Mark Buchanan powered by EXP - View Agents Reputation Magazine

ABOUT ME

A little bit about yourself outside of work: I love

A little bit about yourself outside of work: I love training and get up at 5.15 to go to the gym before training and get up at 5.15 to go to the gym before work. I also do karate with two of my three kids. I work. I also do karate with two of my three kids. I started around 5 years ago as something to do started around 5 years ago as something to do outside of work so that I could work through the outside of work so that I could work through the ranks and see progress. I’m currently 1st Kyu ranks and see progress. I’m currently 1st Kyu (brown belt with 2 black stripes) and I’m working (brown belt with 2 black stripes) and I’m working towards my black belt. towards my black belt.

Focused on Estate Agency Sales with a team of 4

Multi-award-winning estate agent

Sold over £42,000,000 of property

8 years of estate agency experience

Workington

What makes you (as an individual) different fromyourcompetitors:

When I started with exp in September 2020 I had two clear goals To provide the best marketing and the best service. The 160 5-star reviews all comment on thosetwothings,sowe’redefinitelydoingsomething right I provide a much more personal service and haveafamily-basedteam(wife,eldestsonandniece) that works with me to provide additional support We don’tworktheusual9-5andhavenosetofficehours, so are usually available to our clients 7 days a week between 6 am-930 pm I’m available to my clients from the initial appointment right up until we hand overthekeys

How did you get into real estate? Do you rememberyourfirstday?

Idon’tremembermyfirstdaybutIspecificallylooked to become an estate agent. I was working in social housing and found the job to be really negative The part I loved was being able to help people move into new homes I had a total of five interviews over 12 months or so and no one was willing to give me a job as I didn’t have any experience as an estate agent. Finally, someone could see my potential, but I took a £6000ayearpaycuttobeabletojointheindustry.

What is the best thing about being an Estate Agent?

I love being able to play a part in people’s lives, by helping them to sell their homes or find a new one People put a lot of trust in us and it’s always appreciated It’ssuchanexcitingandrewardingrole

What is your favourite part about the area/communitywhereyouwork?

I’mbasedinWorkington,whereIwasbornandraised. I was actually one of the last babies to be born in WorkingtonHospitalbeforetheyclosedthematernity ward.Inowliveastrollawayfromtheoldhospitalsite. I know every single street and the reputation of each of the different areas. Because I grew up in the town, most of our business is here, although we do cover thesurroundingtownsandvillages.

What advice would you give to someone thinkingofstartingacareerinrealestate?

It’s an exciting and rewarding profession. The typical income in the UK isn’t great, but with experience and the support of a great self-employed network, it can be life-changing. You’ve got to have great people skills and enjoy talking to people, and be able to deal withdifficultsituations.

What qualities do you need to be a successful estateagent&why?

The main one is people skills. Especially when you’re going out to talk to people about listing their homes People buy from people and having a friendly personality and being a genuinely nice person can go a long way. I’ve lost count of how many times people have commented on the service from other agents because they’re arrogantorrude

How important is having a good reputation in thisindustry&why?

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Reputation is essential, as most business comes from wordofmouth.I’vesoldover£42,000,000ofproperty and never advertised By providing a brilliant service and getting the best result, clients will sing your praises and recommend you to their friends and family. When people are looking to sell, often they’ll ask friends whom they’d recommend or post on Facebook

Howimportantarereviewstoyourbusiness?

Essential. We’ve got over 160 five-star reviews now. People often comment that they’ve seen my reviews andareimpressed

Whatdoyourecommendtosellersinpreparing theirhomeforsale/letpriortomarketing?

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Theyneedtohaveitlookingitsbest.Themainthingis decluttering. People want to be able to feel themselveslivingthere Ifthereareanyjobsthatneed doing then they need to be sorted before the marketing is done You only get one chance of the initialpropertylaunchsoeverythingneedstoberight.

"I provide a much more "I provide a much more personal service" personal service"

"

"I’ve sold over I’ve sold over £42,000,000 of property" £42,000,000 of property"

Whatdoyourecommendthatasellershoulddopriortocallinginanestateagentforavaluation?

Tidy up! I’ve been to a few houses where they haven’t even tidied up It’s hard to be positive about a property thatisinpoorcondition.Ifasellerdoesn’tcarethenIfindithardtowanttomarketit.

Whataresomeimportantquestionsasellershouldaskyouonalistingpresentation&why?

Iftheywanttomakesurethattheyarechoosingtherightagent,theyshouldbeaskingabouthowtheygetthe best price, what percentage of the asking price they achieve, what makes them different etc Most don’t though.

How do you manage sellers' expectations when they want to list their home well over the market value?

I’ve actually refused to list properties that I think will be overpriced, especially if the price is way over what I wouldexpecttoachieve I’velistedsomethatarealittlehighandit’saboutmakingsurethatthesellerisaware thatinterestmaybelimitedandhavingaplaninplaceaboutreducingthepriceifneeded.

Whatarethekeyaspectswhennegotiatingahousesale?

Listening. When someone makes an offer it’s key to hear exactly what they’re saying. Our job is to get the best price Thewordingthatpeopleuseoftenindicateswhattheyarewillingtooffer,evenifthefigurethey’vegiven isdifferent.

Whatisthebestwayofvaluingahome?Whatstepsdoyoutake?

I look at the previously sold prices for the street, then look at other properties that have sold in the area and makecomparisonsonthesizeandcondition Ithendiscussallofthiswiththesellertoworkoutthebest-asking pricefortheproperty

Howdoyouqualifyprospectivebuyersortenants?

