Tag: Estate Agent

So you’ve done your online valuation.  Got your finances in place, know what you can afford.  Decluttered and finished off your DIY todo list.  You now think you are ready to sell your home.  All you have to do now, is choose and estate agent.   If you are thinking of selling your home, here are 10 questions to ask your estate agent:

  1. What is you average time for selling a property?
  2. What percentage of the original asking price are you achieving for your sellers?
  3. What percentage of properties do you reduce from the original asking price?
  4. What is your timeframe from agreement of sale to completion?
  5. What are you doing to offer security to any sales agreed?
  6. What do you do differently to other agencies?
  7. What is your marketing strategy?
  8. What is your success rate for selling properties?
  9. How do you ensure all buyers are financially qualified to proceed with a house purchase?
  10. How long is your contract and can you explain the terms of your notice period?

 

 

Tag: Estate Agent

The damaged caused when your home doesn’t sell quickly can be costly, both emotionally and financially. In this article we explain the why it’s not great news when your home doesn’t sell quickly. And how to ensure your house sells within four weeks of going onto the market.

Sittingbourne Estate Agents

What a year it has been for the Sittingbourne property market: the Stamp Duty holiday causing a frenzy, the pandemic changing people’s perspectives on what they want from a home, and a constant lack of properties coming onto the market. With buyer demand still high, the prospect of your home not selling fast has probably not crossed your mind, especially when you see homes in your area come on the market one day and sold the next. But what damage is caused when your home doesn’t sell quickly?

The first 4 weeks

As you know, many homes in Sittingbourne, Faversham and Sheppey are selling well within the first four weeks of being placed on the market, but did you know how crucial these first four weeks are?  This is the period when your home is launched by your estate agent, buyers become aware and viewings are abundant.  Your expectations will be high, and your estate agent should be working tirelessly to market your home effectively in a variety of ways. They know that what they do within this first few weeks can impact the speed of your sale.  It’s the optimum time to make things happen.

What happens after four weeks?

After four weeks a property starts to become stale, and you could see enquiries and viewings dwindle. A good agent will be constantly reviewing their marketing and looking for new opportunities to attract potential buyers.  They will also be having an honest conversation with you on why they feel that your property is not appealing to buyers.

But does the fault lie with you or your agent?

what happens when your house doesn't sell within four weeks

A buyer’s perspective

Homebuyers are savvy, they know all the tools to help them find their next home. They will no doubt have alerts on property websites so they are informed as soon as a new property in Swale hits the market.  When they start to look they will be doing their research, and one thing they will always note is how long a property has been on the market.

What would you think if a house was still not under offer after four weeks or more?  Like most people, you will no doubt be wondering what is wrong with the property if it hasn’t been sold yet.  You may decide to view the home, but even before you have walked through the door you will already be in the mindset of making a low offer, because there must not be any real interest.

Price

We can not stress enough how price can have such an effect on the attractiveness of your home to buyers.  Your home, as soon as it is listed, will be compared with other houses within a similar price bracket, and if your home seems overpriced it will be noticed instantly. Of course it is alluring to have an estate agent tell you they can sell your home for a wonderfully high figure.  But is that an actual fact based on their ability with recently sold properties in the area? Could be. Or is it a tactic to try to win your business?

At Harrisons Homes we are not here to list properties, we sell homes. We use our experience in the local property market, understanding which streets are on the up, and those areas that are falling out of favour. When we appraise your home we take so many factors into account. Including condition, presentation, location and up-to-the minute data. We always aim to achieve the highest possible price for your property, and we will not inflate that to win your business.

Overpriced homes will sit on the market longer; you will probably find yourself frustrated when the agent requests you lower the price a few weeks later.  More reductions could follow. The quality of the offers you receive could be a lot lower than you had ever expected. Choose an agent who can back up their figures with their actions – do your research to find the right fit for you and your property.

How to sell your home fast

Presentation – do the work

If you have been browsing property websites in the search for your next home, you will notice those sellers who have put in the work to ensure that their property is looking its best for potential buyers. You will also notice those who haven’t. Often there could be something off-putting.  Such as a cluttered room, an untidy bedroom, a unloved garden, that can put you off going to view.

Unless your house is a project you need to make sure it is presented properly using home staging methods. Ensuring your home is clean and organised is a great start. However, it isn’t just about having an immaculate home but projecting the lifestyle that your home gives.  You only have to watch house programmes, or flick through home magazines to see home staging in action. A loaf and breadknife stylishly placed on the kitchen work surface, a thoughtfully placed throw on a bed with a book at its side; these little touches add warmth and personality to your home.

Having the mindset ‘buyers will see past …’ will never win. They may view your rooms as small due to the amount of stuff inside them. ‘Too much work to do’, could be another view point if the décor is tired, and a couple of odd jobs are spotted.  And these views, and more, are made whilst looking at your property online. Why place your property in a challenging position when with some work, you can attract buyers easily.

Get it right from the start

You need to get everything right when placing your home on the market. The price, the presentation and also your choice of agent. The damaged caused if your home isn’t under offer in the first four weeks is hard to repair. We are often contacted by sellers who have had struggles selling previously, and come to us for a fresh approach. Get it right from the start by calling us on 01795 474848 today.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also find these interesting.

