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Tony Sinclair
Tony Sinclair
LPA
3542  Profile Views

About Me

Estate Agent, Lister Valuer & Property Management Services

my expertise in the industry

USA, Spain & UK

Tony's Recent Activity

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 27 August 2019 08:27 AM

Tony Sinclair
Woe is me... Another Prediction manifesting into reality. Yopa continues to fall into disarray. Many lucrative areas suspended due to lack of agents due to substandard management who micromanage agents when they are supposed to be self-employed. New agents are put through the training mill so they can chase rainbows for a while until they realize they have to honor the last agent's viewings etc for free because the last agent has already been paid and 20p per mile is no compensation for time. Throwing good money after bad in any situation always ends up in tears and £16 Million funding at Yopa will simply not cut it unless spent on brain transplants for those streamlining the company and losing the best people (including agents) who originally started establishing the brand as a trusted one with great customer service. I will repeat my Prediction once more. Yopa will not survive in 2020 AD. It will either crash and burn or be swallowed up by a larger company like PB et al for its database. As the old saying goes.. 'If it's not broke don't fix it'. Well, Yopa wasn't broken but they tried to fix it anyway. The same old story behind many failed but once viable businesses. Greed, Greed and more Greed. Investors scream for more profits. Directors scream at top management who pass the pressure down to regional management who in then passes pressure on to the agents by demanding impossible targets despite Brexit concerns and a slow market. Agents get fed up of being micromanaged and sometimes bullied because it starts affecting their business. They quit usually within 6 months or less and are replaced with other dupes who are conned into the belief of self-employment so Yopa doesn't have to pay insurance stamps, Tax and other fees normally due for employers. It's not rocket science. The best agents who tried the online hybrids have been and gone many moons ago so only less experienced agents are green enough to fall for promised riches. A vicious circle in ever decreasing circles and a tactic that will end in tears next year.

From: Tony Sinclair 22 August 2019 09:24 AM

Tony Sinclair
I keep hearing the same old echoes ringing around my cavern of solitude. It's Brexit's fault. It's Brexit Uncertainty. Deal or no deal. Bojo will fix it or Bojo won't. It woz Brexit that done it. Etc Etc Etc. The Blame Game my friends, is the first step on the road to bankruptcy. It sorts the wheat from the chaff. A business with weak leadership will sit tight and wait out the storm in a futile hope that problems will miraculously solve themselves, whereas a strong leader will grab the ship's wheel and steer out of the storm by making changes and adapting to the new conditions and environment. The Blame Game is a sign of weakness and a precursor for failure. And so it came to pass that I blew the dust from my crystal ball for a quick peek into the immediate future so we won't have to listen to the wishful thinking and self-denial of struggling hybrid agencies. As I peek into my crystal ball, the mists begin to clear. I see a great storm on the horizon for the hybrid estate agent market in 2020 AD. A storm of epic proportions that most will not weather. The few that do will be so badly damaged they will need to limp back to port and rethink the blueprint. PB is streamlining by dumping it's wild ambitions for International Conquest and will focus on it's UK domestic market where it all began. This tactic alone will finish off some smaller hybrids who don't have the deep pockets of PB et al. But money is not the problem nor the answer as they will realize later much to their chagrin. The main pretender Yopa likewise is losing ground. Some key management staff has left which has started a domino effect of decline as it descends from good customer service to incompetence resulting in angry customers jumping the sinking ship almost as fast as their agents, the beating heart of any estate agencies online or nay. Yopa claims to be the 2nd largest hybrid behind PB but in reality, it only has a very small share of the market compared to PB. Yopa will not survive in 2020 AD. It will either fold or be swallowed up by PB or a larger company because like others they either cannot see the problem or they are ignoring it. Yet the answer is there hidden in plain sight for all to see. The final demise of the Online Agent will not be caused by lack of money or lack of effort or lack of service although they are all supporting factors. It will come because of lack of good field agents, the lifeblood of the property industry, the hard working people who do the donkey work for little appreciation and even lesser money. In real-time we have seen the best agents dip a toe into the hybrid market for promised riches that never came for the greatest majority. Moral quickly ebbs away when they realize they have been duped with the dangling carrot of a self-employed lucrative business owner so they can live a lifestyle of choice. But alas and alack, this ruse is quickly dashed when they find out they are being micromanaged and therefore treated as an employee while the agent pays for everything an employer should be paying for. The best agents have already discovered that the hybrid online agency dream is not paved with gold and success. It is morphing into a nightmare paved with debt. If any of them are going to survive, they will have to correct the fatal flaws in the blueprint. Instead of throwing good money into mass promotional advertising, they should take a long hard honest look at how they are treating and what they are paying their own staff. If you want to keep the best you have to pay the best money. Movers and shakers do not rest their hats where there is no money to be made. It's not rocket science but where shareholders are involved, it's a moot point. They want the lion's share while those who made it for them are left to fight over the breadcrumbs. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. I also see a big change coming to the housing market in mid-2020 AD which will shake it to its foundations and it will not bode well for Online Agencies in general. I commend my metaphysical findings to you and your common sense.

