential buyers. I’m not going to give everything away here, you need my 10 point report to get the full story, but go and have a look outside your house now … is it as good as it can be? You would not believe what I see on a daily basis, a bit of TLC goes a long way to creating that great first impression.

THE ‘JARGON’ BUSTER

Here’s your A to Z guide to all the jargon words and phrases you will be probably come across throughout your journey selling your house. 

Asking Price

The price at which your property will be offered for sale.

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Buyer

A bit obvious, this one. The person or persons buying your house or indeed, you will become one of these when you find your new home too.

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Chain

If you’re buying a property, it’s likely you’ll be selling a current one. The person your buying from may also be purchasing a new property and so on. This is called a chain. If one purchase falls through, others in the chain can be impacted. Be sure you know as much as you can about your chain when selling.

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Deeds

Documents confirming the details of a property’s ownership. Also known as ‘Title Deeds’.

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Exchange

Exchange of Contracts. At this point, the buyer and seller sign the contract of sale. After this has taken place, no terms can be changed and the sale of a property is legally binding. It is possible to Exchange and Complete on the same day, however it is more common to have time between exchange and completion to allow mortgage funds to be arranged and removals to be organised.

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Freehold

This is the land that your property is built on. If your property is Freehold, you are therefore the Freeholder of the land for an indefinite period until you sell it.

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Gazump

Before exchange of contracts, a buyer or seller can withdraw at any point. If a seller is presented with a better offer before this time, they can choose to accept it, which unfortunately means the previous buyer has been ‘gazumped’. Not very nice at all, we strongly avoid this prac tice.

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Help to buy

An equity loan scheme from the Government which helps people with smaller deposits get on the housing ladder.

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Indemnity

This is an insurance policy that covers you in the event that you may have lost that vital document required to sell your house. A guarantee for work Undertaken previously for example. Your Solicitor will explain in more detail if you need one. At least your now armed with this info if it comes up. 8

THE ‘JARGON’ BUSTER

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Joint Agents

This seems to be really popular with many Agents. Not keen myself. If I was to put myself in the shoes of the buyer and they see its up with two, three or even four Agents, what’s that telling you? On the other hand, it should keep your agent on their toes if they are up against a competitor.

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Key Handover

Please do not under estimate this one. Its overlooked by 95% of Estate Agents who are stuck in the 19th century. The whole part of service, is exactly that, service. Picture this. It’s the day of completion, you are surrounded by boxes, your doing your final clean, you have removal people in and out of your house, the dogs barking, your stress levels are up, then your solicitor calls you to tell you the deal is complete and you have to take your keys to your agent … oh, and your onward purchase keys are ready and you can go and collect them too. You’ll need some change for the pay and display as the agents are in town and time is running on. Arghhh! Relax, at One Estate Agents, we will do all the running around for you, undertake your handover so you can get on with moving.

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Listing

When you instruct an Agent to sell your property, they will create marketing material that will be advertised on many different platforms. You will list your property with them.

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Marketing

In the modern era of Estate Agency, there are many methods of marketing or advertising. Technology has made a huge impact, From Property portals such as Rightmove through to the many social media channels, email matching and database marketing.

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Negotiate

Estate Agents are often known as Negotiators. Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties intended to reach a beneficial outcome over one or more issues . We don’t make decisions, we gather the information in order for you to make informed decisions.

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Offer

If you want to secure a property, an estate agent will ask whether you’d like to make a formal offer.

THE ‘JARGON’ BUSTER

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Proof of Funds

A proof of funds, POF is a document or bank statement proving that a person has the financial ability to perform a transaction. If however, you require a mortgage you may be asked to supply a MAIP in order to secure a property at the offer stage. This is a ‘Mortgage Agreement in Principle’ meaning that you have the funds available to make a purchase. If you’re buying, please don’t be offended if you get asked for one at the offer stage… we’ll be asking your buyer for POF after all.

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Redemption

If you’re selling an existing home which has a mortgage, you’ll need to settle the outstanding balance (including charges and interest). This is known as a redemption figure.

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Solicitor

You will need to instruct a Conveyancing Solicitor, a member of the legal profession qualified to deal with conveyancing whether you are selling, buying or both. When you have agreed to sell or buy, your Estate Agent will draw up a Memorandum of Sale and send out to all parties. Your Solicitor will make a number of enquires to the Land Registry and Local Authority to make sure there aren’t any issues with the property or surrounding areas. They will also make enquiries with other Solicitors in your immediate chain with the common goal of getting to completion in an acceptable timeframe. Tip: always choose a local Solicitor. There are cheap online options out there and there are Conveyancers that offer a kickback commission to the Estate Agent, just please choose wisely.

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Terminology

Hopefully this A to Z will help with all that ‘Jargon’.

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Under Offer

This means a buyer is interested in a property and has made an offer to the seller, which is being considered.

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Vendor

A synonym a for someone selling a property.

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Within

Some agents use words we don’t often use in day to day life. Keep it real, make sure your agent uses the language of the buyers.

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Xcellent Service Couldn’t think of an X. Service though is really important and is rarely talked about in our industry. Its all about Excellent Customer service.

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Yield

Some people will buy a property to rent out. This Is their margin.

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Zen

The feeling you will have when you have just sold your house and had an offer accepted on the next. 10

THE SELECTION PROCESS

So, youâ€™ve decided now is the time to start to put your plans in place, you know why you want to move, have learnt some of the Jargon, what next?

