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Paul Robertson
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Paul Robertson
Shut the doors to my estate agency business after 16 years and never felt happier, have a complete new business earning double I was as am estate agent with no overheads, rent, zoopla, rightmove, HMRC AML to deal with. Best move I ever made as I sit here in my home office listening to music while I work at double the pay. Loving life

From: Paul Robertson 17 February 2022 12:37 PM

Paul Robertson
Paul I am fully aware of the benefits of using a knowledgeable local agent compared to a hybrid and also to make vendors aware that it is not the fee that is important but the sale price one will get for their home using an agent that cares about their actual sale price. However it is not just my estate agency v hybrid, in our town we have 6 well run and technological advanced estate agents, now if one reduces their fees it puts pressure on the rest to follow suit, why? because we end up losing to that agent that has now reduced their price, this is the race to the bottom, if one agent panics and reduces their fee then you are guaranteed other will follow, if you hold firm you end up being the most expensive and yes you may with 2/3 out of 10 but that does not sustain a business.

From: Paul Robertson 25 November 2021 08:44 AM

Paul Robertson
Are you for real or just plain ignorant or know nothing about business? As an estate agent for 25 years, running my own estate agency for 15 years I totally understand and sympathise with this former business owner. We provide a high street service which means high street costs and outgoings, to manage such outgoings (like every business) we need a certain amount of revenue that we need to generate, without that revenue business cannot operate. If I operate from a bedroom or a garden shed then i would need less revenue to operate as my outgoings are much less. I also have employee wages, rent, heating, electric, fuel, pensions, HMRC compliance, insurances to cover which all take a certain amount of money to cover. How do you expect any business to run if a hybrid with a "local agent" working from home comes in and does a fixed fee of £999 (which includes vat) undercuts you by a few hundred pounds? Do you think in this economy with fuel increases, household increases and debt rising a client cares if you will call him daily or weekly if he/she can save a few hundred pounds by going with an hybrid agency that advertises on the same portal sites at much less cost because there is no over heads. Not every estate agent is in an affluent geographical area or in an area that does not care about how much it costs to sell a property. After 25 years of estate agency I am also getting out and doing another professional that will make me alot better off without the hassle or race to the bottom on fees. Show some respect

From: Paul Robertson 25 November 2021 08:17 AM

Paul Robertson
Cold calling is not an option Looking up phone books is no longer an option Targeting specific properties on for sale is no longer an option You are correct in that as an estate agent for 20 years I am leaving in the next couple of months on a new business venture that will make me double than what I am making now without all the red tape, AML obligations and extortionate portal fees. Its not that companies don't want to pay a good salary but as you mentioned fees have been reduced dramatically to compete with the hybrids and this is the killer nail.

From: Paul Robertson 03 November 2021 09:03 AM

Paul Robertson
Why does it matter how well the housing market is doing, the issue is not selling houses, the issue is how much agents now charge that make it no longer viable to continue as a business. As stated previously on EstateAgencyToday I am getting out of the business after 20 years because I make less now that I did 20 years ago with my fees now in line with the hybrids (or slightly below to try and win the instruction) yet my expenditure for the portals, rent etc has gone through the roof. Maybe do a bit of actual journalism and start asking WHY a lot of agents are going to the wall when the housing market is buoyant, it is because they are not winning enough instructions or the fees they are making is no longer enough to survive on. We have a state of the art website that competes agains the best hybrid websites, portals, accompanied viewings, videos etc but the usual scenario is the seller states they can sell their house for £999 and be on zoopla and rightmove too so why pay more than what they need to. Yes some sellers will still go with you as they know the service you provide as a high street agent and being their is a welcome addition and will pay for this but with the way the economy is, fuel, gas/electric all going through the roof if a seller things they can save £500-1000 on sales fee they are going to take it. Unless you have really high volume of take ones you cannot survive on a fee below £999 and this is the problem and issue. As I say I am leaving the industry in the next few months and can't wait to see the back of it.

From: Paul Robertson 03 November 2021 08:37 AM

Paul Robertson
Thanks Freedom I am looking forward to it, the hybrids here are on average £999 so to survive we had no option to go slightly under this due to Geographic's and population size. We were always a % previously but again when your fighting against a £999 fee and depending on where you are based money talks even when you explain to sellers that they could be losing on the sale price depending on the agent they just don't get it. Sorry, yes I just noticed, I am not retiring lol, I have just created a better business in another field that works for me and makes me more money :)

From: Paul Robertson 14 October 2021 09:45 AM

Paul Robertson
Totally agree, unlike other countries that respect and trust their real estate agents and happy to pay the fee's for some reason we are rated among traffic wardens (no disrespect to traffic wardens) and the public think estate agents are out to screw them. As mentioned I have never had ONE complaint made against me in 20 years yet sometimes the way I am spoken to when giving a FREE valuation is sometimes sit there and wander what the hell am I doing having to try and justify my worth.

