Awesome Awards Night at Bradleys!

Friday the 20th December was a fabulous night for Team Bradleys. 130 staff arrived at Head Office for the Annual Awards Ceremony which had some added impetus with TV cameras in attendance. Brian made the announcements and various members of the Board presented the prizes.

The Evening started with Darren Ellis and Sara Gilchrist receiving their 20 yearlong service awards. 8 more loyal members of staff followed with their 10 year awards. Chris Baxter presented the Conveyancing award to Darren Hole and his Team in Paignton who have followed Darren's lead all year and produced spectacular results. Mike Dibble presented the most improved award to Torquay office who had delivered a great sales year and they were delighted to have their increased performance recognised. Richard Greetham presented the Luxury Homes award to Shaldon office who have seen off all of the usual names at the top of the market and recorded a new office profit record along the way. Francis presented the Manager of the Year to Lewis Rossiter, the previous year's Employee of the Year. Lewis Had also set a new office profit record for his office in Exeter and was the employee with the most good allAgents reviews for the year on the Estate Agents review site allAgents. Lyndon Bent awarded the Office of the Year Award for the second successive year to Shaldon office which reflected their spectacular on going performance and Manager Katherine Edwards made a moving acceptance speech when she confirmed to the room what was required to win the title. Brian concluded the official awards when he announced the nominations for Bradleys Employee of the Year 2013 and presented the Cup to Lynn Foster from Torquay Office to recognise her part in the improvement in Torquay and for her efforts in delivering the sales on a new homes site in Torquay. It was a very deserved reward and a very popular decision with all in the room.  Once the hierarchy were cleared from the stage Andy presented a couple of novelty awards to Lewis and to Sian which drew great appreciation for all. Only the Author and a couple of other people know how spectacularly the joke backfired on Andy by the end of the evening when he himself required the use of the award!

Those in attendance all thought the evening was probably the best awards and party to date and a few people need mention. The food was excellent and thanks to Enid, Ella, Andy and Connor who ensured all were fed very well. Andy also ensured the bar was manned all night and the drinks kept flowing. The room was beautifully festive and again Andy's efforts must be recognised. Mr Frosty had his own TV channel for the early part of the evening as prepared by Alison and then right on cue he appeared and was soon missing again for another year of intrigue. Once the eating was over the dancing began which carried on into the following day and a very good year for Bradleys was brought to a close with a fitting celebration and the very best of the best were honoured by their Colleagues. Next is 2014 and we are all looking forward to an even better year.  

 

 

Employee of the Year. Lynn Foster receives her award from Chairman Brian Bradley to recognise her pivotal role in the improved performance of Bradleys Torquay office. 

 

 

Office of the Year. Shaldon Office team receive their award from Lyndon Bent to recognise their achievement of outstanding performance in 2013. Pictured are Katherine Edwards and Julie Carden. 

 

 

Manager of the Year. Lewis Rossiter of the Bradleys Exeter St Thomas Office receives his award from Bradleys Managing Director Francis Marshall. Lewis had doubled his target for the year and received the most new good reviews on the Estate Agents review site allAgents where customers rate their satisfaction of an agents service. 

 

 

Luxury Homes Office of the Year. Julie Carden and Manager Katherine Edwards receive their award from Director Richard Greetham to reflect their immense success in the high end of the market in 2013.  

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

 

Three sleeps to go...

With just a few sleeps till the Big Fat Fella comes down the chimney this is the time of year Estate Agents really show their colours. Some will be thinking we have had a good year and are now looking forward to a week off to relax, so will switch on the answer phone and go home. The good agents that care about customer service will be thinking differently. At Bradleys will be thinking about our customers who want their properties sold or let and thinking about their buyers an prospective tenants who want to buy or rent. The market is good and the customers all want to do business so we will be fully staffed and open and there will be evening cover by our Customer Services Department as well to cater for the customers who have a bit of time off so want to use it to look for property. To be really proactive we will have seasonal offers to match being offered every day by the '12 days of Christmas' via our Facebook pages.  Have a very Happy Christmas!

 

In the not so bleak mid winter...

We may be approaching mid-winter but there are no storm clouds on the horizon for the property market, in fact at here at Bradleys in the South West everything is very sunny, Help to Buy comes into force in a few weeks, the buyers are continuing to view and buy in December and the UK continues to recover economically which is in turn giving the confidence to drive the buyers on to buy now. I have said this before but, it will never be this cheap to buy again. Mortgage rates remain low and available, property prices are only going one way in the face of strong demand and a shortage of supply. This is where a sellers choice of agent is vital to achieve the best price in a rising market.

 

Firstly the asking price must be right, too low and anyone can give a property away but too high it won't sell and will go stale eventually requiring a reduction below the market so the vendor will have to bridge a bigger gap when he does eventually sell. But don't choose your agent just based on the ability to value accurately, you need an agent who will deal with you honestly and have your best interest at heart all of the time. You should use an agent that comes with a track record of delivering a good service and achieving the right result and you will ideally find that agent by word of mouth from friends and relatives who have sold recently so were able to give you a good recommendation.