You now will be wondering how much your property is worth, youâ€™ve probably got a good idea how much its worth. These days information is at your fingertips so with a few clicks, various websites will give you an estimated value. These websites are not an accurate value of your specific property, they are calculated from various sources such as land registry, data from sale trends in your neighbourhood comparable to yours in terms of bedrooms, style, house, bungalow, terraced, semi-detached etc. Lets face it, its not rocket science to obtain an estimated Market Value, therefore you really need to get a specialist in to give you an accurate market appraisal who will back up their valuation with evidence they will have prepared specifically for you. The next few points will go into detail about how to go about hiring your Estate Agent.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

If you are seasoned mover, you may already have a great relationship with an Agent and if so, that’s great … I have many Clients who come back to me time and time again and if you do a great job, have built up a good relationship then that is a positive experience.

‘This is what some Agents don’t do; They don’t build that trust, relationship, performance and communication’ in order to keep that customer for life. To some, its very transactional, more about that later.

ASK AROUND I was taught and still maintain that the best form of marketing is word of mouth. ‘Therefore,

ask your friends, family or neighbours If they have experienced a house move recently’, they will no doubt have stories to tell, good and bad. If they have had a pleasurable move they will tell you, they will be raving about the Agent they used, if they didn't, at least you’ll know who to steer clear of and why.

BUILD YOUR LIST OF CANDIDATES

There are so many Estate Agents out there to choose from. Everything from the small one man band, all the way to huge corporate companies, they all operate in our towns. There are some agents that claim they are top dog and sell more than anyone else, there are others that will promise to advertise your property in their London branches and others who offer cut price fees.

.. ‘What are you actually looking for in an Agent’? Make a shortlist of three Estate Agents from your research, that you would like to invite for a Market Appraisal/Valuation. Give them a call, drop them an email and set up the appointments for them to undertake their Market Appraisal. Personally, I don’t actually like the word appraisal, I would prefer Consultation; yes you have a property to sell, however its about you, the Client more than anything else. How did they perform at that first call? Were they warm and friendly, did they seen knowledgable. Once you have made the appointments, its time for you to judge the people representing the companies and establish if they truly understand your needs and wishes. For me, going to a Consultation is like a job interview, I want you to hire me to help you move. Here’s some tips for first impressions.

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Did they turn up on time? How did they greet you? Did they take their shoes off or at least offer? Were they totally prepared? Did they discover your needs, goals and aspirations? Did they bring with them market evidence? Do they actually care or do they just want to sign you up?

TIP: Be aware of agents who tell you that they are ‘Top Dog’, the very best, they sell ‘more than anyone else’. There tends to be a bit of insecurity there, I would rather talk about you and your circumstances and how I may be able to offer a solution.

CORPORATE or INDEPENDENT?

We’ve learnt quite a lot so far in the journey, you have the reason or motivation to move home, you will now be familiar with some of the jargon involved with your future move and you have asked around for recommendations on who to use, however as we have mentioned earlier you have choices of agent, you also have choices of the type of Agent you have available to you. Available now in most towns are the large Corporate Estate Agents trading alongside smaller independent Estate Agents … but who’s best? Clearly both types will tell you that they are the best choice, however having worked with many on both sides here are my personal opinions.

THE CORPORATE BRAND The Corporate will often boast about how big they are with hundreds of offices right across the UK and a huge pool of applicants on their register. They will often tell you that they will advertise your property in London branches to increase the chance of capturing that ideal buyer. They will employ thousands of valuers, negotiators, administrators and often have strict systems and processes. They are highly trained in the art of persuading potential Vendors to use them and will always sell the benefits of a the Corporate Agent. Where this often falls down is that they are so focussed on creating new business, achieving their targets set by Head Office, that they loose that Customer Service edge that the smaller Independent Agent will give. They also have an awful lot of mouths to feed. In other words, huge overheads. They have plenty of staff in their branch, their branch is often quite a fancy high street shop with touch screen advertising TV’s and lest not forget that they will have a Branch Manager, Area Manager, Directors, Shareholders … so many expenses that they simply have to sell lots of property to make a profit. This is also reflected in the fees they charge the Vendor. They also tend to make extra revenue by getting the Vendor to sign up for additional services such as conveyancing, financial services etc. What does that mean to you? As they are committed to volume of Vendors, properties, sales etc. this could dilute their activities and your property could become a small fish in a very big pond of many other properties in your area where the agent is less focussed on one particular property. Don’t get me wrong, they sell lots of property, however how many Listings do they need to put on to create those sales? More on that later.

CORPORATE or INDEPENDENT?

THE INDEPENDENT Smaller independent Agents tend to be one, two or maybe five branches. Often family businesses built up over time with much more bespoke personal service to their Clients.

‘It used to be maybe 15, 20 years ago that Corporate Agents had more resources open to them’ With multi branches and their network of offices giving you a much better chance of a sale, however in this 21st Century world of technology the playing field is a much more level. When you are selling your home you want to get it in front of as many qualified buyers as possible. Well in todays’ market, 99% of agents, big or small, corporate or indi will advertise your property on a major internet portal such as Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket.com. So, we all tend to advertise properties in pretty much the same place, you just need to decide on then level of Service and relationship you require. Choose an agent who takes care when promoting your property on these portals and gives excellent service to back that up.

THAT FIRST MEETING

As this is something you don’t necessarily do very often, getting an Estate Agent round to value your house, there could be a little tension in the air. Every one of my Consultations is different, why? Because people are different, we all have different reasons to move home. Its our job to demonstrate trust, empathy and expertise. I think it is paramount to your decision that you have faith in Agent representing you. This is the point where you decide who’s best for you, who do you feel comfortable with With larger Estate Agencies, a specialist Valuer may be the first physical person you come into contact with. Then should you decide on them, they will send someone else to take the photos. Then a secretary who has never seen your property will write up your sales brochure. You’ll then have a Negotiator who will attempt to negotiate the sale for you and a sales progression department to hopefully get you to the end. Passed from pillar to post is what some people have told me.

