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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 What are the qualities of a
MEET Andy Davies
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
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Meet Andy Davies
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Preparing your home
Meet
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Role of a seller
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Area Spotlight
Andy DAVIES
10 Choosing an estate agent
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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 The Role of a how technology is shaping Seller the real estate industry
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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 differentiate themselves from their competitors..
CHOOSING the right estate agent
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ARE YOU AN E S TAT E A G E N T ?
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Get in touch sales@viewagents.com
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38 High Street
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Walton-on-Thames KT12 1DE 01932 221331
WA LT O N O N T H A M E S
SURREY
jamesneave.co.uk
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I love helping people
How did you get into real estate? Do you remember your first day? Back in collage I was due to go to university to study economics. A work experience placement cancelled short notice and I ended up doing a week at a Mann & Co of ce in Woking as an Estate Agent. I loved it and decided that university wasn’t going to be for me. I started interviewing for Estate Agency jobs and a week after my A Levels nished, I started working for James Neave (the Person) within what was then a Bairstow Eves franchise of ce. My rst day was full of nerves but good fun, I worked along side a chap called Steve who was a great agent and full of beans and energy. I managed to agree 3 or 4 sales in my rst couple of weeks under Steve’s guidance, it was a really busy market at the time.
What is the best thing about being an estate agent?
MEET ANDY DAVIES
I love helping people. Our whole ethos is built around helping our clients, and helping each other to become better every day.
What makes your branch different from your competitors? Highly ef cient and effective marketing plan for our clients’ properties, which is proven to give great success. We are a full service estate agency so our clients get full support / contact (24/7) from day one to move day with a personal advisor and full team back up support.
What attributes make a good estate agent? Communication Organization Being able to admit when you are wrong
I am a family man, happily married with four young children. I am a big sports fan, especially football. I am a keen runner and have lost around 6 stone in weight across the last few years so feeling a lot healthier these days! Managing Director 19+ years estate agency experience andy@jamesneave.co.uk
Work ethic Honesty What do you recommend to sellers and landlords in preparing their home prior to marketing? Preparation is really key to get a property looking great for photos etc. Equally we always tell clients not to strip the life and soul out of the home. So work with what you have and try to present it in the best way possible. Often its not worth spending loads of money on your home if you are about to sell it but we’ll always give guidance on any cost effective jobs that could be done to increase value and saleability.
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James Neave Estate Agents
Do you like sellers & landlords to be home when viewings are conducted? In an ideal world we recommend owners / landlords not to be home for initial viewings. We nd applicants relax more and we get better buying signals that we can respond to try and help the process along. Some buyers / tenants are really inquisitive in which case a second viewing with the owners present can be really useful.
What are the challenges when negotiating between seller/buyer & landlord/tenant? Managing expectations. Communication is key and you’ve got to be able to give your clients the right advice (tough conversations when needed) but equally respect that it is their home and always their decision as to what to do. Always give the right advice and guide them through the process.
What constitutes a great property marketing campaign and how do you execute it?
Listen…. Make sure you are working for your client and their best interests, not yours! Negotiation needs to be thought through, we are not just there to pass information between parties, we need to give guidance to our clients in terms of how to proceed and what to do next, to try and maximise any offer.
How much of a team effort is it when selling or letting a home? At James Neave we are massively team focused. We cut all the ego out of our business years ago and we reward our team with team commissions and team driven targets. This means we can focus massively on what is the best outcome for our clients rather than be ego driven and what is better for negotiator A or B.
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Make sure you are working for your client and their best interests, not yours!
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we are massively team focused
What are the key aspects when negotiating a house sale/let?
Our campaigns start immediately as soon as we receive formal instructions and way before we hit the online portals. During the initial period where we are getting professional photography undertaken we are marketing directly to our buyer / tenant database and via our social media channels. We nd some of our hottest viewings come from these initial marketing sources and buyers / tenants love the opportunity to get in rst before the online portal launches. We only launch online once we have everything looking perfect (photos, brochures, 360 tours etc). We utilise social media marketing across various platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Google etc and nd this to be a really productive lead source.
What is the best way of valuing a home? I think it is vital to do your research on every property, however straight forward it may seem. You need to know what has sold locally that is comparable and what is on the market that will be immediate competition. An understanding of the seller’s situation and desired timescales etc will also help you give them the right advice in terms of marketing strategy.
Thinking of selling or letting your property?
CLICK HERE TO BOOK A FREE, NO OBLIGATION PROPERTY VALUATION
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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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What is the best way of valuing a home. What steps do you take?
It’s very much on a case-by-case basis, but generally just a general de-clutter. Rooms look at their best when there’s a small amount of furniture in then. Feel free to dump the junk in the garage.
do you qualify a prospective buyer or tenant? Motivation, ability, need.
8 - Reputation Matters The Estate Agent Magazine - Jan 21
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.
The key to any successful sale is open communication 8 - Reputation The Estate Agent Magazine
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Role of a SELLER
AREA SPOTLIGHT WALTON ON -THAMES SURREY Walton-on-Thames is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. The town itself consists mostly of af uent suburban streets, with a historic town centre of Celtic origin. It is one of the largest towns in the Elmbridge borough, alongside Weybridge. AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE (SALES)
£620,000 AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE (LETTINGS)
£2,090 P/M
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Interesting Fact Walton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Waletona". The settlement was held jointly as overlords in the feudal system by Edward de Sarisber (Salisbury) and Richard de Tonbrige. Its Domesday assets were: 6 hides; 1 church (St. Mary's), 2 mills worth £1 5s 0d, 1 shery worth 5s, 14 ploughs, 40 acres (16 ha) of meadow, supporting 50 hogs. It rendered £28
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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 is a difference 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, helping 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 them 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 James Neave Estate Agents if you’re thinking of selling or letting your property Click here to FIND OUT MORE
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