 

If you don't know anybody who has recently had a good moving experience then that is where allAgents comes into play and you can take your advice form 1000's of people who have recently moved and have independently praised the good and shamed the bad. If you think about it why would you even rely on a single recommendation from a friend when every agent in the country is available to be judged on allAgents and you can very clearly see who you should instruct if you want a good service and the right result. Equally you can clearly see which agents are best avoided. Don't leave the sale of your biggest asset to chance take your pick from a top performing agent on allAgents as they will certainly come backed by 100's of independent recommendations and that is about as good as it gets.

 

Here at Bradleys we are immensely proud of our ranking on allAgents which ranks us third out of all estate agents in the country for sales and lettings and the best agent in the country for customer service for sale. If you would like to experience the Bradleys award winning service just contact your nearest branch for a free valuation or contact our Customer Services Department right up to 10.00 in the evening to book a viewing or arrange a viewing.

If you found this blog useful or think others might why not share it or like it?

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

An exciting New Homes Grand Opening

Whilst Francis is still away I have the pleasure of writing this week's blog.  

At the present time I am heavily involved with our New Homes development in Sidmouth at Sanditon House, a scheme of quality 2 and 3 bedroom flats developed by our clients, Zero C. 

We launched the development at the end of last year and because of the superb location (some flats overlook the sea) there was immediate interest from buyers who had been waiting for this opportunity. A number of the units sold off plan and completions have now started to take place.

This coming Saturday we have the Grand Opening. The day starts with the official opening at 11am where Mary King, Sidmouth's 6 time Olympian, will be cutting the ribbon. From 1pm to 4pm we will be showing off the Show Flat and development. Just 11 units out of 29 remain available with prices ranging from £445,000 to £595,000. Why not pop along on Saturday and have a look for yourself?


Michael Dibble
Director
Bradleys Estate Agents

The two ends of the property market

While Francis is away taking a well-deserved break I thought I would give you a feel of the two ends of the property market.  We  have come out of another promising month with some of the strongest sales and exchange figures we have had for some time in the autumn months.

The middle to lower end which is really properties under £650,000 seems to be doing well and in certain parts of the £250,000 and under sector it is really performing well and we have seen some price growth.

However the upper end is still lagging behind, highlighted recently by a property we have just sold.

The property in question was valued at £1.5m in 2008 by 4 agents and each agent over the last 4 years has tried unsuccessfully to achieve a sale.  We were asked to market the house 2 years ago but our valuation was considered too low. We tried again in 2013 and at last the client decided that he would give us his business at the price we have maintained the house was worth.

So after a strong marketing campaign we have finally succeeded in selling the property at a price 45%lower than 4 agents had advised.

In a market where the media  are saying house prices have gone up across the country I am seeing little sign of this in the West country in certain sectors.

We are not trying to knock  fellow competitors as I am sure they will have similar experiences. The main issue is there has not been enough transactions to give good enough comparable evidence to confirm the true value of higher end properties.

We are very fortunate to be able to draw on the experience of  33 managers and staff who like myself spend time studying the markets in their towns, making accurate valuations much easier.

So without trying to be to negative yes houses are selling but accurate valuations hold the key to a successful sale.

Richard Greetham

Director

Bradleys Estate  Agents

So what could go wrong?

I appreciate the whole property industry has had it hard for quite a number of years and we are all due some good news but how much more can we take and how much can we believe? I know most Estate Agents have had their best year in 2013 since a very long time previously and all the signs are good for the next few years. Low mortgage rates set to continue, Help to Buy making it possible for first time buyers to join in, foreign buyers investing in our market and new found confidence in the market has set prices moving upwards in virtually the whole of the country. At Bradleys we have just concluded another month which turned out to be our best month for ages. All sectors of the market had movement and all areas of our business reported good activity.

So what could go wrong? Christmas perhaps? Our annual phenomenon that puts all buyers interest on hold when their thoughts turn to other priorities. Perhaps some inclement weather, let's face it, who would want to go viewing in torrential rain, but what about the Bank of England? they now also have the power to control our market so let's hope we have a mild winter, the Help to Buy does only as it was planned and just reintroduces First Time Buyers to the market place and that Father Christmas brings his joyful effect just to the official 12 Days of Christmas and then the market continues where it currently is. Through all of this, new instructions coming to the market hold the key to what will happen next year. If the supply is slow then prices will rise more quickly, if there is a reasonable amount to satisfy demand then we should just see a sustainable growth which is what everyone wants.

So if you are thinking of selling or know somebody who is then do your research on allAgents, chose the best agent in your area and get on with it because one thing is for certain, prices and the ability to move will never be this good again. To save searching on allAgents just click on www.allagents.co.uk/bradleys-estate-agents/    to read what our customers say about our service and then you will see there is no need to look further than Bradleys with our 33 office coverage from Penzance to Taunton.