‘Imagine if the same person did all of those things. ONE contact to offer an initial personal Consultation, the same specialist will then measure and photograph your home and as they are now familiar with your property will write up sales brochure you are proud of. And that very same person will even conduct the viewings for you and negotiate the sale… not only that, follow through from initial valuation right through to a successful completion of sale and then conduct the handover on the BIG DAY’. THAT IS SERVICE

THE VALUATION

Of course you want to know an accurate Market Value and sure, you want as much as you can get. Please be aware though that there are agents out there that will flatter you with optimistic values just to get your business and then talk you down after you have signed up with them, plus there are others that will under value to get you sold quick. This is why obtaining three Valuations you will not only judge how you are going to be treated should you hire them, if the Agent has demonstrated their expertise and knows the reasons why you are moving, they will be able to recommend an accurate valuation and attend armed with evidence to support their advice at this meeting. The agent will present a report detailing actual properties that have been sold or indeed are on the market similar to yours in your Neighbourhood. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you like… like I said earlier, you don’t do this every day. It is always advisable to take advice from the agent, however it is you that decides what price to market the property at.

TOP TEN TIPS

OUR

TOP 10 TIPS TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT AGENT FOR YOU 

THEY SHOULD BE EXPERIENCED IN SELLING PROPERTIES JUST LIKE YOURS

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ASK WHETHER THEY CONDUCT VIEWINGS AND WHEN

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GET THEM TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WILL PROACTIVELY MARKET YOUR PROPERTY

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FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE REGISTERED BUYERS ON THEIR BOOKS

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ASK IS THERE A TIE IN PERIOD

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ASK HOW OFTEN WILL THEY PROVIDE UPDATES AND FEEDBACK

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FIND OUT WHERE THEY WILL ADVERTISE YOUR PROPERTY

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ASK FOR ADVICE ON HOW YOU CAN PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY FOR VIEWINGS

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FIND OUT WHAT CHARGES AND FEES TO EXPECT

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DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU’RE UNSURE ABOUT ANYTHING

Go To our Social Media pages to see our TOP 10 video, make sure you turn the sound up, it’s pretty hardcore, rocky and nice and loud.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #1

ARE THEY EXPERIENCED …. IN SELLING HOMES JUST LIKE YOURS?

Most Estate Agents have really big egos… they will tell you how good they are, how successful they or the company they work for is. That is actually an interesting point, are you choosing the agent or the company? I’ve always believed that people buy from people, we’ve already discussed the difference between a large corporate company and an independent Estate Agent. As I advised earlier, do your research. Find out what your chosen agents have sold. Get them to explain to you their track record in selling properties like yours. Allow me to set a scenario for you; Many Agents will tell you that they have sold 100 houses just like yours in your neighbourhood, (lets call that Agent A) however if they have listed 200 to get that 100, that’s not really that good is it? They are only selling half of what they list. Therefore you have a 50/50 chance of getting your property sold with them . If they had only listed 100, yet sold 85 of them, (lets call that Agent B) the percentage between is much more successful. You see, its not always the Agent that sells the most physical properties that will do the best job for you and what you want. In my eyes, Agent B is far more successful. In the first example, Agent A only achieved 50%. That means you stand a one in two chance of getting your house sold with them, oh and a one in two chance of failure, whereas Agent B sells 85% of what he/ she lists meaning there a much better outcome for you and your future homemove.

‘I call that percentage a ‘Success Rate’. I use it all the time’. Agent A tends to employ a scattergun approach. List as many as possible and half will sell. - Agent B desperately wants to sell them all and as a consequence will offer the very best advice and expertise when valuing your property for sale. Agent A could over value your home just to get your business which is more likely why it didn't sell. Agent B will offer you expert advice as he /she sells 85% of what they list. Agent A spends more time looking for new listings than actually selling what he/she has in stock. - Agent B is more likely to be committed to selling what he has alongside attracting new business. I know which one I would choose.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #2

VIEWINGS?

Own viewings or Accompanied Viewings, what’s best?

There’s no right or wrong here, its totally down to you and there’s a good argument for both.

ACCOMPANIED VIEWINGS Lets explore the accompanied viewing scenario. It does depend who is doing them for you. Believe it or not some agents are like Sales prevention specialists. Clients have fed back to me their own experiences when they have been shown round by the office junior who simply opens the door and says help yourself. That is not an accompanied viewing. That’s just someone opening the door and saying, help yourself! You need an agent who is an expert, who knows the property intimately, knows the Vendors story, why they are moving, their motivation. They know how long they have lived there, they know what its like to live there. They know how old the boiler is, where the tripswitch is, they know when the Kitchen was updated and know what’s included. The Agent has some personality and people skills, and you trust them to show your property in its very best light and if the match between Buyer & Property is a perfect one, they wont be afraid to ask the question, ‘can you see yourselves living here? what is your offer?’

‘When do most buyers view property? ... at the weekend of course … therefore choose and Agent who is available to conduct viewings 7 days week’. The Agent will also get you the truth. Potential buyers might be reluctant to tell you the truth if they don’t like your house. They will say, ‘oh this is lovely, its just what we have been looking for’, then you never here from them again. With an Agent accompanying them, the agent should be able to get accurate feedback to give you as the potential buyer wont be that bothered about upsetting them with how they actually feel. Also when viewings are accompanied by the Agent, questions can be answered immediately, offers made quicker, meaning a better price, a more solid sale and less fuss and uncertainly for vendor and buyer.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #2

VIEWINGS?

Own viewings or Accompanied Viewings, what’s best?

There’s no right or wrong here, its totally down to you and there’s a good argument for both.