How to reduce the risk of my house sale falling through

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Or, you can sign up to our new property alerts service

 

Tag: Estate Agent

Would you like to work for Harrisons Estate Agent in Sittingbourne? Read on:

I need your help, can you help me?
  • If you are an amazing Sales Progressor or have a background in estate agency or conveyancing
  • Are You someone who wants to be an instrumental member of an amazing company?
  • Are you someone who is dedicated to doing whatever it takes, so our customers can begin the next chapter of their lives?
Can you:
Deal with stressful situations
Work under pressure and to timescales
Thrive in a fast-paced environment?
Show real Passion?
Be really Customer focused?
If so, I really want to hear from you, so I can share with you the opportunity and benefits (that means your salary and perks!)
We are unlike other agencies and my purpose is to change the perception of estate agents. (This is why I need your help!) I am extremely passionate in what I and my team do and I will share my vision and mission with you when you make it to the interview stage. We enjoy what we do and have fun doing it, however ensuring we do the absolute best for our clients.
If this is something that appeals to you, I need to hear from you nowget in touch at chris@harrisonshomes.co.uk, I cannot wait to meet you!
You can work for Harrisons Estate Agent in Sittingbourne?

Tag: Estate Agent

Is market share important? and what does that mean?

If you were to invite five estate agents out to value your home we can almost guarantee that you will hear the following statements from at least one (probably several) of them.

  • Have market share in this postcode (plus graph)
  • We sell more houses than any other agent in your price bracket/area (probably accompanied by a graph)
  • Sold more houses than other agents (graph)
  • Sell fastest (another graph)
  • We sold a similar house on this road (nothing like your home)
  • Best value for money
  • We will negotiate on fees
  • Members of a group of buyers looking for exactly this type of property
  • Have a massive database of potential buyers that goes all over the UK
  • And our particular favourite, all agents market properties in the same way, it’s just we get better results.

It’s not surprising that it’s really difficult for vendors to make an informed choice on who is going to get you the best result on their house sale.

Not all estate agents are the same

The simple fact is, not all estate agents are the same, they vary wildly.  As do the individual needs of vendors and their reasons for selling.

Here at Harrisons, we really different.  We are not focused on numbers, market share or statistics.  Our business is about people, those that work in it, our suppliers and most of all our customers.  We build relationships and trust, and as such we invest time in these relationships and getting to understand the needs and requirements of each person.  This takes time and as such we aren’t interested in listing the most properties or having market share, we believe in listing and selling properties quickly not playing the numbers game, we work with people, not numbers.

The Harrisons Way

The Harrisons team trust and believe that we can get you the best possible result and as such, we believe we offer our clients the best value for money despite not being the cheapest agent out there.

We wont turn up at your home loaded with statistics and a snazzy presentation all about Harrisons and what we have done for other clients.  We will have a chat and listen to your needs, suggest ways forward and work out what we can do for you.

Our standard process for marketing your home is to market it discreatley for the first couple of weeks. We market to buyers that are able to proceed with a purchase.  To our social media followers and our online communities before it goes onto the online property portals.

We believe properties should currently sell within four weeks. Due to this, we will not tie our vendors into lengthy contracts.  We will negotiate offers on your behalf.  Will not be afraid to tell you if a lower offer is better in your individual circumstances (even if it means our commission is lower).

We recommend reservation agreements on all sales.  Giving buyers and vendors peace of mind that your sale will go through.

Plus, we will be there every step of the way, from instruction to competition.

For this, we charge a little more, but we believe we give you exceptional value for money.  We believe our clients would agree that we are worth that for the personal service, expert knowledge and unique way that Harrisons markets your home.

If you would like a personal service based on quality rather than quantity click here

Tag: Estate Agent

How to make the sales process less stressful for property owners is something we are always asking ourselves. With the full stamp duty holiday coming to an end on the 29th June, it’s been a very busy period for both estate agents and conveyancers.  For Harrisons it’s highlighted a few issues that we believe that could be improved both within and between the two industry’s. Especially when you consider that we are all working towards the same result.  And that is simply to transfer ownership of property.

We have long been very vocal that there needs to be regulation and training within the estate agent industry.  This is why we are members of NAEA Propertymark. Who are an organisation that set professional industry standards though regulation and accredited qualifications.  As members, we adhere to these standards and provide continuous training to all of our team.  Recent months has just highlighted how many other agents have serious gaps in their knowledge. They have no training or guidance within their organisation to fall back on.

How to make the sales process less stressful for property owners

This article isn’t intended to be one of those that reads as one estate agent claiming to be better than their competitors, there are good and bad agents as there are good and bad in most industries.  The aim of this article is to highlight the issues within our industry, and hopefully, we can suggest some solutions and improved working practices.  With this in mind, we need to remember that the Estate Agent industry has no standard in the way things are done, we believe that we need to start to standardise as an industry.  Until then, we make these observations and offer solutions.

