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karen von speyr

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my expertise in the industry

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Strikes me (excuse the pun) that online agents who pitch on price and fee had better spend more time researching the market to ensure the price isn't wholly unrealistic to start off with... oh, wait! Of course it doesn't matter if they price too high as they've had their money up front anyway... Sucks to be an online vendor.

From: karen von speyr 18 September 2020 11:06 AM

Sorry but what? All this actually means is that if you don't price your properties correctly in the first place then you risk damaging their chances of selling in the longer term because no one wants something that no one else wants... let that be a lesson to the listers who pitch on price and fee rather than service and experience but don't try to make this into some kind of complicated science for the uninitiated - and seriously, how helpful is it to suggest to vendors they are better holding out for an unrealistic price?

From: karen von speyr 18 September 2020 11:03 AM

As our agency insists that all staff must be qualified for membership of NAEA or ARLA (and until they are, are described as apprentices) I am extremely happy to see this tightening up of regulations. Nothing to fear if your agency has always operated to the highest possible standards. Plenty to fear if you're a marketing agency / property platform masquerading as an estate agency, with self-employed workers let loose to sell listing packages without competency / knowledge / experience / longevity in the local marketplace or indeed any industry-recognised professional qualifications. Bring it on.

From: karen von speyr 01 July 2020 15:15 PM

So tired of hearing this constant bigging-up of a way of conducting agency that simply cannot look after clients' best interests and is only designed to make front-end income. Especially in a tough marketplace as furlough is discontinued and job losses start to bite, let alone a second lockdown, it's easy to list new stock now, and to offer extended terms of engagement (that only really stop the vendor from changing minds when they realise you're pants) especially if only charging a fraction of those established and successful local agents you're up against, but the only thing that proves proper measurable achievement and success for clients is Sold and Let boards. And none of the online agents has ever proved themselves on the only basis that counts. Are your number of sales at least 85% of your number of instructions on an annual basis? No? Then you're not even in the running for 'good enough'. In really good years (eg 2006, 2009, 2015) our agency has sold as much as 110% listed stock that year, and that's with the highest number of instructions (based on volume sales) compared with our local competitors. Until you can start boasting of those kind of stats just pipe down, pipsqueak.

From: karen von speyr 17 June 2020 10:49 AM

This isn't news, just a word for word supplied press release. Lazy journalism. Tsk. "Jervis is back.... one of the sector's biggest names... phenomenal partner... Exciting times..." Goodness, I have to wonder quite how has the industry managed without him. Yawn.

From: karen von speyr 08 June 2020 10:22 AM

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