VENDOR VIEWINGS Some Vendors are very comfortable undertaking the viewings themselves, infact some insist on it. If that’s the case, who am I to argue? There’s no one knows your home like you. You know your house better than anyone, you know the neighbours, you probably know the schools, public transport etc. If you are to undertake your own viewings, ensure you get a stack of property brochures from your Agent so you have something to give your potential buyer (nice touch) and ensure the Agent gets some feedback from you in order to get feedback from the potential buyers. It is important to note that the same Agent that booked in the appointment should be the same person that calls for feedback to keep some continuity They should know the Buyers expectations and requirements and the match should already be there prior to the viewing. You would not believe the amount of Agents that have a different person that books them in and another calls for feedback… where’s the professional relationship in that? Or indeed sending a viewer to a house that only has two bedrooms when they actually need three. You call the shots here. Some Vendors will only allow people to view that are already on the market or indeed sold. If the Agent has done their job correctly, they should have been accurately qualified by the person booking them in. When I say qualified, that’s a hideous word, I would say we should have discovered their needs, ie position, price, location, number of bedrooms, their personal requirements, financial discovery etc. So there you have it, accompanied viewings or your own Viewings. If you’re confident and have faith in the appointments booked in, give it a go, just ensure your Agent is switched enough on and knows their stuff to eliminate miss-matched appointments.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #3

PROACTIVE v REACTIVE

There’s a massive difference in these two strategies

A REACTIVE marketer will place an add, sit back and wait for enquiries to come in. They will react to someone else’s action. Therefore if someone enquires about a property, they will follow through with that enquiry with the goal of arranging a viewing and hopefully generating an offer. These marketers/salespeople usually blame outside influences for poor performance such as the market conditions, the weather, time of year… even that old thing called Brexit. I call these people shop-keepers, just waiting for customers. I had a Sales Associate working with us once that made a fatal mistake by one day saying to me ’It’s a bit quiet isn't it Steve?’ to which I replied, ’Make some bloody noise then!’ … I think that just about sums up Reactive … urgh, horrible word!

To be PROACTIVE is a form of marketing that allows for marketers to be agile, real-time, data-driven, and adaptable to the ever-changing space of what their customers could be seeking. In our world your next dream home ... 22

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #3

PROACTIVE v REACTIVE

Find an Agent with a PROACTIVE approach to getting your house SOLD

The more you put in, the more you get out … that’s been my mantra for all my adult life. It’s no different with marketing. When choosing your next agent, find one that will go that extra mile, they will have a plan and create a marketing strategy to suit your personal requirements. Find an agent that doesn't just advertise your property and ‘hope for the best’. Hope is not a strategy. I have spoken to people with property on the market with some agents, who never hear from them from one month to the next. No contact, no solutions… nothing. Believe it or not, this is quite normal in this industry. Imagine an agent that does go that extra mile. They work with you to fully understand your situation and give you all the support you need. Also being sensitive for the needs of busy working people, they go that extra mile to accommodate viewings outside normal working hours, making themselves available whenever you need them.

‘The more you put in, the more you get out’ They will create a marketing plan that goes over and above the listing on a website or a photo in the shop window, they will utilise that database, they will network, they utilise as much 21st century technology they have available to them alongside Social Media including video walkthroughs.

Another shameless plug for our service … Definition of a One Estate Agents Sales Associate Role ‘From initial introduction, right through to the successful completion of a sale, the role of an Associate is to advise the Client and maintain contact throughout the whole process’. ‘The Sales Associate will design a marketing plan, personally measure and photograph each home and with use of our state-of-art technology create written sale material to be proud of’. PROACTIVE APROACH X ACTION = RESULTS 23

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #4

DATABASE MARKETING

Do they have any registered buyers on their books?

Ever wondered why some houses seem to sell before you even get to see them on the market? Well that’s because the really smart house buyers get themselves registered on as many agents databases as they can. This is how it works …

For example, we have developed a huge database of buyers over the years and with today’s technology at the click of a button we are able to let literally thousands of people know what is new to market. And due to recent government regulations regarding GDPR (General data protection regulations) all data is regularly updated and only people that actually want to receive information get that information. Even before a property is uploaded to any property portals, some agents should have a ‘match processor’ and be able to match any prospective buyers with what is new to market via email or even a text message… failing that a good old fashioned phone call. So the minute the property particulars are signed off with the vendor, action starts straight away. We talked earlier about Accompanied Viewings. This is why Accompanied viewings are key to success. How on earth can an Agent build a relationship with a buyer if we’ve never met them. It’s so successful to build that relationship so when we get to meet them at a property, if that one is not quite right, we may be able to help them with another that might be due in stock shortly. Its not rocket science.

‘You see the first 21 days of marketing are absolutely crucial to the success of a property, so by getting a head start only increases that success’. 24

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #5

IS THERE A TIE-IN?

Check out the small print - quite an important one, this.

Estate Agents contracts or Estate Agency Agreements can be complex and cost you time and money - make sure you know exactly what you are signing and challenge everything you don’t like and whatsmore …

never pay more than you need to; more on fees a little later. Lots of Agents attach a tie in period. If you end up not getting on with them or become unhappy with their service and want to terminate, you will find it difficult to get out of the contract, particularly with large corporate Agents. Make sure your contract gives you some flexibility to terminate without incurring a penalty should you wish to switch. It is important to pay close attention to the ‘sole agency’ lock-in period which dramatically varies across agents from 4 weeks, 12 or more in some cases. I have spoken to many Clients over the years who have signed up for 20 weeks and cannot get out of the Contract when they wanted to switch. Then some want up to 4 weeks notice to release them. Leaves a bitter taste that.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #5

IS THERE A TIE-IN?

So much info, we’ve covered two pages.