From: Tony Sinclair 17 August 2019 08:16 AM

Tony Sinclair
Alas and alack... Cracks in Hybrid agent land are turning into fissures. A great storm is gathering on the horizon as a seismic eruption of epic proportions prepares to unleash itself across the hybrid sector in 2020 AD. The Brexit fiasco has started to sort the wheat from the chaff. Fundamental yet simple flaws in the system are still being ignored. Agents who venture into the online world quickly realize there is no promised pot of gold at the end of the rainbow after all. Financially battered, bruised and exhausted they return to the safe cocoon of the traditional agent structure which has stood the test of time. The turnover of staff and agents is increasing to mind-boggling heights. Recruitment companies are having a bonanza as they feed on the carnage like hungry vultures. Guileless dreamers are churned through the online machine and spit out onto the scrap heap of broken dreams. Tis' not only the agents who suffer either. What about the more important customers who's patience is wearing thin because of an endless stream of new agents who replace the last one and the one before that? The same old story is repeated. They start out eager and excited at first. They take the plunge into Self Employment to be their own boss and be free to do things their way. Until they discover they are being micromanaged and treated as an employee. That's when the smiles disappear and turn into frowns and frustration as management push for targets that are, to say the least unrealistic. We don't need a crystal ball to see what is going on. It looks like most prospective sellers and buyers are waiting for the Brexit outcome in October when traditionally people start to get their Xmas heads on and the market goes into hibernation until Spring. In other words, it could be argued that the property 2019 season has been a washout so to speak. So riddle me this... Why the aggressive recruitment drive for online agents who indeed are getting younger and less experienced? Are they trying to stage a comeback or simply looking for fodder to keep them afloat until things pick up? As the mists of 2020 AD begin to clear, the online agent carnage will be there for all to see and most of the so-called 'Top Ten' agencies will be nothing than a whisper on the wind because of their own folly. Treating field agents with disrespect, manipulation and using them as suckers only serves to further exhaust the already dwindling pool of would be hybrid agents as more tales of woe makes common sense dawn on them. And without them, the whole hybrid shebang will collapse like a house of cards and let the domino effect begin. I, therefore, Predict that come 2020 AD we will see a tsunami of failed hybrids as the fall one by one until a mere handful are left to fight each other for survival. Talk and rumors about mergers will be rife. New hybrid models will appear and disappear because the same fundamental mistakes will be ignored. Life, destiny, and fate are mysterious bedfellows. While the masses have been distracting arguments about who will win the battle between high street and online agencies, a different phenomenon is manifesting into reality. Something we can already see. Something so simple the online people failed to acknowledge it could ever happen... Yes my friends, they simply cannot sucker anyone of decent caliber into working for them as more discarded agents spread their stories of dissent. Working long hours for less money than working in a burger joint. After all, how can a would-be online property magnate cut the mustard when their business is interfered with by micromanagement, pressure and unreachable targets dreamed up fairyland? Online agents should brace themselves because the storm upon the horizon is growing and getting darker. The ground is beginning to rumble as a warning to be heeded or ignored at thy peril.

