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Reputation
The Estate Agent Magazine Helping sellers & landlords choose the right estate agent
Tips on ‘Pricing it Right’ How View Agents can help you find an estate agent
MEET
Jon Huby
What are the qualities of a
successful estate agent?
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Estate agent interview
Preparing your home for sale/letting
The role of a seller
Get an insight into the thoughts and views of a successful estate agent
Every home is unique Check out some tips in getting your home ready for viewings
Get some tips of what your role is as a home seller or landlord
Reputation The Estate Agent Magazine - 2022
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PRICING IT RIGHT
Do your own research Use a property portal and try and nd some comparable properties on the market or recently sold/ let. However, this is ONLY a guide, as market conditions vary and no two homes are identical. You will also need to take into account that the ‘asking price’ is not the ‘sold/let price’.
Pro Tip Call in an expert This is the best option. Agents sell/let homes for a living. An experienced local estate agent will be able to guide you on a price range & should back that up with comparable sales/lettings.
Priced too high? You may not attract as many buyers/tenant viewings and may stay on the market longer, this may lead to potential buyers/tenants thinking there’s something wrong. On rare occasions, you might nd a buyer or tenant who really wants it. You also have more room to negotiate.
Priced too low? You may sell/let it faster but your goal would be to get as much as you can. Look for a happy medium. There is a misconception that if you receive an asking price offer early on, that you’ve priced it too low. In many cases, it simply means you priced it right. Remember, the right estate has the skills to negotiate the highest price for your home. If you require help choosing an estate agent, you can use our free concierge service, contact us at valuations@viewagents.com and we’ll help you choose an estate agent
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Contents 2 Pricing it right 4 Meet Jon Huby
Meet Jon Huby
6 Preparing your home 8 Role of a seller 9 Area Spotlight 10 Choosing an estate agent
4 Preparing your home for sale/letting
From the CEO We are excited to bring you this edition of View Agents Reputation Magazine. We hope we can offer home sellers and landlords some additional information in helping them select their next estate agent.
Domenic Versace
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Human VS Technology. Prop Tech expert, Simon Whale, delivers a very insightful perspective on how technology is shaping the real estate industry
The role of a seller
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CEO View Agents
What is View Agents? For home sellers & landlords We help sellers and landlords search and choose an estate agent to sell, let or manage their home. Visit viewagents.com For Estate Agents View Agents is a reputation management platform speci cally for estate agents. Helping estate agents Collect, Manage & Promote reviews & reputation. Our goal is to help agents grow their business and improve their online reputation.
CHOOSING the right estate agent
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Martin & Co Keighley 2 North Street, Keighley, BD21 3S 01535 669588 www.martinco.com Martin & Co Saltaire 1 Daisy Place, Saltaire, BD18 4NA 01274 589132 What makes your branch di erent from your competitors:
Jon Huby
Although we are a national branded agency, we a more akin to a family business both in size and approachability. Our clients love the fact that they can pick up the phone and speak with a familiar contact. This also helps if we have to have di cult conversations about a tenancy.
What qualities do you need to be a successful estate agent & why?
K E I G H L E Y & S A LTA I R E
W e s t Yo r k s h i r e
Customer-focused personal approach, great listener maintains a sense of humour.
Jon Huby Lettings Manager & Valuer saltaire@martinco.com keighley@martinco.com 12 years estate agency experience Guild Of Lettings & Management Distinction
Our clients love the fact that they can pick up the phone and speak with a familiar contact.
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I started my own online agency without a single customer so it was fairly daunting. I quickly built up clients through networking and recommendations.
What do you recommend that a seller or landlord should do prior to calling in an estate agent for a valuation? Check the online reviews and speak to people who have used the agency to get a feel for the service they can expect. For letting they need to ask themselves how emotionally attached they are to the property on a scale of 1-10.
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What makes you di erent from your competitors:
How did you get into real estate? Do you remember your rst day?
What do you think of the estate agency phrase ‘People Not Property’? This is absolutely a people business. Listening to and understanding an individual's needs is essential to progressing in your career.
Married, 3 kids, active sportsman- gym, walks
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Resilience, people skills and patience along with a sense of humour.
People skills & patience along with a sense of humour.
What do you recommend to sellers/landlords in preparing their home prior to marketing?
First impressions count. Make sure your property is clean, well decorated and clutter free.
What are some important questions a seller or a landlord should ask you on a listing presentation & why? What is the vetting process for tenants? How long does the letting process take? What happens if a tenant doesn’t pay?