There are many types of contractual arrangement—just know what you are getting into.  Sole Selling Rights - Beware, you will have to pay the Agent even if you find your own buyer  Multi Agency - Use as many agents as you like on a winner takes all basis, fees are higher  Duel Agency - As above, some Agents will share the commission, again commission higher.  Sole Agency - Similar to Sole Selling Rights but if you find a buyer, you are not obligated to pay the Agent. Future liability This is where many people get caught out. Let me set a scenario for you. You are with an Agent and things aren't really going to plan. Your not receiving feedback from your viewings, they are not returning your calls and the service is just not right, it’s not what you were promised. Lets call them Agent A. You have had some viewings but no offers so you decide you’ll have a change and switch Agent. You’re at the end of your, lets say 12 week contract and you have served your 2 weeks notice and get your new Agent on board. You are now with Agent B and all is great. Viewings come in, the service with Agent B is much better and you wish you had gone with them in the first place. You then agree a sale, the buyers are motivated and everything is going to plan. Completion days comes, you pay your commission to Agent B and all is well… that is until Agent A finds out that the buyers were originally ‘introduced’ by them and then try to claim a commission on your sale. This could happen months or even years after the original contract. Now, this is an extreme example and it doesn't happen that often, however I use it to ask you to read your contract carefully and what continuing liability you might be signing up for beyond the term of your contract. You certainly don’t want to be paying two fees. Something else to look out for is the small print. Ensure you have not signed up to any in-house extras such as Conveyancing, Financial Services, EPC’s etc unless you really want them. Again, I have seen this many times when Clients have been enticed into extra services they didn’t want as the agent gets a kick-back from it. If you are happy to use them, feel free, just ensure you know what you are getting into. Conveyancing is my biggest annoyance. I like to keep it local and give you the choice to use who you want, not a factory conveyancer in a City 200 miles away. Just my opinion.

CHECKLIST  Review and negotiate your commission rates  Do prices quoted include VAT, you may have another 20% to pay that you hadn’t budgeted for.  Review the type of contract they are asking you to sign.  How long, if any is the tie in period?  What is the notice period if you want to get out. One of my standards has always been that if I am not giving you the service I promised you and you want to leave, then I deserve to be left… not that that happens though. 26

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #6

CAN I GET SOME FEEDBACK?

Whilst writing this report, I googled ‘Estate Agency Feedback’ this was the result; ‘Most estate agents don't give feedback after a viewing For some reason most estate agents are very remiss when it comes to giving seller feedback after a viewing. I believe this is vital information that all sellers need to help when selling their property’. When you have had a viewing at your property, whether you undertake the viewing yourself or your Agent does it, you would surely want to know if they like your property? Does it suit their requirements? Would they like to buy it? And if not why not? If they don’t like it due to number of bedrooms, wrong location, want a garage and yours doesn't have one, these are reasons to discuss with your agent as something has gone wrong with the skills of the agent booking them in and not qualifying their actual requirements. Just sending anyone round for the sake of a viewing.

Your agent needs to be sure that the match between property and buyer is a qualified one and taking time to fully understand the goals of the Vendor and prospective buyer, time is minimised on unqualified appointments and …

‘feedback will be much more accurate’. 27

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #7

WHERE WILL MY PROPERTY ..be advertised?

Its fair to say that very little HAD changed in estate agency up until the turn of the millennium. If you wanted to put your house on the market to move home, you had limited options open to you. You would invite and estate agent into your home and they really held the key to your move, you had very little input. This Gentleman or Lady dressed in a grey suite would measure and photograph your house, create property particulars that they would post out to people on their database, they would put your house in their high street shop window, they would put an ad in the local newspaper and then hope for the best.

‘Digital technology has changed the property hunt forever’. Yes the old favourites (brochures and garden signage) are still there, but the secret to building powerful sales and marketing property campaigns is combining traditional and digital techniques. Leveraging social media, search, mobile and content marketing to capture and convert lookers to buyers. All agents these days advertise all their listings on Property Portals. These are specialist websites which operate on the world wide web and your property will be available for searches at the click of a button anywhere in the world. Modern technology enables the agent to provide professional sales particulars such as photographs, videos, floorplans, street views and even schools ratings, local amenities and public transport to potential buyers anywhere in the world. I have been in dialogue with buyers many times in Australia, USA and Africa looking to move into my neighbourhood and today’s technology makes it so much quicker to provide information.

‘Let’s specifically look at where your property should be marketed with modern contemporary Estate Agents’ 28

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #7

WHERE WILL MY PROPERTY ..be advertised?

So we talked earlier about the difference between a Reactive Agent and a Proactive Agent. We also explained that many Agents will have a database of buyers, however in these changing times you will want your property infront of as many home shoppers as possible. We all have our own websites and we all have our own strategies around getting as many people as possible to visit our website and the properties we advertise on there. For example, we employ many ways of attracting people to our website, we have an â€™Instant Valuation Toolâ€™ that gets many people visiting every day getting estimates and while they are there they will check out our current stock. We also produce a fortnightly E-Zine that gets emailed out to twenty odd thousand people and shared on all social media platforms. That is what I call Proactive Digital Marketing, trying to attract as many people as possible to check out YOUR PROPERTY. We all advertise on the major Portals. Rightmove is the most established, formed in 2000 and advertises over 1,000,000 properties right across the UK. Zoopla started up in 2008 and relatively new is OnTheMarket.com. There are other niche portals, however the top three will get your property out there for sure.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #7

WHERE WILL MY PROPERTY ..be advertised?

SOCIAL MEDIA … it’s the future whether you like it or not! There are now 3.484 billion active social media users around the world. This number represents 45% of the world’s population and an increase of 280 million since January 2018. This growth rate is likely to continue in 2020. In the UK specifically, there are now 45 million social media users. This equates to 67% of the entire population. Of these, 39 million use their mobile phone or tablet on social media. The UK is very much a mobile-first nation. Social media has revolutionised the way estate agents communicate with prospective buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords, making it easy to post instant updates and benefit from real-time engagement with our target market. This is the very reason we as a company are investing heavily in new strategies to assist the maximum number of sellers to effectively get their properties sold.