From: Tony Sinclair 02 July 2019 09:17 AM

Tony Sinclair
Future News - The Fate Of The Online Hybrids And so it came to pass that the behemoth known as Purplish Bricks pulled out of its international ambitions to reinvent itself and concentrate fully on it's original UK base. A deep pocket ad campaign onslaught descended like a plague across the land. One by one the young pretenders in the hybrid agency world began to succumb as the Purple behemoth trampled them underfoot. The property season of 2020 AD saw the top ten challengers whittled down to less than a handful who tore each other to pieces in a desperate fight for survival and coveted second place. But alas and alack, it would all be in vain. While they fought and tore pieces out of each other, their resources became meager and exhausted while the Purple behemoth conquered even more of the Online market from the current majority 60% margin to a massive lead of in the mid to high 80% region. But as always, there are obstacles that must be overcome to fulfill a precognitive future event. In this case, the acrimonious war between Online Hybrid Agencies had already taken a toll on other aspects as well. One that even the return of the prodigal PB had overlooked. Agents who had been lured into the online hybrid experiment with promises of fortune and success were short on the ground because the more experienced had already been churned through the mill. "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me" they cried and lamented. And so once again it came to pass that the experienced Estate Agents were gradually replaced with younger and indeed more naive dreamers of wealth, Health & Happiness. Like their predecessors, they started off eager, keen and excited until the novelty wears off when most discover they are actually earning less than a minimum wage. They often quip some days they could earn more at Mac Donald's. Here is wisdom for those wise enough to hear it. A hybrid estate agent is all but a self-employed one with all the responsibilities and ongoing investment needed. Yet they must also be prepared to be treated as an employee, micromanaged and ever increasingly pressurized to meet targets as the company itself clutches at straws. With Brexit looming on the horizon and the uncertainty of the aftermath, ask yourself a sensible question... Would you really want to risk such a venture amidst the current climate and turmoil? Many agents have ventured into the new online experiment since it's birth in 2012 AD. The majority left financially smarting and returned to traditional property world, swapping financial uncertainty for a secure regular wage salary. Even if only to see how the future pans out for the online platform. Beyond 2020 AD the details become too vague to see. However, this is not the end of the story because, beyond this struggle for change and cheaper fees, another model is introduced. A platform that establishes itself somewhere between the old guard High Street and Online Hybrid agencies. A Goldilocks model if you will. Not too cheap and not too expensive. Not quite a High Street or online hybrid model but something in between with a strong technology involvement. Vague as it may be at this moment in time, whatever it is, both side of the property will be shaken to the foundations.

