Mary Portas: Tabloid TV
Written by Peter Rollings
Thursday, 10 February 2011
I can honestly describe last night's Secret Shopper with Mary Portas as depressing 'tabloid TV'. Firstly though, I have to wonder why her 'victims' would put themselves through that?
She made an obvious point in saying that it's an easy job to do - very true. However, many jobs are easy to do, but difficult to do WELL. Her simplistic views were typical of the vast majority of people who think they can flounce into a job as an Estate Agent. Read my previous blog - Any fool can sell property.
If she had an agency, her buyers might like her, her sellers on the other hand, would not. The vast majority of sellers consider their property to be the best in the area and for an estate agent to tell potential buyers the faults (as they might see them) would go down like a lead balloon.
As for being a tour guide to a stately home, that was utterly ridiculous. The last thing you want is an estate agent rabbiting away in your ear pointing out all the 'features'. You're there - you can see them. Nobody is going to buy a property because it has a big storage cupboard in the bathroom. The real job of an agent is to get potential buyers through the door and then listen to their reactions. Mary Portas could do with a lot more of the listening bit.
On a positive note, I do agree that agents should strive to know as much as they can about the properties they are selling. Nonetheless, buyers looking for a 'gold service', should consider the use of a 'buying agent'.
My final point - Estate Agents are SALESPEOPLE not people who show property. Everyone loves people who just show property but they don't make any sales and therefore our clients (the SELLERS not the BUYERS) will find them to be a complete waste of time.
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written by Oliver Chapple, February 10, 2011
In my view there is marketing and there is selling. Property marketing to me is about getting leads and converting interest either digitally, in person, or using trad media. Viewings are part of that process and allow agents to qualify buyers for their client who is the vendor not the viewer. Properties sold in Australia also do not rely on a "guided tour" of a property. Several people are invited to turn up a the same time to an open day of viewings, which helps promote/create a buyer reaction; the viewers are simply registered by the agents, given a brochure and copies of any home reports, and told to wonder around and they are invited to the auction often held at the property itself. The buyers read all the literature about the property, They turn up at the auction with 10% deposit available as cleared funds, and the property hopefully "sells" under the hammer then and there. The agent in Oz is a property sales facilitator driving willing buyers through the property shopping isle and to the till. The Aussie agents are acting on behalf of the seller not the buyer just like the UK, so it doesn't even matter which country your are in, homes sell themselves. I do think however that many vendors can point out the "hidden" features and benefits or a property in a way the agents cannot, so I prefer to be present during viewings, I also prefer the vendor to be present when I am viewing as I can ask questions I know the agent will not either know or tell me the right answer to. All property sales need closure and this is best done by negotiating professionals. Mary Portas simply doesn't appreciate the processes in estate agency, and why would she as she sells fashion!
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written by Michael Burkmar, February 10, 2011
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written by James Cole, February 11, 2011
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written by Sam Coates, February 14, 2011
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written by Roydon weekes, March 02, 2011
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There are a large number of companies out there who give the good Estate Agents a very bad and name and I can say that from a Landlords perspective as well as from a suppliers.