If you found this blog useful or you think it would help someone else please feel free to share it or like it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

The Undercover Estate Agent

Did anybody see Dispatches, the Undercover Estate Agent on Channel 4 last night?

Just a week after the allAgents awards where Bradleys were named as the best Sales Estate Agent in the Country for  customer service, we see the worst of the industry named and shamed on National TV. Of course it was nothing to do with the companies and only the fault of some staff who have since been reprimanded. Like anybody would be foolish enough to believe that! 

My daughter Lisa was recently buying in London and she phoned me in despair that one of the companies named last night refused to register her or inform her of new instructions if she did not take their financial services! Now isn't that a great example of them working in their clients best interest? Just think of their customers being deprived of a buyer because she wouldn't take their overpriced mortgage to provide excessive mortgage fees for them. I advised her to contact trading standards but just like everybody else she was not interested in sorting out the agent or the industry she just wanted to buy a house, so didn't bother.

Bradleys operate in sleepy old Devon, Cornwall and Somerset where the practices such as these shown last night are much fewer but it is completely beyond me why Trading Standards and the Ombudsman, now in receipt of the irrefutable evidence don't prosecute those firms and start to sort out the shady practise which tarnishes all of our reputations. Just as a matter of interest has anybody looked up the allAgents reviews for those firms featured?

At Bradleys we consistently deliver the very best service in the UK covering the entire region with 33 offices spanning from Taunton to Penzance. When making one of the biggest decisions of your life be sure you are dealing with a professional you can trust, come to Bradleys, the best in the UK and right on your doorstep. If you think this was helpful why not like it or share it?

Francis Marshall FNAEA

Managing Director

Bradleys Group

Bradleys take GOLD!

Two blogs from me in one day must mean something special has happened and it has!!

The allAgents annual awards have just been announced and we have done very well at Bradleys.

I am thrilled to say Bradleys have been awarded the titles of Best Large Agency nationally and Best Sales Agent nationally.

In the overall national combined awards from all sectors Bradleys were awarded third place and the same place in the 'Best Transparent Agent' award.

 

Pretty much in line with what I said in my previous blog it is essential when choosing an agent to pick one with a good track record and how better than to find an agent which has just been independently judged to have the best sales service in the country and to be the best large agent in the country based on our own customer feedback.

If you need the services of an Estate Agent or know somebody who does then you don't have to look any further as the best in the country is available right here on your doorstep in the South West with 33 offices covering between Penzance and Taunton and the best staff offering the full range of property related services. If you think this was useful to know or know somebody who might find it useful why not like it of share it.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

A bit of advice... Use a good Estate Agent!

After all the fuss about the introduction of 'Help To Buy' I finally heard of a sale last week through Bradleys that was using the scheme.

 

The Bradleys Mortgage Advisors are completely independent and therefore can offer advice on the whole of the market place and are experts on the new scheme which certainly does make it possible for anyone who now has their 5% deposit and enough cash to cover the fees as well, to buy a home up to a value of 600K.

 

A few pundits predicted a house price bubble but it as I advised on this blog several weeks ago, it will just open up the market to more buyers so demand will increase slightly which will start prices rising. The increase in demand is not as strong as others have forecast and there will not be a bubble, just a sustainable recovery in the property market which will be to the whole country's benefit. What does this mean to buyers and sellers? Well if you are selling then price is still critical. Buyers use the portals including allAgents.co.uk to compare prices and where the properties are so easily compared then if the price is too high then you won't get any viewings and the property will remain unsold.

 

If you use a good agent who knows their patch and prices accurately then the market is improving and a buyer can be found reasonably quickly. If you are a buyer then you can see which properties are correctly priced but you need to act quickly, as I have said the market is improving and there is competition for the correctly priced houses so use a good agent who can help you to get everything you need in place and then buy as soon as you are able because prices are only going one way and with mortgage rates looking set to remain low for some time it will never be this cheap to buy again.

 

Probably the single most important bit of advice I could give is use a good Estate Agent, find one with a good track record and one who will be able to help you with all you need as well as just the house purchase. It is essential when you make the biggest purchase of your life that you are able to rely on professional honest advice and where better to find an agent than where their previous customers comments are available to read than at allAgents.co.uk If you think this advice would help others you know why not share it or like it. 

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

 

The good ship Bradleys!

Friday evening saw the Plymouth Boat trip take place. 60 Estate agents travelled right across Bradleys region coming from as far West as Penzance and as far East as Taunton. Everyone embarked at the Mayflower pontoon at 8.00 and enjoyed a 3 hour cruise across Plymouths historic water front and then up the Tamar to above the bridge and back. The food that was served was good, the beer excellent and the company fantastic so all in all a very good night was had by all. I have included a couple of photos which sum up the night and give anyone who was not there a good idea of how it went. It does appear that a requirement of working in Bradleys Rental Central Administration Department is you have to be a good pointer, that is something not many people know as they are largely the Unseen Heroes of Bradleys.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

The Great West Run!