‘Social media enables us to tap into buyers emotions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year anywhere in the world to right on your doorstep’. It also allows you, the customer to get involved and have input, have a bit of control on Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #8

How to prepare for viewings ...Let’s get Hinching

This is down to you, its your shop window. If you are serious about selling your house and you want the very best offer for it, then you need to present it in the best possible light. Remember the 5 ‘P’s’ earlier in this report? Get our Free 12 point guide to presenting your property but check out these quick points…            

First Impressions. Go outside and take a look at your property. Would you buy it? De-Clutter. People want to see your house, not your stuff. Cleanliness. Get your carpets cleaned. (Mrs Hinch will tell you). Ensure toilets are clean and remove any unnecessary toiletry items. Make the beds … and make sure they are fresh. Get as much fresh air in the property as you can by opening the windows and getting rid of any odours. (Cooking, animals, kids etc) lol. Produce friendly smells like plug in an air freshener or coffee. Make sure your bins are empty. Hide your pet bowls you don’t want your viewers tripping over your cat bowl. If you have a dog or cat, try and have them taken to a friend’s house or for a walk during the viewing. Remove any cars from the drive allowing the buyer to drive right up to the house. Add a finishing touch, like fresh flowers.

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #9

CHARGES & FEES

Times are changing in this industry and so many Vendors have been paying over the odds for years. This has to stop! ‘You now have options when it comes to selling your home…’ NO SALE - NO FEE (percentage or fixed fee) or ONLINE / HYBRID ESTATE AGENTS - (another option)

Let’s explore your options on the next few pages...

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #9

CHARGES & FEES

NO SALE - NO FEE Nothing to pay upfront, you only pay upon successful completion. This is a fairly controversial subject as there seems to be a huge disparity between different Agents fees. Most agents work on a percentage basis between .75% and 2.5% depending on the brand. Some corporates brands tend to be more high end, a tip would be to find out why they are so much more than your local independent and what more will you receive from such a high fee. The higher end tend to have fancy high street locations and do have a lot of mouths to feed. In other words, they will have branch Managers, Area Managers, Shareholders who all need their cut, plus huge overheads. Then you have the franchises who will also have to share the profit from your sale between the franchiser and franchisee. Then you have the smaller independent brands. They could be one, two or 10 office independents who generally makes the real decisions around fees and what they will do for you for their fee. They tend to be less transactional and more relationship based if they do their job properly. According to a report by Zoopla in 2018, 56% of homesellers said that transparency about what estate agents charge is the most important factor when it comes to selling a house.

‘You should be looking to pay no more than 1% on a sole agency contract’ if they are asking more than that, you need to find out exactly what more do they do and get them to reduce it. Or even ask for a fixed fee, at least you will know exactly the money you are going to part with upon completion. Another very important factor, most estate agent fees exclude VAT which is currently 20% which means you are actually paying 1.2%. On a £250,000 house that’s an extra £500 you may not have budgeted for. Get an inclusive of VAT price before you commit. The Property Ombudsman actually state the anticipated commission amount should be published on the contract.

Transparency is key here. 33

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #9

CHARGES & FEES

ONLINE / HYBRID OPTION Online agents are also worth considering when you are looking for the right estate agent to sell your property. Online agents tend to offer much lower fees and offer a different model of service. They operate online rather than have high street shops and as a result can offer much lower fees. Purple Bricks £999 and Yopa £899 for example, are two of the most popular you may have heard of, allowing you to market on all major marketing portals for less than £1,000. It’s worth looking at their packages and how they work, they are usually national companies so you wont be able to just pop in and see them when you want. You will be required to undertake the viewings yourself, however saving a couple of thousand pounds that may be worth it. Would you rather pay £1,000 or £3,000? Of course there are risks involved. Unlike high street agents, Online agents generally require their fee upfront so if you don’t sell, that’s your money gone… well that’s true with the larger online companies. Online agents are also increasingly offering a hybrid model, a cross between a high street agent and online agent. Most notably, some online agents will offer accompanied viewings for an extra charge. So its worth looking at the various packages they offer and thinking about online estate agents when looking to sell your home. If I may plug our service here ...

‘I AM ON A CRUSADE TO SAVE HOME SELLERS THOUSANDS OF POUNDS MOVING HOME AND OFFERING WORLD CLASS SERVICE AND SUPPORT’ We now offer an Online / Hybrid service where we promise to sell your home and wont stop until we do… It’s the future.

‘A Hybrid option takes the best bits of the online service (low fee) with the best bits from the traditional service such as Accompanied viewings, 7 day service, full office support again’ Definition of hybrid - Collins Dictionary 1.

COUNTABLE NOUN A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species.

COUNATBLE NOUN You can use hybrid to refer to anything that is a mixture

TOP 10 TIPS IN DETAIL #10

ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS

Hopefully this guide is giving you a taster into what to expect when putting your house up for sale, different levels of service you will come to expect, the terminology or jargon used in our world and the tips and tricks detailed. When I am undertaking a market consultation/valuation, I like to put myself in the shoes of the seller and try to anticipate what they may want to know, have empathy in their situation. After all as I mentioned earlier, I have been there where you potentially are right now. So, in preparation for your visit by the Estate Agents vying for your business, write a list of things you want to know… here’s a selection you can choose from.