From: Tony Sinclair 27 June 2019 08:36 AM

Tony Sinclair
Riddle Me This... Who's Really To Blame For The Brexit Mess? When we look at the big picture, it could be concluded that the whole Brexit shebang was hijacked from day one by over-ambitious bumbling buffoons masquerading as politicians. Entities who don't give a monkey's about the country and are oblivious to the damage and suffering they have caused across the board. Not to mention making Britain look foolish in the eyes of the world by showing it is an island race led by donkeys. It makes me wonder if any country would want to deal with what is left of the UK after the Brexit circus is over and the clowns in suits have taken their final bow. In fact we may even be a basket case banana republic by the time they have finished with us. The fallout from this Brexit fiasco has come at a time when the global economy is shaky with much uncertainty around the world. A time when trade wars are taking the global economy to the brink of the abyss. Yet while others brace themselves, here we are stuck in a helpless limbo. Dangling powerlessly like Bojo Boris stuck on a zip line during the Olympics. Another embarrassing sight for the world to behold and one that still makes me squirm in embarrassment. But alas and alack, the shenanigans continue and so does the madness because it's all about climbing the political power ladder and nothing to do with Brexit or in the interest of people. Now the poor downtrodden British public is about to have another freak show rammed down their throats in the guise of a Leadership challenge by a ragtag bunch of muppets suffering delusions of grandeur. None of whom could run a bath let alone a country. Hence why this Brexit freak show keeps dragging on and on and on and on. Furthermore, none have any solutions or answers or loyalty. If they had, we would have left the EU months ago. Not one of them has been forthcoming about what they plan to do in order to heal the country. Why? Because they haven't got a clue. They are blinkered to everything except climbing the career ladder and the country is suffering from their incompetence wishful thinking. First, it was March then April then May but the only thing promised to leave the EU in May was Theresa and even that was put back until June while Brexit is kicked into the long grass once again until October. (Which year is not yet certain) Let's be realistic here. If the public continues to stick their heads in the sand until October, methinks many smaller agents will indeed go under and online Hybrid agencies will struggle to keep local agents. After all, they are self-employed and if they not earning they will have to find alternative income. Some have already rejected their foray into the hybrid world of promised riches and returned to the safety of their old High Street haunts for a regular salary. They say 'until things pick up' but deep down they know it probably won't happen at least for some time yet and they will opt for the safety of a regular wage. Ironic isn't it? All the Hoo-Ha about the long term survival of online hybrid agencies may collapse not because of market share problems but because they can't keep hold of local property agents who they are fully dependent on. So who is to blame for the current state of Britain? The bumbling incompetent clowns who have infiltrated our government or the British public for allowing them to create what can now only be described as a circus. Meanwhile, the property market and other industries will continue to stagnate until October and beyond unless the masses get tired of waiting for Brexit and start moving on with their plans. Let the political backstabbing commence and hope this fiasco will soon come to an end.

From: Tony Sinclair 04 June 2019 07:33 AM

Tony Sinclair
Brexit this and Brexit that! Try Greed, Greed and more bloody Greed. Not just Foxton's either, The London Property Market, in general, has finally reached what has been predicted for many moons. It's finally reached the point of Peak Profit where it's outpriced itself and driving investors to look outside the London greed trap where they can buy a lot more property for their money. I wonder what a 9 Bedroom ex hotel in need of a little refurbishment near the promenade would cost in London? I would wager it would cost a lot more than my price of £100K. I'm based in the North West on the Fylde Coast Blackpool, Preston, Lytham St Annes, etc. I've been fielding an increasing amount of inquiries from Southern investors this year. Especially for the Blackpool area which is undergoing massive regeneration after years of decline. But alas and alack, most fall at the first hurdle because they do not have local knowledge. For instance, being a seaside resort, planning permissions for developers is not as straight forward as they originally thought unless they are familiar with restricted zones and so on. So riddle me this. Brexit has affected other UK industries besides the Property Market but things still tick over in the North instead of almost coming to a grinding halt as we see in London region. Maybe it's because a growing number of vendors are dropping their prices to suit the market and sell faster. After all, it's the public who drive prices up and down not estate agents. So if Foxton's want to keep denying public opinions and trends, then the future does not bode well for them either. The London property market may be a law unto itself, but times they are a changing and sooner or later it will have to fall in line with the rest of the country or deal with the consequences.

From: Tony Sinclair 22 May 2019 07:55 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 16 January 2019 17:42 PM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 16 January 2019 11:45 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 10 January 2019 07:29 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 24 December 2018 08:37 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 18 December 2018 10:49 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 13 December 2018 20:01 PM