From: Paul Robertson 14 October 2021 09:40 AM

Paul Robertson
After 20 years and not one complaint against my name I am thankfully leaving the industry within the next few months. I don't mind the extra competition, it can be healthy, however I now make less than what I did 20 years ago, as a director I have far more responsibilities and costs that just make estate agency no longer viable. The general public now want to use the online estate agents as a bargaining tool to cut fees and I now average £800 per property which is no longer viable as where I am in a small town we have a smaller population than major cities, 5 estate agents not including the hybrid estate agents that are also playing there part in the town (the hybrids are notorious for over valuing to gain instructions then dropping price 6 weeks later to the correct value and I will simply not lie to gain instructions). So I have created a new Ltd company as a wedding videographer and make double than what I do as an estate agent with no HMRC AML money laundering obligations to worry about, NO zoopla costs, No rightmove costs, No letting web costs, Not to mention rent to pay, gas and electricity, insurances etc to run a high street office not to mention web design maintenance and costs and car running costs. My outgoings average £40,000 a year for estate agency, my videography business averages £2700 a year so I know which one I am choosing. For the first time in years I am looking forward to a brighter future without estate agency and not worrying about incoming or outgoings. The UK is now on a run on a "race to the bottom" mentality and it's time to get off. Good luck to all those that stay in it, hot off to you all, I have just had enough and life is too short.

From: Paul Robertson 14 October 2021 08:33 AM

Paul Robertson
What utter nonsense We are on a race to the bottom when it comes to our fees, I make less now than I did 15 years ago and our prices have to try and match the cheaper hybrids just to compete in an economy that is completely uncertain. In a small town (and there is plenty of them) you cant get away with charging 1-1.5% we are now fixed fee and what we make now just keeps the office running and myself and partner on a below average wage. Estate agents are finding hard to recruit because more experienced estate agents like myself are now planning to go and do something else without the the worry of HMRC AML, OMBUDSMANS and clients that want everything for nothing. Anyone wanting to get into estate agency I would do my best to put them off., the writer in one hands say the fees are great being self employed agent and then in the last paragraph states that companies need to have a hard look at what they are offering to try and keep good agents though the difficult years ahead. The internet has changed everything, no one cares about local business if a hybrid agency registered company in Manchester can plant one "local" person anywhere in Scotland or England and call them local experts. I can't wait to get out of the business within the next 12 months and gladly see the back of it. Whoever wrote this article doesn't know what he is talking about,

From: Paul Robertson 21 July 2021 09:06 AM

Paul Robertson
This is really nothing to boast about, as an estate agent for 20 years we now charge less than what we did 15 years ago while prices for rightmove/zoopla etc have gone through the roof. Not to mention the extra burden with HMRC AML obligations and admin. The online agents have driven down prices and we have to try and match as close to possible for us to survive and compete, charging higher percentages in big cities may still work but in the smaller downs etc. We used to charge for our drone, virtual tour videos etc, now they come as standard just to give us a competitive edge. After 20 years in the business I will be finished with estate agency within the next 12 months, I can earn more doing other things without all the hassle and responsibility that comes with estate agency.

From: Paul Robertson 09 June 2021 08:40 AM

Paul Robertson
Totally agree Nicola, trying to run a business, stay compliant, compete with the online agents, HMRC Supervision and training and now this, think for me (I am 43) a career change will soon be on the way. Huge regulation for now very little reward.

From: Paul Robertson 29 October 2020 10:16 AM

Paul Robertson
As an estate agent who has been practising for over 20 years this will be the last straw for me, in over 20 years I have never had one complaint, I am a Member of the NAEA, regulated, fully compliant with HMRC AML SUPERVISION and been running my own estate agency for over 14 years in a small town that has approximately 5 other estate agents, with brexit, covid and all estate agents fighting for the business (not including competing with the hybrids) our fees have not increased and I am poorer now than I was 14 years ago. Now they want me to go and do more exams and more regulation that will no doubt cost more money including yearly costs it really isn't worth it for me anymore and I no longer enjoy estate agency due to the constant worry of not just the regulation but the fact its a race to the bottom on everything. We had an HMRC AML inspection that we passed with no issues but the worry was alot for very little reward now. I have started my own video and marketing company and I will have no worries with all the regulation and will just have to submit my accounts every year and have public liability insurance, all income will then be my own and I wont have to worry about all this new regulation. Once I have built up this new company within the next 12-24 months I will give up estate agency for good and will be glad to see the back of it.

