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Mark Buchanan 4

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THE ESTATE AGENT MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

REPUTATION

Are you an estate agent?

Feature in your own Repuaution Magazine Get in touch: sales@viewagents.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2023

P O W E R E D

B Y

E X P

MARK BUCHANAN 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

CUMBRIA

M A R K

A little bit about yourself outside of work: I love 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 started around 5 years ago as something to do outside of work so that I could work through the ranks and see progress. I’m currently 1st Kyu (brown belt with 2 black stripes) and I’m working towards my black belt.

B U C H A N A N

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ABOUT ME

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

What is your favourite part area/community where you work?

about

the

I’m based in Workington, where I was born and raised.

I was actually one of the last babies to be born in Workington Hospital before they closed the maternity ward. I now live a stroll away from the old hospital site.

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 the surrounding towns and villages.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a career in real estate?

What makes you (as an individual) different from your competitors: 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 those two things, so we’re definitely doing something right. I provide a much more personal service and have a family-based team (wife, eldest son and niece) that works with me to provide additional support. We don’t work the usual 9-5 and have no set office hours, so are usually available to our clients 7 days a week between 6 am-9.30 pm. I’m available to my clients from the initial appointment right up until we hand over the keys.

How did you get into real estate? Do you remember your first day?

I don’t remember my first day but I specifically looked 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 £6000 a year pay cut to be able to join the industry.

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’s such an exciting and rewarding role.

"I provide a much more personal service"

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 with difficult situations.

II

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

The main one is people skills. Especially when Lorem ipsum sit about amet, you’re going out to talkdolor to people listing consectetur adipiscing elit.

Maecenas their homes. People buy from people and having efficitur malesuada Quisque nice a friendly personality anddignissim. being a genuinely dignissim leo sem, in sollicitudin ipsum person can go a long way. I’ve lost count of how euismod vel.

Integer condimentum many times people have commented on the ligulafrom sit amet service othervulputate agents efficitur. because Sed they’re eu odio congue, congue libero sit amet, arrogant or rude. tempor arcu. Sed posuere neque massa, Howrhoncus important is having a good reputation aliquet velit condimentum at. in this industry why?

Vivamus & commodo magnas.

Reputation is essential, as most business comes from word of mouth. I’ve sold over £42,000,000 of property 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.

How important are reviews to your business?

Essential.

We’veipsum got over dolor 160 five-star Lorem sit reviews amet, now.

People often comment that they’ve seen my reviews consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas and are impressed.

efficitur malesuada dignissim. Quisque dignissim leo sem, in to sollicitudin What do you recommend sellers in ipsum preparing euismod vel.

Integer condimentum their home for sale/let prior to marketing? sithave amet vulputate efficitur.

Sed They ligula need to it looking its best.

The main thing is decluttering.

People congue want tolibero be sit able to feel eu odio congue, amet, themselves living there.

If there are any jobs that tempor arcu. Sed posuere neque massa,need doingrhoncus then they needvelit to condimentum be sorted before aliquet at. the marketing is done.

You only get one chance of the Vivamus commodo magnas. initial property launch so everything needs to be right.

What do you recommend that a seller should do prior to calling in an estate agent for a valuation?

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 that is in poor condition. If a seller doesn’t care then I find it hard to want to market it.

What are some important questions a seller should ask you on a listing presentation & why?

If they want to make sure that they are choosing the right agent, they should be asking about how they get the 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 would expect to achieve. I’ve listed some that are a little high and it’s about making sure that the seller is aware that interest may be limited and having a plan in place about reducing the price if needed.

What are the key aspects when negotiating a house sale?

Listening. When someone makes an offer it’s key to hear exactly what they’re saying. Our job is to get the best price. The wording that people use often indicates what they are willing to offer, even if the figure they’ve given is different.

What is the best way of valuing a home? What steps do you take?

I look at the previously sold prices for the street, then look at other properties that have sold in the area and make comparisons on the size and condition. I then discuss all of this with the seller to work out the best-asking price for the property.

How do you qualify prospective buyers or tenants?

We always find out about a buyer's position, whether they have something to sell, a mortgage in place or are a cash buyer. We can then pass that info on to sellers so that they understand who is looking at their house.

Do you find it challenging when properties and untidy/messy during viewings?

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 can massively affect the value as people can’t see past the clutter.

How much of a team effort is it when selling or letting a home?

When I first started, I used to do everything myself, from valuation, marketing, arranging viewings, carrying them out, negotiation and sales progression. As we’ve grown, the rest of the team helps to keep things running smoothly and it is 100% a team effort.

After negotiating a sale, how do you deal with the after-sales?

We use a platform that allows buyers and sellers to update key milestones on an app. We get weekly updates from solicitors and update it too, so that it keeps everyone up to date on progress.

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.

Page 3 Reputation - The Estate Agent Magazine

MELISSA O 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.

I LOVE FEEBACK

CONNOR S

DEBBIE B 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 understands the market.

GARETH J

WE LOVE FEEBACK

From start to finish of the selling process, they were amazing hence why I use them!

From dealing with solicitors to marketing, done so professionally, what a great team.

MICHELLE H

The Williams & Goodwin team really pull out all the stops to achieve their client’s aims. They couldn’t have done anymore for us. Top notch estate agent 10*

PROUD WINNER OF THE

2023

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

REPUTATION IS EVERYTHING

Williams and Goodwin truly are outstanding.

ROLE OF A

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

VIEWING 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 first 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 flexible.

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.

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.

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.

The key to any successful sale is open communication

COMMUNICATION

PRO T IP

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.

8 Top tips 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.

SMELLS SELLS! 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.

BACK TO BASICS

PRO T IP

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.

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. 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.

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.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS DO COUNT! 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.

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 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.

NEUTRAL TONES 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.

01900 878350

MARK.BUCHANAN@EXP.UK.COM

MARKBUCHANAN.EXP.UK.COM

33 BANKLANDS, WORKINGTON, CA14 3EU

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