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Recent comparables and local market knowledge. Do you nd it challenging when properties and untidy/ messy during viewings? Yes, because a potentially good property is not seen in its best condition and potentially good tenants will be put o .
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What are the key aspects of managing tenants' and landlords' expectations? Preparation, planning, local knowledge, research and along with listening to what the Landlord’s needs are and tailoring our “pitch” accordingly.
What time scale do you put on selling or letting a home? We can let very quickly if necessary 1-2 weeks but it’s more important to get the “right tenant”.
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Building trust & confidence with the Landlord.
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We are more akin to a family business both in size & approachability.
How important is having a good reputation in this industry? Essential. Good reviews are more paramount than ever in the online world we live in.
How do you anticipate the property market will perform in your area within the next 12 months? (sales & lettings) I think the lettings market is going through a transition period at the moment. Rental demand is extremely high and we are seeing some “old school” Landlords leaving the market to be replaced by a younger generation who have educated themselves, to some extent, with property investment strategies. I think this will continue for some time ultimately pushing rents up. The increase in rents has rightly meant that tenants’ expectations of the quality of rental accommodation have also risen too.
What are the key aspects when negotiating a house sale/let?
Letting wise it’s about building trust and con dence with the Landlord that we can deliver a service to meet their expectations. Also, it’s about gently educating the Landlord if they are new to letting out their property.
How do you manage seller/landlord expectations when they want to list their home well over the market value? Show comparable for the local market and similar properties. They may take longer to let or not let it at all.
What are the main di erences in a landlord managing a property on their own as compared to using a managing agent? Sleepless nights and lost income for the landlords if it all goes wrong due to their lack of experience.
How much of a team e ort is it when selling or letting a home? The team behind the valuer is critical in providing the service that we have discussed or negotiated with the Landlord. Experience counts but the personal customer service and e ciency are what ultimately could win future business through recommendations from the Landlord.
How much emphasis does your agency place on sta training? Ongoing training in lettings is vital and separates the good from the average agent.
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What is the best way of valuing a home?
CLICK HERE TO BOOK A FREE PROPERTY VALUATION
top tips to 8 prepare your home for selling/letting
Your home needs to be well presented, ideally, look better than the competition, and have a neutral theme to appeal to more buyers/tenants tastes ‘Your goal is to present a tidy house that’s lled with natural light, feel spacious and practical' In fact, in most cases, to make your home appealing, you don’t need to spend loads of money. Some simple changes can make a big difference between your home sitting unsold until you eventually reduce the asking price or your home selling almost immediately for the full asking price.
5. Smells sells! Research suggests that smells in uence buyers, therefore use this to your advantage. Placing fresh owers in the kitchen and/or scented candles such as vanilla or cinnamon and even ‘cake baking’ smells have an impact. However strong or over-powering smells will put off potential buyers such as: pets, bins, cooking & smoking. Remember to air the house before each viewing.
PRO TIP
6. Back to basics Buyers want to visualise your home as their home. The function of some rooms can change; a spare room used for storage can become the of ce or a second TV room. Certain rooms hold a greater perceived value, think about converting rooms back to their original use. Remove furniture that looks too big for the room; clutter that isn’t essential to the function of the room will free up valuable space and help make your house looks bigger. Consistent light ttings, ooring and curtains also help.
Think of it as a business transaction, where you are making business decisions.
1. Deep clean the house Make sure it’s done properly, if you do, then you are already a step ahead of your competition. Include dusting, carpets & garden if you can afford it. Try your best to keep it clean & tidy until sold or let!
2. De-Clutter Have a clear-out. This will make your home look larger and a place that buyers or tenants can imagine themselves living in. Make sure there is a clear ow when walking around your home. Try doing a walk-through, as though you were on the viewing.
3. Complete outstanding DIY Small jobs left undone make a huge difference to the potential buyers/ tenants. When they can see you care and look after your home they may offer you more as they can see additional value.
4. First Impressions DO count!
7. Depersonalise your home Think of your home as a show home. These are effective sales tools as they are always anonymous. Buyers/ tenants want to imagine themselves living there, creating their own story. This can be dif cult if overwhelming evidence of you or family are everywhere. Remove some family pictures, trophies, children’s artwork. Your house needs to look lived-in without looking like anyone actually lives there.
8. Neutral tones
Potential buyers/tenants will be judging your house even before they knock on your door! Make sure that the external appearance
Natural light is great, bright rooms appear more spacious than dim/ dark ones. If necessary, use table lamps in rooms that need
is well-maintained and cared for; the outside needs to look as great as the inside. This includes the garden, driveway etc -a tidy, lawns mowed, litter removed and so on. Walk up & down your street and compare it to your neighbours.
a little lift. Colour is personal, it’s best to go with neutral colours instead of highly individualised interiors. Creating a blank canvas helps buyers imagine how they would live in it and it will appeal to more tastes.