The day is upon us! As I write, several of our negotiators from the Exeter and Exmouth offices are embarking upon the infamous half marathon around the roads of Exeter, along with 3000 other runners.  The race which started at 9am this morning not only gives our team an oppourtunity to show off their athletic abilities but offers a scenic tour of the best Exeter has to offer, from Exe Bridges to Stoke Woods. For more information on the run and for the lastest news visit : http://www.thegreatwestrun.co.uk/

Good Luck Guys!

The 'A Team'

The Inter-Estate Agent football tournament is an annual event organised on behalf of the Exeter Estate Agents Association by our proficient Exeter North Street Manager, Robin Middleton (although sources say he was seen sporting his team shirt backwards at the event). The tournament which has this year ran for its 6^th consecutive event gives Bradleys a chance to boast its competitive edge over 7 other local estate agencies as well as giving the team a chance to prove they play just as hard as they work.

For the sports-minded amongst you, our very own Bradleys ‘A team’ won 5 out of the 6 games played, drawing 1-all in the final against Winkworths. The boys brought home the gold however, triumphing in a tense penalty shoot-out.

The Bradleys troupe went into the tournament with a fantastic set of team players, led by none other than ‘employee of the year’ and former semi- professional footballer, Lewis Rossiter.

Together with a valiant effort as well from the ‘B Team’, Bradleys once again proves it always comes out on top!

In other sporting news, the Bradleys Honiton office turned out to support cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins on his Tour of Britain during stage 6 of the cycle, commencing in Sidmouth. Negotiators from the Honiton office, proudly featured on the front page of the official Tour of Britain website sporting the new Bradleys signs!

Help to Buy is GO!

So finally the lenders are able to offer the Help to Buy scheme and the rules are made clear. Will it help? Yes has to be the answer, but it certainly isn't going to overheat the market or create a bubble. Following on from all of the spin of the last two weeks, the rates announced today for the 95% mortgages are considerably higher than those on offer for an 80% mortgage with the same lenders. If you think back, what is the problem with that? My recollection is that a 95% mortgage always did cost more and the borrowers with a higher deposit always were rewarded with lower rates brought about by safer lending. From my point of view we will just return to a market where the first time buyer can now buy but it won't be easy and I think that is both prudent and correct in terms of a healthy and stable market.

My advice is exactly as it has been over the past months since Help to Buy was announced. If you have the extra deposit it is better to use it and have the lower % mortgage at the now more advantageous rate. The market will pick up with more buyers in a position to buy so don't delay, find the property you are looking for now as it will never be as cheap again as it is today.

The press and internet is full of stories of late night opening in banks to cope with the demand and only yesterday there was talk of a stampede in London, well we will see what transpires over the next month.

And what about Bradleys, how does this affect our customers. We have fully Independent Mortgage Advisors who are ready and able to help with your mortgage regardless of if you want the Help to Buy or not and can guarantee that they can find the best deal for you. Our 33 offices cover from Taunton to Penzance so we are sure to be able to find what you are looking for.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Exciting times are upon us!

Exciting times are upon us. David Cameron has announced that the Help to Buy scheme destined for January 2014 is to be released next week catching the property industry completely unaware. I have be saying for some months that anybody contemplating buying should do so before this scheme is released because we will see a rise in demand due to buyers that were previously excluded from the market now be able to buy. That will certainly create a rise in prices and if you are thinking of buying and do have your 20% deposit available now then you should make the effort to find your property to buy this week, I am sure you will save 1,000's over delaying until next year.

As we draw to the end of September Bradleys have had another good month, generally in line with the recovering market. We will have to wait and see what October brings but I have a very strong suspicion that it could prove to be quite remarkable for sales on two different counts, both thanks to Mr Cameron's announcement at the weekend.

Remember you were advised in advance of the consequences of this scheme at the Bradleys Blog and were given the advice on how to play the market in advance on this page. If you think others would like to receive the insights to the market don't forget to share or like this and feel free to let me know if you have made the advice work to your advantage.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Come on, Wiggo!

The Lib Dem conference brought the help to buy scheme to the front of the national news again last week along with the debate on prices, false bursting bubbles and then the man I affectionately like to call Muppet Cable had another go about Mansion Tax and rounded it all off by stating he needs to halt the army of Estate Agents just because they have created some employment! What does it all mean? From what I can see the market is improving in the South and still needs stimulus in the North, whilst a few areas of London are getting quite excited. The main thing is if property is starting to sell then instructions will be the key to an estate agents future and that is where allAgents (the Trip Advisor of estate agents) will help a lot for those good quality agents who deliver good service and are not afraid to give their customers a chance to say what they think at the end of their experience. If a good review is the most important thing in modern marketing then I am very grateful we have allAgents to prove we are very good and to help win those valuable new instructions. Just check out our reviews on the allagents.co.uk website

 

Another piece of innovative marketing was devised by Panos in our Honiton office last week. When the Tour of Britain sped through Honiton Panos and Chris had improvised some great support material for Bradley Wiggins which the organisers liked so much they elevated the photo to the front page of the tour website. Quite a good plug for Bradleys too so excellent all round.

