Confessions of an estate agent - 101 to be exact
Photo: BEN KIRCHNER
Greene & Co’s Managing Director David Pollock, and author of a new property guide, gives Christopher Middleton his top tips for buying and selling.
For many of us, buying or selling a house is war – both psychological and financial. We don’t so much purchase a house, as prise it out of the hands of the people who own it. We don’t so much sell a house, as surrender it to invaders. And right up until the last minute, the deal can be sabotaged by an act of panic or greed on either side.
“The whole business is a mass of contradictions,” says David Pollock, a north London estate agent who has been selling houses for the past 34 years. “The dynamic of people, money and property is fraught with emotion. That said, there is nearly always a key to a successful resolution, and that’s being able to see the situation from the other person’s point of view.”
And it’s not just hot air. “David is one of those rare breeds in his profession that actually makes an effort to understand the needs of both the buyer and the seller,” says Harry Handelsman of the Manhattan Loft Corporation.
“He succeeds because he looks at everyone’s position in the deal,” adds John Hitchcox, chairman of the upmarket developers Yoo. “As a result, he finds the best outcome for everyone.”
Cast in the role of peacemaker, then, Pollock has set out to bring Buyer and Seller tribes still closer together, by writing an outspoken, new book entitled 101 Things Your Estate Agent Should Tell You.
Read the full article in the Telegraph Property Section www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/8611016/Confessions-of-an-estate-agent.html
You can pick up a copy of ‘101 things an estate agent should tell you when buying or selling a property’ on Amazon now www.amazon.co.uk/Things-Estate-Should-Selling-Property/dp/0956734103
David Pollock, Greene & Co. Managing Director
Is now the right time to sell?
There are many conflicting reports on the future of the London property market. The 2011 Rightmove House Index Report shows the beginning of 2011 to be much the same as 2010 with a slight increase in the house prices in the London area. However The Guardian reported on Saturday that house prices are to fall by 20% over the next two years.
Smart vendors are contacting us now for valuations on their properties to have a good idea of where they stand in the market should they decide to sell before the market dips.
Homeowners should brace themselves for a “short, sharp shock”, with house prices set to fall by up to 20% over the next two years as rising unemployment and public spending cuts take their toll, experts are warning.
“Prices are trending slowly downwards at the moment, but our view is that this is really the start of the second leg of the correction, and we expect prices to fall significantly further,” said Paul Diggle, property economist at consultancy Capital Economics.
He calculates that the average home remains up to 20% overvalued by historical standards – and with the mortgage market still tight and unemployment rising, 2011 could bring prices crashing back to earth.
The impact of any downturn is likely to vary across the country. Miles Shipside of property website Rightmove said prices in each area would be driven by the fortunes of the local population, with the worst-hit places likely to be those where public sector layoffs are worst.
“Forced sales will be the issue, so it depends on the make-up of your area – the level of unemployment and financial hardship,” he said.
The gentle alarm has been sounded, and for those who are already pondering the idea of selling their property – now really might be the best time,
For more information contact your local Greene & Co.
Source
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/feb/19/house-price-fall-20-per-cent
Stamp Duty – good news for first home buyers
Good news for people who are looking to buy their first home this week, with the government announcing that first home buyers who purchase property under £250,000 will be exempt from paying stamp duty. This is a great benefit for first home buyers and it will be a great saving which they could possibly now add to their deposit or it will simply allow more people who may not have previously been able to enter the market to purchase a home of their own.
David Smith from the Times commented that “Alistair Darling’s Robin Hood coup in last week’s budget was the two-year stamp-duty holiday for first-time buyers of homes up to £250,000, paid for by a permanent increase in the duty to 5% on £1m-plus properties. Clearly, there will be mixed feelings about this.
Despite the skepticism, stamp-duty holidays work, as previous experience has shown. Provided the bureaucracy can identify who is a genuine first-time buyer — a divorced wife or husband who was previously a joint owner will not count — this should give the market a boost, which is why the housing industry has welcomed it.”
Stephen Brown, Director of our Crouch End shop has said that “if we start seeing banks lend more then this will be a nice saving. Hopefully the stamp duty saving should be good for first home buyers as this will give more money to their deposit.”
Either way you look at it this will help more people purchase their first home which is a good thing!
It’s energy saving week this week!
The energy saving trust are stepping up the mark and have lots planned this week to help save energy. This years theme is waste, where they are helping people all over the UK to stop wasting time, energy and money! That sounds pretty good to me…we could all do with a bit of that couldn’t we?
The energy saving clock - a cool little feature on their website gives you some great little tips for helping the planet and yourself. Or why not have a look at Dave’s tip’s for saving a bit of dosh and keeping toasty this winter.
If you want to get involved or just want some more energy saving tips, have a look at their website…I promise you’ll be brimming with ideas after a few minutes on there!
Saving energy and money at work
At Greene and Co, we care about the environment and I always read with interest anything that offers advise on saving the planet. Not only is it a great thing to help our lovely little earth, but on a more personal level it usually helps you save some money too!
I found this great little article on the Energy Savings Trust website which offers all sorts of easy little tips to help you do your bit and save a few hard earnt pennies along the way, including:
Hold meetings online rather than in offices
If your company has several different office, think about using video conferencing facilities instead of sending staff to meet face to face. If your company can’t justify the expense of a packaged video conferencing suite, think about using the free Apple iChat or Microsoft Netmeeting web conferencing software. Your IT team (or an IT contractor) should be able to set it up easily.
What a brilliant tip - not only saves money on travel, but saves time too…something we’re all a bit short of.
London on the cheap
‘It can’t be true’, I hear you cry! Yes, it can be done - you can enjoy Londons delights with just a few mere pounds, a shirt button and some fluff. Take that credit crunch, I won’t let you spoil my fun!
