Resources
Articles and features of practical use to estate and letting agents covering redress, compliance, education and training.
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Does your staff training pack a punch?
Competition, the threat of tighter industry regulation and the emergence of online-only agents mean that training is now increasingly a frontline activity, reports Nigel Lewis.
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Standing out from the crowd
"Stock is still a massive problem – can you suggest how we might increase our success in this area of our business?"
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Richard Rawlings
I was wrong! Richard Rawlings looks to the future and discovers that the real disrupters are not where we might expect.
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The graduate
If the cap fits, says Andrea Kirkby, wear it! But do estate agency employers prefer university degrees or real life experience?
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Training for staff development
If you want to build up value in your business, invest in your staff, says Andrea Kirkby.
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The Apprenticeship: investing in future staff
Agents who offer apprenticeships can now enter the Daily Telegraph’s Top Apprenticeship List.
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Sign board shenanigans
"Be careful, board games can seriously annoy residents and councils,” says Christopher Hamer, The Property Ombudsman.
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Election 2015 – property in politics
HOUSING PRICES RISE MORE UNDER TORIES… GENERALLY Home prices have increased twice as fast under a Conservative Government since 1970, at an average of 19 per cent per year compared to Labour’s 10 per cent per annum, the Nationwide House Price Index shows. Home prices appreciated most under Tony Blair’s tenure, up 211.3 per cent, followed by that of Margaret Thatcher, with prices up 187.9 per cent during her time at Number 10. However, on an annualised basis, prices performed most strongly under Edward Heath when growth averaged 32.8 per cent, per annum, although high inflation rates contributed to the growth during his premiership. ODDS SHORTEN ON ESTATE AGENT WINNING SEAT Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Kevin Hollinrake, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Hunters Property Group, being elected MP for Thirsk & Malton after his nearest rival, and existing MP for the North Yorkshire, Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP, who was deselected by her party last year, announced in March that she will not be seeking re-election as an independent on 7th May. Bookmaker’s odds on Mr Hollinrake winning the seat for Thirsk & Malton are now as short as 1/33. SNP UNVEILS FUNDS TO SUPPORT FIRST TIME BUYERS…
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Qualification = quality
Andrea Kirkby says that training and qualifications are increasingly important in the residential property world.
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Memorandum of Sale – speeding up a transaction
I OFTEN ASK ESTATE AGENTS what a conveyancer can do to help them and the answer is usually the same – answer the phone, return their calls, give updates and get the job done as quickly as possible. Yet it was only recently that an estate agent asked me the same question – what can an estate agent do to help me? With this question in mind, I reviewed some of my conveyancing files and the different estate agents I had encountered. Ultimately, the success and speed of a conveyancing transaction comes down to two elements: relationships and communication. So it was surprising to find that even the very good estate agents had failed in their first piece of communication to the conveyance – the Memorandum of Sale. Often underestimated, the Memorandum of Sale always seems rushed and incomplete. If agents took a little longer to complete them, I am sure that they would see the results. A sales contract is a very standard document and most conveyancers will make very few amendments. However, I almost always have to amend the names. Sometimes middle names are missing, or only a surname is provided and ultimately this is owing to the lack…
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