From: Paul Robertson 29 October 2020 09:33 AM

Paul Robertson
Totally agree Charles The problem is now we have a culture of “cheapness” where there is a race to the bottom on fees but red tape is increasing meaning good honest integrity goes out of the window as you are now scraping to make a living I find a lot of vendors want estate agency on the cheap then grumble because they are not getting the service they were expecting, if agents charged 6% on Sales fees and made a decent living they would work flat out for that client knowing they are getting paid well at the end of the sale. I know agents that have taken sales fees of £600 just to beat the hybrids, these agents have their minds on how they are going to pay their bills at the end of the day not on how best to serve their client

From: Paul Robertson 01 July 2020 08:30 AM

Paul Robertson
YOPA are an utter disgrace, while in lockdown we have adhered to the rules and yet they advise clients to put properties onto the market during a virus pandemic just to get a headline like this.

From: Paul Robertson 18 June 2020 09:47 AM

Paul Robertson
Totally agree Sharon Sellers and buyers are still worried about this virus and exposure to it, they will Not wanted strangers into their property and possibly bringing in the virus This is a goverment that has opened up the economy when the uk has the highest deaths in Europe and people are still dying. They are two/weeks too quick and a second spike will send us back to square one

From: Paul Robertson 12 May 2020 22:20 PM

Paul Robertson
As an estate agent the biggest hurdle is going to be the confidence of the buyer and seller to visit and accept strangers coming in to their properties, especially if they are elderly or have any underlying health conditions This has been lifted for too early and glad scotland is taking a different approach to see how the virus is going to pan out in the next couple of weeks. I can understand the economy needs to get back on track but not at the sacrifice of lives

From: Paul Robertson 12 May 2020 21:32 PM

Paul Robertson
Exactly Mark, Keith is spot on and I could not in all good conscious tell a client putting their property on the market now will actually get a sale. Based in Scotland surveyors are not doing home report for a minimum three weeks so why online agents here are still stating they can market a property is beyond me. Solicitors cannot register titles so completions can't be fulfilled even if you got a buyer and buyers are not viewing properties and sellers don't want strangers in their house. I cant help but feel that because alot of online agents offer finance for pay later options (they get their money within three days from the finance company) they couldn't care less if it sells or not as long as the money keeps coming in by any means necessary.

From: Paul Robertson 30 March 2020 10:01 AM

Paul Robertson
Thank you Keith, I have advised our clients the exact same thing. To carry on stating virtual valuations and virtual tours will sell your property I think is doing us a great dis service as a profession. We all know that 99.9% of buyers will not purchase a house unless they can physically see the property. I cant help but feel this is online agents still trying to milk fees from stressed sellers and hope it comes back to haunt them when sellers realise they have been fooled. As an agency we have done 360 tours and 4k videos for years and never once did we sell remotely, what it did do was get potential buyers through the front door which was the objective the whole time.

From: Paul Robertson 30 March 2020 09:40 AM

Paul Robertson
we quit rightmove 2 years ago and never looked back, adfter a 12 month analysis between zoopla and rightmove we received far more quality leads through zoopla than we ever did through Rightmove. Rightmove was fed by estate agents and it can be starved in the same way. Buyers and sellers go where the MAJORITY of the properties are, take that away and the public adapt very quickly and log onto another platform. As the great saying goes "there is nothing to fear but fear itself". All it would take is a co-ordinated effort for every agent to "switch" to an alternative on a certain date and watch rightmove prices plummet, until then they will laugh all the way to the bank.

From: Paul Robertson 19 March 2020 08:47 AM

Paul Robertson
Michael, he never said it was easy or we get into this business thinking it will be easy. He is a business owner (like myself) and at one time we could all concentrate on the "sale side of the business", however as the business owner we multitask on everything from accounts to AML as well as all the other day to day running of the business. Then you have clients that see hybrid agents with low commission and your client expects the same or you rely on a sale that the client pulls out off at the last minute with no financial cost to them. After 30 years good luck to him, I can understand why he has had enough.

From: Paul Robertson 12 March 2019 10:25 AM

Paul Robertson
He has, everyday for thirty years

From: Paul Robertson 12 March 2019 10:08 AM

Paul Robertson
Total agree Charlie, however you always get stupid comments from the likes of Richard who automatically assumes that Chris and his company didn't spend time working for his clients. Smaller estate agents live and breath their company and probably spend far more time with their clients and a lot less on holidays to ensure they provide the service that is required.

From: Paul Robertson 11 March 2019 09:59 AM

Paul Robertson
Never comment on here but have to say I feel his pain. Estate Agency used to be rewarding however with hybrid sites and clients “want everything for nothing” attitude I feel a lot in our professional will start questioning whether it is worth it anymore

From: Paul Robertson 11 March 2019 08:20 AM

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