Tony Sinclair
Here we go again. No sooner does a company expand, it sets out on the the road of 'Greed, Greed and more Greed to satisfy the demands of it's greed ridden investors. And that my friends, is when 'creative advertising' et al begins. A PC term for lying, misleading and duping would be customers. Nobody here needs me or anyone else to tell them where this destructive road leads to because we have all seen it many times with the likes of Tesco or in property terms Purplish Bricks who are constantly having their TV ads challenged by the advertising authorities. The key word being 'Constantly' meaning they are either defiant, dumb or simply do not give a monkeys because they are so delusional they think they are too big to be pushed around or indeed to fail. What these company killing wannabee whiz kid advertising geniuses have not cottoned on to yet, is the fact that every time a story like this leaks out into the public domain it creates the great reputation killer.... Public Mistrust. Now Emoov has taken it's first dangerous step onto the same path of eventual destruction unless common sense and fair play prevail. This is another damaging blow to the the Online Estate Agencies. In fact I'm waiting for the Conspiracy Theorists to start peddling stories about a Hidden Agenda to destroy them. It's ironic that the decades old bad reputation of greedy High Street agents played a major part in the meteoric rise of the cheaper Hybrid agencies. But when the latter start playing the same greed ridden shenanigans I think we can all safely say that the property industry in general is now entering unknown territory. Especially with Brexit around the corner. It makes me wonder if there is either a big meltdown on the horizon for Traditional and Hybrid agencies alike because of a 'Third Option' that is about to be created. By that, I mean new model that cuts out the middle men altogether. It's something I've mentioned before in another post and indeed, I think there is a great possibility that it could well happen in 2019 AD. Conclusion? The downtrodden consumer has had enough of being duped, misled and robbed by dishonest traders and big business. They are already becoming more consumer savvy and aware of underhand advertising tactics. But here's the kicker... Instead of returning to good old fashioned honest trading where a good product will sell itself by reputation, these little low IQ advertising whiz kids and indeed the company bigwigs who employ and encourage them would rather dream up even more misleading underhand schemes and trickery than listen to the public and satisfy their needs. Once again, delusional thinking has set in over the past few decades. It's created a bizarre culture of greed and dishonest tactics in order to keep shareholders and investors satisfied instead of the consuming public who will ultimately decide their fate. Yes my friends, just like they did and indeed still are doing with the broader spectrum of High Street names who are disappearing faster than a banker can steal your money. 2019? Bring it on because things are about to get very interesting. Especially in the Property Industry. (mark my words because my long term forecasts are more often right than wrong)

From: Tony Sinclair 26 September 2018 08:59 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 05 September 2018 15:23 PM

Tony Sinclair
I will make one of my 'Out There' Predictions where most folks chuckle until they manifest into reality.. Like the 2008 and crash for instance... to name only one. In 2019 AD, Rightmove will enter a do or die phase caused new competition from hybrid portals who are more user friendly and affordable. One of which will rise from seemingly nowhere to become a serious competitor. Let's say it's more of a 'new concept. than an actual company per se. Plus technology not yet available will play a major part. That's when Rightmove will shock the industry and rattle it's very foundations with a massive groundbreaking change. It will have no choice because it will simply will not be able to compete in it's present state or form. And so it will come to pass that Rightmove will attempt to capitalise on it's name and database before it's too late by launching a new model. It will reinvent itself by opening up it's portal to the property selling Public leaving the 'Agent Only' portals to slog it out between themselves for the empty Property Portal Throne. Whether they will they be wasting time and resources on this distraction is another story for another day. This move by Rightmove will have a serious domino effect on the industry in general. Especially if it works and turns around it's ailing fortunes. The answer to that my friends is blowing in the wind.. so will remain a secret for the time being. Now before you laugh and mock at my Future insight, think deeply first and partake of logic and wisdom because the world is changing and changing fast. Therefore while agents and the like preach about Rightmove et al having to update and change in order to stay at the top, maybe they should look to put their own houses in order first for when those changes come. Because if something like this happens... which it will... Estate Agencies Hybrid or otherwise will suddenly become less of a necessity to the public. Especially when said public can suddenly cut out the middle man and save money while having more control over the sale of their property. So you see my friends, never underestimate the speed and effectiveness of new technology and a new breed of ambitious entities who are more tech savvy than we can ever hope to be. And never laugh or mock something that could possibly happen in the future just because it sounds uncomfortable to you. Remember, this. Some of us can see what you cannot see yet, so take it onboard whether you believe it or nay because Knowledge is Power and you never know when you may need it...

From: Tony Sinclair 31 August 2018 08:35 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 04 May 2018 08:35 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 20 April 2018 08:05 AM

Tony Sinclair

From: Tony Sinclair 10 April 2018 12:41 PM

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