If you think this is good why don't you 'like it' or 'share it' or even reply and tell me what you think?

Happy 50th Birthday Enid Marshall !

Nick Clegg was on the TV over the weekend being totally evasive to very direct questioning about his and the Muppet Cable's plans for a mansion tax if they get to have any influence after the next election. What he did say that was quite revealing was, whilst all the property commentators are calling for the 'help to buy' scheme to be withdrawn because the market in London is rising quickly right now, the rest of the country still needs the scheme and the government cannot just legislate for London. He was completely aware of all of the stats regarding prices and lending and had obviously been in a meeting to discuss the future of the scheme which looked to me like it will now go ahead. That can only lead to a strengthening of the market and again is why if you are thinking of buying then do it now if you are able because prices will rise.

We are starting to see the market evolve when we sold more than we took on in August and the same is happening again in September. If this continues and stocks drop then we will surely see an increased demand which will force prices up through natural market demand.

I have just come back from attending a meeting of the Property Academy on internet marketing and that has given me great insight on what Bradleys should be doing with Facebook but also was further proof that review sites are what customers listen to in this day and age and I am delighted to confirm we rank so favourably on allAgents.

After the meeting in Bishops Stortford I took Enid to London for the weekend to celebrate her 50th birthday where we met up with our daughter Lisa who now lives in London and all went out on Saturday night to celebrate. Enid is slightly unhappy about being 50 and has kept it low profile so I am only sharing this on my blog as I know nobody will comment!

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Fingers crossed!

After a very busy August, September does seem to have started just a little quieter. It may be there were other distractions around last week but maybe everything just got a little ahead of itself and a few weeks of more normal business levels might be due in September. That said the buyers are still about so long as the property is priced correctly it can be sold reasonably quickly so if you are thinking of moving it is still a very good time.

A busy week for me this week, I have had a meeting with the new Regional Managers today and have some interviews for the vacant Bovey Tracy Managers Role. I am hopeful that we have some very good candidates. Tuesday is Area Meeting day this week meeting with the Eastern Managers in the morning at HO and the Western Managers at the end of the day in Liskeard. I am very much looking forward to that with their latest updates on Market activity. Wednesday I am in HO all day with Directors 1:1 meetings and my meet with Brian in the afternoon. Thursday is in HO again in the morning before driving to Bishops Stortford for a marketing meeting on Friday all about social media so I hope to learn something!

I think the allAgents awards are being announced next week so I have my fingers crossed for that as we have had some great reviews this year.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Awesome August!!

As we move into September does that mean that we leave the summer behind as the evenings draw in and the sales start to slow? Absolutely not. August was the best on record for many years for the property market and at Bradleys we had excellent performance which gave us our best overall month since 2009. Sales were exceptionally good and at Bradleys we work hard with the solicitors to actually get our sales to exchange, something we think we do much better than most other agents. At least that is what the MI shown on Vizzi Home says.

We have 3 new Regional Managers in Bradleys who took up their roles yesterday and I wish them the very best of luck in their new positions. Darren Ellis will run the Easter Offices, Darren Hole Torbay and Mid Devon with Ed Parker covering Cornwall and Plymouth along with the northern part of Mid Devon. I am sure they will bring excellent skills to their new offices to help them perform at an even higher level.

So back to the market. What will the autumn bring? My advice is if you are thinking of buying then get on with it. The market is busy and instructions are scarce so prices will certainly rise over the coming months and right now there is still a decent choice to be had.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Don't even get me going on the lawyers!

As we near the end of the month the excitement mounts to see if we will beat our targets. The big one in question is the exchange target, where we, along with the rest of the industry are being hampered by poorly run lenders who are causing many delays and where apparent incompetence is now bordering negligence on their part. It's no joke when perfectly organised people do and supply everything asked of them and everything is in order and completed quickly, then have to wait weeks for a lender to look at something and then ask for something else and then take more weeks to look at it and then ask for something else again which could all have been asked for in the first place. Once this has gone on for a couple of months or three everyone loses the will to live and somebody pulls out of a sale where both the buyer and seller were, as they used to say, very ready, willing and able. That’s just one part of the story, don't even get me going on the lawyers.

The rest of our targets all look like they have been achieved already so I will wait until Monday to see if we can celebrate a great success or not.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

the 'Brilliance of Bradleys!'