‘Any Agent worth their salt with cover all of these in their pitch to you’. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

How much do you charge? When are your fees due? How much is my house worth? What are your opening hours? Can I have an out of hours contact number? How long will it take to get my property on the market? Where will you market my property? Can I choose the photos? What does the whole sales process look like? Can I insist viewers take their shoes off? Am I best to be in or out when viewings happen? Do I need a For Sale board outside my house? Can you recommend removals and conveyanacers? Once I get an offer, will you progress the sale on my behalf? Who will be available to hand the keys over? 35

THE SALES PROCESS

So, now you have more knowledge in order to make an informed decision on which agent is best for you, you have decided on which service you require and your house is looking the very best it can be. It’s now time for your new agent to spring into life and create some marketing material you can be proud of. Some agents send a member of staff to measure and photo your property, then they’ll hand the details to a secretary to write up the brochure and so on. What if, the person who you originally met and trust came to measure and photo your house, then they go away and create a super Sales brochure, after all they are most qualified to describe your property as they have been there, more than once, they are now a specialist more like an expert (next to you) to represent your house. You have decided on an asking price and we go to market. If your price is right, your brochure is on point and its put in front of enough qualified buyers, viewings will be booked in. Are you conducting the viewings or is your agent doing them? Either way, are you ready? Your house needs to sell itself, there are no fancy sales techniques, no golden tactics to try and persuade them to buy, your house needs to sell itself and to do that it must be shown in its best light. If your agent has done their job properly, they have discovered the buyers needs, they are in a positive position to buy, it is in their chosen neighbourhood, the match between buyer and property is a qualified one, you may well have an offer coming your way. Don’t forget, your agent works for you and they take instruction from you. Once an offer is presented to you they should give you all the information to make an informed decision. Full asking price in a great position, that seems like a no brainer, however it’s the agents role to establish their means to buy, check the chain if necessary, then you’ll make your decision to accept or decline. Many people say they are a cash buyer. Cash in the bank? Perfect! There’s a big difference between having cash in the bank or have a house to sell and using proceeds from that.

‘That ain’t a cash buyer my friends ... Please don’t be fooled’. 36

THE SALES PROCESS Your Simple FLOWCHART …

INSTRUCT AGENT & agree terms

APPROVE MARKETING provide ID, sign all legal forms such as ‘property misdesciptions Act’

PROPERTY GOES LIVE ON MARKET - excited?

UNDERTAKE VIEWINGS (Vendor or Agent) just make sure you are fully prepared.

BUYER MAKES AN OFFER Agent negotiates on your behalf, discovers buyers motivation and conducts thorough Chain Check

ACCEPT OFFER Following all checks, Instruct Solicitor, Agent raises Memoranum of Sale and forward to all parties

SALES PROGRESSION Agent regularly checks the progression of sale and report back

COMPLETION DAY Agent available to conduct key handover on the BIG DAY 37

LEGALS

‘In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of real property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien.’

Once your estate agent has found you a buyer, our job is not finished by any means. It’s our role to ensure all goes to plan, to make the whole ’selling your house’ process as smooth as possible. Once you have agreed the sale, you will be required to instruct a Solicitor to undertake the Conveyancing, that’s all the Legal aspects to selling your house. If you are also buying an onward purchase, they will look after that for you simultaneously in most cases.

‘So who are you going to choose? Like Estate Agents, you have a vast choice’. Personally, I like to keep it local. They know your neighbourhood, usually very friendly and you are able to pop and see them to sign contracts, take in documentation etc. There are online factory style Conveyancers out there who will at first glance seem cheaper, but some charge for a whole heap of extras you were not expecting. Get some quotes and go for a fixed fee if possible. Then you will know exactly what to expect when you come to pay their bill. 38

LEGALS

Conveyancing Process for Selling a Property 1. Seller’s Conveyancer instructed. 2. Seller’s Conveyancer confirms instructions by letter setting out the terms of business and fixed fee costs. 3. Seller’s Conveyancer carries out proof of identity checks and sends out a fittings and contents form and property information form(s) for completion. If the property is leasehold, additional information will be required.

4. Seller to complete fittings and contents form and property information form(s). 5. Seller’s Conveyancer obtains title deeds from deeds holder or official copies of the title register and any other documents required by The Land Registry and details of the amount outstanding on any existing mortgage.

6. Seller’s Conveyancer prepares the draft contract and supporting contract documentation and sends to the buyer’s Conveyancer.

7. Buyer’s Conveyancer checks the contract and supporting contract documentation and raises precontract enquiries with the seller’s Conveyancer.

8. Seller’s Conveyancer and seller answer pre-contract enquiries. 9. Buyer’s Conveyancer confirms they have acceptable results from their searches, are happy with the answers to pre-contract enquiries and are in receipt of a mortgage offer (if any).

10. Seller and buyer agree on a completion date and contracts are formally “exchanged” - meaning both parties are legally committed to the transaction. Seller’s Conveyancer will obtain a redemption figure to repay the outstanding amount on any existing mortgage, if applicable. Buyer’s Conveyancer drafts a transfer deed and sends to the Seller’s Conveyancer.

11. Seller’s Conveyancer checks the transfer deed and sends to the seller for signature in readiness for completion.

12. On completion the seller must vacate the property at a time to be agreed and make arrangements to hand over the keys, usually through the estate agent. Buyer’s Conveyancer will send the proceeds of sale to the seller’s Conveyancer and the seller’s Conveyancer will arrange for the keys to be released to the buyer. The seller’s Conveyancer sends the title deeds and transfer deed to the buyer’s Conveyancer together with an undertaking to use the proceeds of sale to discharge any existing mortgage. The seller’s Conveyancer then pays the estate agent (if one was used), repays the amount owing to the existing mortgage lender (if applicable) and takes payment for their Conveyancing service costs.

13. Once all the payments have been made all the remaining money from the sale will be transferred to the seller, usually by bank transfer on the day of completion.

LEGALS

Conveyancing Process for Buying a Property 1.

Buyer makes an offer on the property which is accepted.

Buyer’s Conveyancer instructed on acceptance of offer.

