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Written by rosalind renshaw

Those of a nervous disposition should be forewarned.

And one particular agent, Simon Gerrard, boss of north London’s highly reputable Martyn Gerrard, may want to stock up on sedatives.

Mary Portas, Queen of Shops, is focusing on estate agents in her Secret Shopper programme this Wednesday evening (C4, 9pm), and was given access to his business.

Judging by the blurb, he may have wished she’d done the usual telly thing and gone to Foxtons:

“Mary wants to start a revolution in the world of estate agents.
 
“Buying a house is the most important purchase of our lives, but Mary thinks estate agents have been letting us down in a big way. Last year complaints rocketed by 40% and Mary’s secret cameras show why.

“Estate agents are caught with their trousers down as they pull out all the oldest tricks in the house-selling book. Multiple viewings, misleading particulars and lack of specialist knowledge are among the long list of things that drive us up the wall.

“But Mary wants to stop the rot. She hooks up with north London chain Martyn Gerrard and persuades boss Simon Gerrard to let her loose on his sales team in a bid to make them more customer focused. But, before long, tensions rise as Mary realises that she and Simon have very different views on what good customer service really means.”

Comments

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    Thank you for your comment Peebee.

    I'm new to this website and was wondering why some of the comments were removed?

    • 17 February 2011 16:15 PM
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    Last night's programme was an absolute shambles. Mary obviously has NO idea how a real Estate Agency actually works, if she did, she would know there is much more to this job (which I am proud to say I do) than property particulars. How she thinks that putting what a property DOESN'T have on the sales details will make buyers interested I fail to see. Our job is to work for our vendor however the agency that I work for also offers EXCELLENT customer service to our buyers, afterall, without the buyers we wouldn't have sales. I would love to see Mary working as an Estate Agent for a few days, I'm sure she wouldn't make it past lunchtime.

    • 10 February 2011 09:18 AM
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    URGENT CALL ALL ESTATE AGENTS !!!!

    If there is any agent out there who has sold a house for Mrs Portas in the past, please dig out the old property details and find a way to let people know about it! I would love to know if she practices what she preaches!!!

    here's to hope!!!

    • 10 February 2011 00:24 AM
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    What does Portas know about estate agency? she specialises in retail for heavens sake.

    • 08 February 2011 22:18 PM
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    What does Portas know about estate agency? she specialises in retail for heavens sake.

    • 08 February 2011 22:16 PM
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    Eddie write: Our Vendors are our Clients/Customers, we act for them NOT the Buyers!!

    So what was the agent thinking when he told me to accept the first offer on my property a few years ago as he thought I wouldn't get any higher? I insisted on waiting a little longer and a couple of weeks later got full asking price offer.
    He just wanted to get his commission asap.

    I agree with Eddie, though, that EAs don't act for buyers; I am currently registered with several local agents and emailed one of them yesterday asking if a property was still on the market. Haven't heard a dickie from them since.
    The property is probably under offer and the EA can't be arsed to let me know.

    It seems that for every 'decent' EA, there are still plenty of dodgy ones...

    • 08 February 2011 20:10 PM
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    Trevor, I think you should produce a programme about investigative journalists, much more fun!

    • 08 February 2011 18:24 PM
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    Big T is standing by to speak up for we much maligned
    professionals. Whether I'l get any calls is another matter,
    the media always wants to talk to agents who sound like Arthur Daley after these shows. At least, as 92% of the viewing world has wide-screen now, one thing they can't say is that my face doesn't fit.

    • 08 February 2011 18:04 PM
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    Can't say I'll be watching this, I work a long enough week already!
    As for the public's view of agents, I'll take my feedback from our own clients and customers. We do indeed work for the client but part of that is to keep the purchaser happy and on board.
    If the house buying process was changed and dragged into the 21st Century, a lot of heartbreak would be saved and EAs wouldn't keep bearing the brunt.
    I think in this industry we see the best and worst of people, I just keep reminding myself of those that behave with integrity. They far outweigh the unscrupulous. But that's another programme ....?