The summer sun continues to shine on the West Country property market. August is traditionally a quiet time for buying and selling in the SW, when most people's thoughts turn to the summer break. This year is proving to be the exception as we continue to see remarkable levels of sales right through our office network from Taunton to Penzance. We have already beaten our months budget target for sales with a week and a half to go! The general improved feel-good factor and confidence in the market is having a strong effect and I can only see that this will continue right through the rest of this year and then into next year as the 'Help To Buy' scheme really takes the market on to another level.

Personally I have been very busy visiting all of the Cornish offices on Monday with their new Regional Manager (Ed Parker) to introduce him to everyone as well as showing him where to park in St Ives in August. Tuesday I was in HO all day and looked at some very exciting marketing options along with plenty of other 1:1 meetings. For the rest of the week I have the opportunity to have a think about the future marketing and how we convey the "Brilliance of Bradleys" to people through the many mediums available to us. I can see very clearly from MI that we perform incredibly strongly at converting instructions to sales and sales to exchanges but are still in the mix for new instructions. We have many new and exciting developments coming which will really see a massive jump in our ability to market and communicate so I am just thinking about how to convey that the best way. Watch this space   

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

On the up!

The nation press and all the statistic offices all say the market is on the up and I am pleased to confirm that from our own performance so far in August I would agree with them. August is traditionally a slower time for sales but this year the first 2 weeks have pretty much kept pace with the previous quarter which was very good. We had our Managers Area Meetings yesterday and the office updates from Penzance to Taunton were positive with most offices reporting serious buyers about but Managers still made the point that price is still critical and we are not yet at a point where sellers can try a bit higher to see what comes. If you want to sell then price the property correctly and there is a buyer for it. Too high and you will be waiting a very long time still.

 

The Eastern Region Meeting was interesting as we had the BBC cameras in the meeting as part of the documentary series they are making on Estate Agents and I was very pleased to see everyone looking their best. Until the program comes out we won't know how we are being relayed as with several hours filming being condensed into a couple of minutes I imagine we could be made to look however the producer wants us to look.

 

I am very proud of our high professional standards and the fact that yesterday I was able to present bottles of bubbly to 2 of our Managers who finished in the top 10 of the allAgents review site customer satisfaction awards was very gratifying, and when you realise that was awarded from 21,000 agents then it goes to prove the high quality of the people who work for Bradleys. With the company awards being announced next month I have my fingers crossed for that as well.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Just come to Bradleys!

So what's been stopping me from writing for a while? Just busy, it's review time and I have been fairly flat out seeing everybody and there have been lots of congratulations to be passed on properly. The market does seem to be on the up but our own performance at Bradleys does appear to be outstripping the market due to our good service and professionalism. This can very clearly be seen when viewing market intelligence which often shows Bradleys in the mix for the instructions but better converters of instructions to sales and even better converters of sales to exchanges. More proof of you get what you pay for in life and if you want a professional who can value your property accurately, achieve the price quoted, or very close to it and then deliver the exchange of contracts just come to Bradleys.

Other things going on right now are: BBC2 have started their filming of us for their new series on Estate Agents to be broadcast next year. The Western Morning News have cottoned on to Bradleys have the most accurate data for property transactions across the West Country so I am giving them regular interviews to let them report prices are up £5!

On Friday evening I hosted a BBQ for the Cornish offices and it was a very fine evening. Tradition required it to rain and that was a certainty with thunder and lightning for good measure. I wasn't very mobile on Saturday so I guess we all had a good time! Apparently we are having a pool party next year.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director

Come on Andy!!

A busy start to the week for me with Directors 6 month reviews and the 2 Area Meetings taking place.

The market is definitely warming up a bit and my main focus is to ensure everyone remains 100% focused on exceptional customer service to make the most of the improving situation. If we make sure we deal with people well with careful attention to detail allowing every customer a little more time to make sure we get their requirements right and give them a service they will be pleased with then we will continue to enjoy good business levels. Up until now most property pundits have been hesitant to mention that we may be starting to see a recovery in the property market but now the sun has come out and Andy Murray has won Wimbledon it's going to happen for definite according to the RICS so thank god for Andy and the sunshine!

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

The price is right?

I am preparing for tomorrow's Board Meeting and it promises to be a very interesting one. Lots of performance analysis, will the stronger sales hold up? when will the exchanges ever take place? how are the conveyancing results going? and future marketing in tune with the changing world and market! We are still getting plenty of instructions but price is deadly critical so that's the challenge for our instruction takers at the minute. If the property is priced correctly it will sell but a few K too much and it is stuck and will eventually sell for less. I think July will be a very important month in our year, if we maintain the current levels of sales then the year will be a good one as I expect the activity will then continue right through. If sales drop off in July then I guess the rest of the year may return to being a bit tougher.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Its all the Lawyers Fault!