We always find out about a buyer's position, whether they have something to sell, a mortgage in place or are a cashbuyer.Wecanthenpassthatinfoontosellerssothattheyunderstandwhoislookingattheirhouse.

Doyoufinditchallengingwhenpropertiesanduntidy/messyduringviewings?

It is awful If a property is untidy then it’s unlikely to sell No one can see themselves living in a messy house It canmassivelyaffectthevalueaspeoplecan’tseepasttheclutter

Howmuchofateameffortisitwhensellingorlettingahome?

When I first started, I used to do everything myself, from valuation, marketing, arranging viewings, carrying themout negotiationandsalesprogression Aswe’vegrown therestoftheteamhelpstokeepthingsrunning

AWARDS

Capped three times – this is a huge milestone and changes my income, as I no longer pay 30% of the commission to eXp, just a fixed fee of £250. It resets every year on your anniversary of joining the company. You hit this once you complete on sales with fees of £80,000.

2 xICON. This is an amazing award. As of now, there are only 7 ICON agents in the UK, and I’m one of only two that have qualified twice. It is only this week that I’ve officially qualified for the second time. There’s two main benefits, as well as the huge accolade of achieving it. The fee to eXp drops from £250 to £100 per transaction and you receive £16,000 of shares in the company. For me, this is like a pension.

In 2022, I won the Global Presidential Production Award – units. Which was for the most units sold by an individual agent throughout all of eXp, across 22 countries and 86,000 agents (at the time, there are more now). This then led to The Wow Award 2022 at the UK Awards.

Number 8 in the first-ever eXp Realty

Top 50 International Individuals list, outside of the US and Canada in 2022. This was based on the value of properties sold.

2023 Winner of the View Agents - Reputation Award.

MELISSAO

I would highly recommend Mark to anyone thinking of selling their house. I have put it off for years thinking no one would be interested, Mark sold it in a day! It was down to Mark's hard work and the way he advertised our house. I cannot thank you enough Mark.

CONNORS

I L O V E F E E B A C K

DEBBIEB

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Mark and Julie went above and beyond ... they helped every step of the way... I will be recommending and would 100% use again ... thank you for all your help.

The communication was perfect and he and his team were the best you can get. Great family-run estate agent who cares, provides the best quality advertisements and truly d t

W E L O V

PROUD WINNER OF

THE

2023

GARETHRESTATE AGENT REPUTATION AWARD

Williams & Goodwin offer a very professional service along with a friendly approach that gives you the confidence that the sale of your house is in the right hands.

R E P U T A T I O N I S E V E R Y T H I N G

ROLE OF A ROLE OF A SELLER SELLER

A HOME SELLER VIEWING

Mosthomebuyerswilllookatseveralhomesbefore buyingoneYouwillhavecompetitionAskyourestate agentwhattheythinkyouneedtodotoyourhomeprior tothefirstviewing

Keepitcleanandtidy.Theremaybeoccasionswherethe agentwillcallyouatthelastminuteforaviewing,where possiblebeflexible

Asyouwillbehavingpotentialbuyerswalkingthrough yourhome,keepallvaluablesinasafeplaceandoutof viewIfyouhavepets,itwouldbeadvisabletokeepthem outsideastheremaybebuyerswhomaynotfeel comfortablearoundpets,especiallyifthepotentialbuyers havechildrenwiththem.Ifyouhavekidstoysor obstructionsaroundthehouse,makesureitissafetowalk around Asktheestateagentwhetherit’sbestyouremaininthe homewhilsttheyconducttheviewingIfyoudoremain home,allowtheagenttodotheirjob,theyaretheexperts Unlesstheagentasksyouto,don’twalkaroundonthe viewingwiththem,itmaymakebuyersuncomfortable.

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 takes weeks of back and forth negotiations Always keep an open mind and remember that an experienced agent will know how to negotiate for you

COMMUNICATION

PROTIP

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 fix a leaking roof This will help the agent when asked specific questions by a buyer. The key to any successful sale is open communication.

IT’S NOT EVERYDAY YOU SELL YOUR HOME. HERE ARE 3 TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE AS

The key to any successful sale is open communication

8Toptips 8Toptips to prepare your home for selling or 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.

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.

Think of it as a business transaction, where you are making business decisions.

DEEPCLEANTHEHOUSE

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 Do your best to keep it clean & tidy until sold or let!

DE-CLUTTER

Have a clear-out. This will make your home look larger & a place that buyers or tenants can imagine themselves living in Make sure there is a clear flow when walking around your home Do a walk-through, as though you were on the viewing.

COMPLETEOUTSTANDINGDIY

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.

FIRSTIMPRESSIONSDOCOUNT!

Potential buyers/tenants will be judging your house even before they knock on your door! Make sure that the external appearance 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

SMELLSSELLS!

Research suggests that smells influence buyers, therefore use this to your advantage. Placing fresh flowers 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

BACKTOBASICS

PROTIP

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 office 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 fittings, flooring and curtains also help.

DEPERSONALISEYOURHOME

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 difficult if overwhelming evidence of you or family are everywhere. Remove some family pictures, trophies, children’s artwork. Your house needs to look livedin without looking like anyone actually lives there

NEUTRALTONES

Natural light is great, bright rooms appear more spacious than dim/ dark ones If necessary, use table lamps in rooms that need 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