    • 08 February 2011 16:42 PM
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    I am very eager to see this, but it is going to do nothing to help our profession. Previous comments posted here already are correct, no estate agents should go on TV, even from the end clips from last weeks show it looks cringe worthy.

    • 08 February 2011 14:22 PM
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    The last television series we agreed to be filmed, having consulted with the vendors for approval, ended up costing me serious money, as the vendors were at logger heads during an extremely messy divorce, and turned on us and claimed no permission had been given....ouch....would seriously advise any other agents considering becoming a Hollywood star to think again!...and perhaps change professions! The old addage''all publicity is good publicity'' certainly doesn't ring true with me!

    • 08 February 2011 14:03 PM
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    I would love to see the day that agents can produce a program on lying, cheating, solicitors; greedy, dishonest vendors; and backhanded, delutional buyers. I know for a fact there are good agents and bad, but at the same time it's the good ones that take get the blame for dealing with the general public who cannot behave themselves.
    Perhaps we could go undercover and record about the unscrupulous practices of bigheaded reporters whose job it is to make people look bad.

    • 08 February 2011 13:51 PM
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    I could have predicted and written all these responses except of course for Rebel's idiot opener. This programme should be compulsory viewing fo all estate agents I'll bet I can also predict what, totally unprompted, the staff come up with. Problem here of course is the buyer may be the customer but the vendor is the client. Therefore sadly estate agents are not actually obligated to give good service to buyers, but to their client sellers. The Estate Agent Act contains plenty that should protect the innocent buyer (if a first timer) for example and provided the agent abides by it, but all too often they only pay lip service to it. I respectfully suggest you all just button up as pre viewing comment is pointless. Just bunker down and save comments for after tomorrow evening. Last week's programme was heralded as the worst customer service (mobile pohones) but I'll bet good money tomorrow run it very close.

    • 08 February 2011 09:29 AM
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    Our Vendors are our Clients/Customers, we act for them NOT the Buyers!!

    • 07 February 2011 20:26 PM
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    I agree Taff, what is the problem with multiple viewings? If it's an occupied house and you are letting random strangers wander round unsupervised then fair enough, but having 3 lots of people view the property within 45 minutes, thats surely not what they are complaining about? For some of my clients it means they only have to clean the house once that week...

    • 07 February 2011 17:35 PM
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    Presumably rebel you know the inside track on this one. Is this going out after 9pm? Is Mary insisting that Martin has a Ting Tong at every viewing or is Mary advising against that as a USP?

    • 07 February 2011 17:24 PM
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    Perhaps I'm being thick but what do they mean by "multiple viewings"? What exactly is the problem?

    I've set the recorder .... I might learn something.

    • 07 February 2011 14:32 PM
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    Rebel

    You just made me snort coffee down my nose! Priceless!

    • 07 February 2011 14:02 PM
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    Oh good some estate agent bashing how very ch4. Next week Gok Wan advises hospitals on cleanleness.

    • 07 February 2011 13:29 PM
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    Although crude comments like the one made by Rebel make TV producers life easy.

    Assume he must be an agent that specialises in the multiple viewings, misleading particulars and lack of specialist knowledge that frustrated Portas.

    'Businesses exist to make profits' how profound.

    • 07 February 2011 12:08 PM
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    Just cannot wait to see this programme!

    I'm so excited!! :-)

    However, estate agents should NEVER agree to appear on any television programme, as history tells us that the producers of these shows never ever want to show estate agents in a good light!!

    Be warned!! (And the proof will be in the pudding when we see this show, I'm sure!).

    • 07 February 2011 11:29 AM
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    Businesses exist to make profit.

    Portas should recognise the difference between customer service and customer felatio.

    • 07 February 2011 09:52 AM
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