On Friday I attended Marketing Live in Bristol. We arrived just after 8.00 so wide awake after the drive up from Cornwall. The event was well supported by the region's leading agents and it was good to hear that the picture and issues are very similar all over the region. Sales are up but exchanges are slow and there was a unanimous condemnation of lawyers for causing the bottleneck! I really do think something has to be done. Sellers want to sell and buyers want to buy but as soon as the agreed sale hits the legal process it comes to a halt and in some cases never gets going again. That is just wrong but it is becoming more common where one side or another pulls out because they have lost the will to live. My advice if you are buying or selling is to spell out your expectation to your solicitor and make sure they work to your timescales. Many facts were shared on Friday and the most interesting was how the shift in research has gone online and away from newspapers along with the amount of time someone researches before deciding to move and where they research. At Bradleys we are right on top of the game with a new website about to launch and great on-line coverage. I guess that's why we are selling well in what is still a challenging market.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Is the buyer still King?

Rightmove have today said that house asking prices have hit an all-time high. That may be so and with a little more raised enthusiasm about the market as a whole I can understand how some vendors and perhaps less experienced agents may become a little carried away!

In Bradleys we are seeing increased numbers of transactions but without exception the only properties selling are the ones with the correct price. There is still plenty of choice for a buyer today and therefore the buyer is still king and if a vendor seriously wants to sell then they must pitch the price correctly as advised by their experienced agent and make the most of high quality marketing through a variety of new ways.

I personally have a very Exeter centred week this week in HO tomorrow before visiting the offices in St Thomas and Exeter in the afternoon. Wednesday I am in HO all day and then again on Thursday HO in the morning to get an update from Jonathan on the progress with our Commercial Department before going back to Exeter for an update on Consumer Protection Regulations from the President of the National Association of Estate Agents.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

The Price is Right!

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have released a press report that says sales are up but prices are down.  I was contacted yesterday by the Western Morning News to ask for my opinion on that report and confirmed it was exactly as I see it at Bradleys right now.

 

We have just experienced our best sales week for years and May was our best month for new sales for years as well. Very interestingly though the only properties that are selling are those where the asking price is right. The market is still showing that to attract a buyer the price must be correct in comparison to all others on the market at the same time and in line with those that have previously sold.

 

This is what we have been telling our vendors for some months now and is the reason we are able to find buyers the property they want when they are in a position to proceed.

 

Have a look at the Western Morning News today to see the full story.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

I'm not going to say I told you so, but...

Remember you read it here first when I forecast that the new Help To Buy scheme would create a demand and also start to increase prices as supply failed to keep up with demand. As predicted the market has started to rally already and with 7 months before the help to buy comes into effect, I strongly urge anyone who is thinking of buying not to wait if you have your deposit right now then take advantage whist there is still good choice in the market and before prices rise.

 

At Bradleys we have just recorded one of our best sales months for several years and long may that continue after such a long period of stagnation in our industry.

 

On Friday I wrote we were celebrating Bradleys 21st Birthday on Friday night. Our BBQ at Head Office went well, the weather was kind and everyone had a very pleasant evening. There was an excited air about the place as many of our best people have already sensed an improvement are looking forward to a good year.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Bradleys - Celebrating 21 years in Estate Agency

It's a very exciting day in Bradleys today. Tomorrow is our 21st Birthday so this evening we are having a 21st Birthday Party at Head Office which will continue right into our birthday tomorrow!

These are exciting times in Bradleys with our updated branding launching properly today  and you could say Bradleys have officially 'come of age'

The market has been good through May and hopefully this evening I will be announcing some good figures to get the party off with a swing. The sun is shining and I am looking forward to seeing everyone from our offices all over Devon and travelling up from Cornwall and down from Somerset.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Very Good Things...

The Bradleys blog this week is just like a bus, nothing for ages then along comes two!

Very good things are going on in the market and in Bradleys. We are having a rebrand and you will have seen that over the last few days the Ladies and Gentlemen of Bradleys have been seen around the streets and lanes of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset swapping our very familiar boards for new ones in our completely revised fresh image. The initial feedback has been brilliant and if you have seen a new board please let me know what you think. Boards are just the start of it and with window cards, details and adverts to follow over the next week, we really hope to have everything done and in place for our 21st birthday party which is taking place a day early on Friday 31st May.

 

No doubt there will be plenty of material there to share!

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Buy Now!

It's been a while since I wrote anything and in fact what I really should say is it's been a while since I had time to write anything, except that would make me look like I am unable to prioritise or I think the blog isn't a priority! Now I am digging a hole! Never mind here is a blog and I will write more regularly again now.

My friend at the bank of England is worried about the help to buy scheme, he says the economy is already on the mend and that with this help for the housing market there could be a boom.

