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