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.

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