The Sales Progressor

The role of a sales progressor is a very important role.  One that should be with a very experienced member of the team who understands the ins and outs of how a property transactions work.  As well as the order in which things happen.  Yet, all too often this role is assigned to a member of the team with little experience.  They are expected to chase the various parties involved just using a checklist and ticking things off as they go.  It’s not their fault that they may not be able to spot a potential problem developing. It’s not their fault that they don’t understand issues.  They have not had the correct training or experience and so, things do go wrong.

This issue is compounded even further when agents set up sales progression teams which are often located in a central office, away from the branch who understand the sale, know the clients involved and know the history of the case.

As estate agents, we believe that one of the first things we can do to make the sales process a smoother one is to stop undervaluing the role of a sales progressor.  Ensure that this position is filled by someone who has the correct experience, training and most of all support should problems arise.  Understanding the process and knowing what to do should things go wrong.  Not only does this save time and money it also ensures the client does not have unnecessary stress.

Another thing us agents could be better at doing, is communicating with each other.  Let’s be honest if there is an issue, let’s communicate.  If the chain is updated, let’s remember that it’s better all-round if we can be quick to act and as open and transparent with each other as possible.  If we work together, we can improve process and in turn improve the image of our industry.

Conveyancing


And so, to solicitors. It is also the case that there are good and bad ones, even so there is much that they too can do to improve the sales process and make things better for all.  Solicitors, known conveyancers, have had a very busy year thanks to the Stamp Duty Holiday and their case loads are currently very high.  However, understanding and working with agents can be the key to relieving some of this.T

Conveyancers often complain that they waste time taking calls and responding to emails from sales progressors that “just have a tick box exercise to do”. We can see that this can be frustrating we understand! However, working in the industry you will quickly be able to spot good agents. Ones that understand the process and are willing to work with you rather than just ticking things off.

Agents are on the frontline.  The property owner is the client of both the conveyancer and the agent. We both have a job to do to ensure they get the best possible service and the desired result of a property sale.  Though the client can chase conveyancers directly they often wont.  Mostly this is because they don’t understand the sales process or they legal jargon.  It’s easier to chase the agent.  Especially when things get stressful and so in turn the agent chases for updates.

Ignoring agents calls or emails, passing the buck to the other party, or just giving one line replies with very little information is one way to focus on your caseload. But this isn’t the best way in our opinion, as it just leaves the client chasing harder, and this is where a lack of trust and blame start to creep in.

 Make the sales process less stressful

To make the sales process less stressful.  If agents and conveyancers can find a way to work together.  To make a commitment that agents will not work from checklists.  Be qualified to deal with the sale process and will not chase unnecessarily.  Perhaps conveyancers can commit to more communication. Copy us in on correspondence for updates. Trust the agent to keep the client updated. Work with us to get the best result for our joint client with the least amount of stress.

This is how we believe you makes the sales process less stressful for property owners.  Surely that has got to be the best result for everyone?

If you would like to look at a less stressful way to sell your home. Contact our team on 01795 474848

https://www.harrisonshomes.co.uk/a-quality-result/

Tag: Estate Agent

Chris Ellis, Managing Director of Harrisons Homes explains the reasons behind our dynamic rebrand

“I began my career with Harrisons Residential in Rainham as a trainee negotiator in 2004. And, luckily for me, I found my vocation in life.  I progressed through the company quickly, and by 2007 I had moved to the Sittingbourne Branch as a senior negotiator.

At this time both branches were owned by different parties, and, despite trading under the same name, they had different values, systems and processes which ultimately lead to the two branches becoming two independent businesses.

I became a partner in Sittingbourne in 2012 and the full owner last year, I was aware that a shared name and website was confusing and I wanted to make changes to communicate that Harrisons in Sittingbourne is a single branch, independent estate agency.

I have truly loved working under the Harrisons Residential brand, I grew up within it and it has given me the opportunity to achieve my dream of owning my own business.  Harrisons Residential has been a trusted company since the 80’s, and I am proud of this. However, I wanted to move forward with the times and the brand was becoming restrictive of how I wanted to progress.

2020 was a year to be remembered and difficult for all, including myself, in regard to the continuing of the company.  With the goal of owning my own business achieved, I wanted a new challenge, of moving forward and enhancing an already high performing office into a more modern agency that is rooted in the local community, to do this I needed a rebrand.

The brief the rebrand was clear.  Bring the traditional values, which are imbedded into everything we do, and incorporate this with a more dynamic, modern, current estate agency feel. Reflect that we are investing in tech and new methods to improve the overall experience for our clients, who are our true focus and expect an outstanding customer service.  Celebrate our staff who are professionals and highly knowledgeable. Underline that we live and work in Sittingbourne and support the local community and businesses.

I’m delighted with the result, this is a brand fitting for a our business.  It’s bold, vibrant, clear and focused.  It reflects that we aren’t your typical estate agency, we do things differently (dare I say better?) Harrisons Homes is a brand to be proud of; it’s values, it’s innovations, it’s people, it’s location and of course that it’s a business that truly gives back by supporting local charities.

Harrisons Homes is a brand fitting for a business that will continue to deliver the outstanding service you have come to expect from us as we look forward to 2021 and beyond.

 

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