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IT’S NOT EVERYDAY YOU SELL YOUR HOME. HERE ARE 3 TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE AS A HOME SELLER
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Viewings
Most home buyers will look at several homes before buying one. You will have competition. Ask your estate agent what they think you need to do to your home prior to the rst viewing. Keep it clean and tidy. There may be occasions where the agent will call you at the last minute for a viewing, where possible be exible. As you will be having potential buyers walking through your home, keep all valuables in a safe place and out of view. If you have pets, it would be advisable to keep them outside as there may be buyers who may not feel comfortable around pets, especially if the potential buyers have children with them. If you have kids toys or obstructions around the house, make sure it is safe to walk around.
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PRO TIP
Communication
Always keep the agent up to date on any changes. For example, if you go away for the weekend or you go away on a vacation. This will help the agent if there is a last-minute viewing and they’re trying to get a hold of you. In this situation, it may be advisable to leave a spare key with the agent. If you are planning a family event and you do not want the agent to conduct a viewing, try and give the agent plenty of notice. If you make any changes to the property let your agent know. For example, if you install a new boiler or you x a leaking roof. This will help the agent when asked speci c questions by a buyer. The key to any successful sale is open communication
Ask the estate agent whether it’s best you remain in the home whilst they conduct the viewing. If you do remain home, allow the agent to do their job, they are the experts. Unless the agent asks you to, don’t walk around on the viewing with them, it may make buyers uncomfortable.
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Negotiating
Most home sellers have an emotional attachment to their homes. Potential buyers won’t have that attachment, to them, your property is seen as a piece of real estate. Therefore, if the agent submits a low offer, don’t take it personally. The negotiation for your home can vary widely. In some cases the negotiation is straight forward or take weeks of back and forth negotiations. Always keep an open mind and remember that an experienced agent will know how to negotiate for you.
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Role of a SELLER
AREA SPOTLIGHT
WEST YORKSHIRE West Yorkshire has a population of 2.3 million, with Leeds being the largest city. In 1853 Sir Titus Salt built the impressive textile mill and surrounding town of Saltaire to help improve the working & living conditions of its workers. Now the Grade II listed building is used as an art gallery & shopping centre. It houses many paintings of the local artist David Hockney, Bradford born, whose 1972 work ‘Portrait of an Artist’ was sold in 2018 for £70m & at the time was one of the most expensive artworks by a living artist to be sold at auction. The Dalton Mills, located in Keighley, was once thought to be the largest former textile mill with 2000+ employees. It was also used as a set for the Peaky Blinders Series.
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE (SALES)
£281,000 AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE (LETTINGS)
£1,177 pcm
Famous People From Yorkshire Dynamo - Magician Jonny Bairstow - Cricket Player Brontë Sisters - Writers David Hockney - Artist Joseph Bramah - Invented hydraulic press Dame Judi Dench - Actress Ed Sheeren - Singer/ Songwriter
Choosing an Estate Agent
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For most of us, our home is the most expensive asset we will ever own. Therefore, it’s important to choose the right estate agent and know you’re in safe hands.
1. Not all estate agents are the same Choosing the right estate agent is a very important decision, there are differences between all estate agents. Carry out your due diligence before choosing, here are some examples of how estate agents may vary: • Levels of service • Marketing ability • Knowledge / Experience • Professional bodies & quali cations • Fees • Track record
2. Do your research View Agents has over 17,000 estate agents listed and over 350,000 estate agent reviews. It is a comprehensive estate agent search platform, that helps you compare and choose. We advise you to invite more than one agent so that you can get a good understanding of what makes each agent different. If you have dif culty choosing, email us at valuations@viewagents.com and we can recommend agents to you.
3. Ask questions & feel comfortable In some cases, a home sale can take several months from listing presentation to completion. Therefore your relationship with your chosen estate agent is important. You need to feel comfortable communicating with them and make sure you ask plenty of questions. Remember, if your property is being let and then managed by an agent, then that relationship may last several years.
4. Select an agent to sell or let/manage your home Once you’ve weighed up all your options then you will need to select an agent. The agent will then place your property on the market and the marketing process will begin. Good luck!
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We recommend Jon Huby from Martin & Co Saltaire/Keighley if you’re thinking of letting your property or require property management
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