I think he is stating the very obvious and my advice to everyone is exactly the same as I have given my daughter over the weekend. Buy now if you are able, waiting until January to receive the interest free 15% from the Government will put you into the mix with everyone else and there is a reasonably sure bet that there will rapidly become a shortage of houses for sale and prices will rise. If you have 20% deposit now, buy now and a reap the rewards when prices rise. You can always trade up next year and make use of the 15% then. If you do that the government's plan will still be working as that will still be fuelling the economy.

What a great weekend we have just had with lovely weather. It was my birthday on Saturday and we had a BBQ with some friends and family which was really enjoyable and a very welcome break from the building project.

 

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Time to buy?

Just a bit after the event but thought now was the right time for me to comment on the budget!

I think it will be a very positive step for the property market which has been in the doldrums for 6 years now. The deposit guarantees that the government have said they will guarantee are just what is needed to get the market moving and that is in effect for all buyers of new homes now and for buyers of second hand homes from 1st Jan 2014. What will that do to the market? I think it is a certainty that there will be a clamour for property as the end of the year draws near and there will be an inevitable rise in prices. The question is to buy now or sit and wait for the interest free deposit from the Government. My advice is, if you have the deposit then buy now before prices rise, because they will. If you don't have the deposit now then you will have to take your chances in January but the sooner you can secure a property perhaps with a  delayed exchange and completion then the better deal you are likely to achieve.

In Bradleys we have had the Easter Challenge at Head Office and Callington office walked off with a 3.3KG egg as the event winners. I am on holiday for the next 3 days so a bit more building for me! One day the building will all be over and I will be able to go sailing again.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Marathon Man

It's still all going on in the exciting world of property! The new Consumer Protection Regulations which are to replace the Property Misdescription Act soon to be repealed, is all open to interpretation and the Office of Fair trading are looking to get as many Estate Agents as possible into court to get some test cases on which to base future application. Such joy when an Estate Agent must disclose by law anything he considers may be a material fact that would affect a buyers decision making process. Personally I believe it is a very good thing and have insisted at Bradleys if we know of anything that would affect someone's judgement then we disclose it any way. That is the correct and honest way to build relationships and repeat business. Where the problem comes is there is no line and everything is open to interpretation of judgement. Sure as eggs are eggs will be that somebody's opinion of what is relevant will be different to mine. We will have to wait and see.

As another month closes and we move in to March we are still seeing plenty of new instructions coming to the market but the buyers are still in short supply so keen pricing is the key to selling right now. Our customer Services Department is now open until 10.00  in the evening and are doing a great job servicing our customers long after all of our competitors have gone home.

And what about me. I had a really nice day off in Bath yesterday watching Ella run in the Bath Half Marathon, which she completed and raised a good amount of sponsorship for CLIC Sargent. I am in Head Office this morning and going in to see Our Surveyors in Southernhay, Exeter this afternoon.

 

Wednesday is our Monthly Board meeting and I have a feeling there will a lot to discuss this month to try to work out what we are going to do to get the market going in March which is traditionally the best month of the year for sales.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Bonkers!

It's official, Estate agents have gone bonkers! Well that is how I see it anyway. Rightmove report rapidly rising asking prices. Where do asking prices come from? Estate agents who need new instructions of course.

If Rightmove report next month that house sales have picked up and the new instructions are all selling and the new inflated prices then I will have to eat my words but until then I will assume that the increase in asking prices are down to ambitious pricing to attract those valuable new sellers.

It is fair to say that at Bradleys we have been reasonably pleased with our sales made to start 2013 and we have high hopes that the small improvement we are seeing in terms of market activity will continue into the year, but, the sales we are agreeing are all of realistically priced property and the vendors who want to push the valuation up to see if there is interest are finding the answer is a firm no!

The way to sell in the current market is to present the property to the best of its ability, give comprehensive marketing to expose it to the greatest number of buyers as is possible and then above all get the price right. In the days of property portals a house which is too expensive stands out like a sore thumb and will remain unsold.

Rant over, what am I up to this week? I am meeting with our Mortgage advisors tomorrow and they have had a very good start to the year so I am looking forward to that. On Wednesday I am meeting with Brian to update him. On Thursday I am in West Cornwall visiting offices and on Friday I am visiting Liskeard and Callington.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group

Did you miss me?

It's been a very busy time for me in the last week having visited 12 of our offices as well as meetings in Head Office. We are looking at an exciting new Marketing solution and have also had a meeting with an industry analysis company so plenty going on. This coming week is a bit more steady with lots of points to action following all the visits and reviews. That said I am visiting Shaldon and Teignmouth offices this afternoon and am really looking forward to that, as both offices have started the year very strongly with plenty of sales.

The market generally seems ok to me, we are on track for a really excellent new instructions month which I think is down to a combination of a slight improvement in the market combined with some improvements in the way we are operating.

It appears the snow has gone and if we can avoid any flooding over the next week hopefully any weather related obstacles will be removed from our route to getting busier as the year gets going.

Francis Marshall FNAEA
Managing Director
Bradleys Group