Buyer arranges a survey on the property and makes formal application for a mortgage (if applicable)

Buyer’s Conveyancer confirms instruction by letter setting out terms of business and fee costs

Buyer’s Conveyancer contacts the sellers Conveyancer to obtain contract pack.

Buyers Conveyancer checks the contract pack, raises pre-contract enquiries, carries out the necessary searches and obtains a copy of the mortgage offer.

Seller’s Conveyancer and seller answer pre-contract enquiries and return these to buyer’s Conveyancer.

Buyer’s Conveyancer reviews and reports to the buyer on the contents of the contract pack, precontract enquiries, the result of the searches and mortgage offer. The buyer then considers this report and raises questions on anything that is unclear.

When the buyer is happy to proceed, arrangements are made for the deposit to be paid to the buyer’s Conveyancer in readiness for exchange of contracts.

10.

Seller and buyer agree on a completion date and contracts are formally “exchanged” - meaning both parties are legally committed to the transaction.

11.

Buyer’s Conveyancer prepares a draft transfer deed and completion information form and sends these to the seller’s Conveyancer for completion.

12.

Seller’s solicitor approves the draft transfer deed and a final copy is made. This may need to be signed by the buyer before being sent to the seller’s solicitor for signature by the seller in readiness for completion.

13.

Buyer’s Conveyancer prepares a completion statement, carries out pre-completion searches and applies to the buyer’s mortgage lender for the mortgage loan.

14.

On completion, the buyer vacates the property by the agreed time and buyer’s Conveyancer sends the proceeds of sale to the seller’s Conveyancer.

15.

Seller’s Conveyancer releases the keys to the estate agent (if one was used) and sends the title deeds and transfer deed to the buyer’s Conveyancer together with an undertaking to repay any existing mortgage.

16.

Buyer’s Conveyancer sends the stamp duty payable to HMRC, receives the title deeds, transfer deed and proof that the seller has paid the outstanding mortgage on the property.

Buyer’s Conveyancer registers the property in the name of the buyer at The Land Registry.

18.

The buyer receives a copy of the registered title from The Land Registry. Any documents required by the mortgage lender to be retained by them are sent on by the Buyer’s solicitor.

TODAY’S 24 HOUR CULTURE

‘We are no longer a Monday to Friday 9 to 5 industry’

Gone are the days when peering into estates agents’ windows was the only way to see what your money might get you in the area you want to buy in. As we talked about earlier, there are a plethora of property search websites where you can quickly find this information at the touch of a screen, anywhere you have an internet signal. Therefore, if you can search for property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week wouldn't it be helpful if you could actually talk to someone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People these days have busy lifestyles so being able to view properties online, view properties physically at weekends and evenings and negotiate the sale must be the way forward, yes? It’s a fact that here in the ONE family, we negotiate more offers and agree more sales at the weekend… why? Because we encourage it. If you have viewed a property at 5:45pm on Saturday night and wish to make an offer, why should you wait until 9:00am Monday morning to talk to someone about it. If you can search on Property Portals, like and share on Social media 24 hours a day then it makes absolute sense to be available when your buyers want To talk to us.

‘Times are changing at a rapid rate’. 41

This is where the

Magic happens

So, what next? Throughout this report, you’ve learnt some valuable and powerful information that will help you make those right decisions when you decide to move home.

Getting it right isn't rocket science but some agents just don’t get it. They don’t get the fundamental basic issues in a service industry. It’s about service, it’s about relationships, its about transparency, it’s about communication and truth. Armed with the information I have shared with you during these previous 26 chapters you will have learnt that it’s your property that is the showcase here. Getting that bit right, your halfway there. I have never had a perfectly presented property at the right price hang around for long. Presenting your property for sale, how to choose an agent that fully understands your goals, dreams and aspirations, who will work with you and tailor a service to suit your personal requirements is key. You have also got the terminology down with our Jargon Buster, you now know how to interview your prospective estate agent and will know more about the legal process.

But wait, here’s the best bit... 42

This is where the

Magic happens

The very fact that you have taken the time to read this 27 point guide to selling your home, you will have read that I have spilled the beans on some industry processes that most of my peers don’t want to tell you, I hope that I have demonstrated enough knowledge and trust that you would maybe consider my company to sell your home for you on your next home move. You see, I know exactly what I am doing. I am not some kid straight out of uni’ and brainwashed with some head office training course, I am a genuine middle aged fella who has real life experiences, values, and genuinely want to help turn this industry around.

my 2020 mission is to help as many home sellers as possible to move home, stress free without being overcharged’. Allow me to repeat my mission statement to you … ‘

As I mentioned, we’ve covered a lot of ground in this report and as you can see, I am deeply passionate about our business and this industry. We really do help make peoples dreams come true! That’s because when done right, a home move really can be an exciting experience. I love that feeling when I hand over the keys to the buyer on behalf of the vendor and see the excitement on their faces, that my Friends, is why I do this. Everything I have talked about in this report have been designed to give you more information whether you choose to move next week, next month or next year, you have the tools to make the right decisions. I’m hoping that decision will be to call me, let me meet you and show you what we do… you wont be disappointed, that I’m sure.

‘Lets get you moving’ One Last Thing …

Would love to hear from you whether you are going to sell your home or not. Please send me your results of previous home moves, good or bad or any stories you may have had experienced with in the past. I collect and study all kinds of stories on order to make us better.

We’re always exploring ways to make your customer experience even better and the only way we can get better is from feedback from people who have experienced a home move for themselves. When I get yours, I’ll send you a little gift as a thanks.

We never rest on our Laurels.

Steve Newsham steve@one-estates.co.uk

All the best,

One Estate Agents Beacon Innnovation Centre Beacon Park Gorleston Norfolk NR31 7RA Tel: 01493 658854 | 01502 733399 Email: info@one-estates.co.uk 44