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Matthew's  Personal Profile View my company profile

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Matthew Gardiner Legge
Freelance Property Pofessional
598  Profile Views

About Me

I am a property professional who has been around the block a bit - West Country, Spain, Gibraltar and latterly London. I live with my wife and two greyhounds in Ascot and enjoy sailing - big boats and dinghies, fell walking and pub research.

my expertise in the industry

Thirty five years experience in the property business in various forms, mainly in estate agency dealing in the upper end of the market. I started in the West country, migrated to Spain and Gibraltar in the mid nineties where I was an estate agent, sales and marketing manager for Taylor Woodrow (Gibraltar) for eight yeras before setting up my own estate agency in Sotogrande. Moved to London in 2008 where I have been in property in West and Central London ever since.

Matthew's Recent Activity

Matthew Gardiner Legge
HIPs were years ahead of their time. I found them extremely useful for things like lease info and was sorry when they were abandoned. Had they remained I believe the system would have been streamlined year on year and by now we would have had something approaching an efficient conveyancing system.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 09 April 2021 11:38 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
"oh, a progress report, let me go and get the file....." or "I'm still waiting for a reply to a letter I wrote a week ago" or "we're ready to exchange contracts, could you send a copy of the EPC?" ugh...

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 09 April 2021 11:35 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I say, Calm down dears and let's see what happens. I sense a lot of anger which could well be fear of upsetting the status quo.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 06 April 2021 17:20 PM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I don't know what it means for the future, good or bad for estate agents but the messages for house sellers seem simple, clear, positive and dare I say, different. Time, as always, will tell.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 31 March 2021 10:06 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I agree DA ALAwyer. When I recommend, it's because I know the job will be done properly. I have never been offered a referral fee. Blame the corporates for the rise in conveyancing factories. I think I'm right in remembering the deal with one company I worked for was roughly client pays £1,000 to Crap & Co (large well know corporate estate agent), conveyancer got £250. Absurd!

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 03 March 2021 17:16 PM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
DA, after 35 years in the business I DO know what I am talking about and as one of the previous contributors pointed out, other countries do not have such elongated timescales for exchange to completion so why is it just the UK? It is not acceptable that sales can and do fall apart through the sheer frustration of lawyers waiting for fairly minor documents - I'm talking about the likes of applicance/building guarantees etc. Buyers lose, sellers lose, agents lose, lawyers still get paid. Something in the system needs to change and my guess is tech is starting to make those changes. Let's see. Don't get me wrong DA ALawyer, there are many great and competent lawyers and conveyancers out there and I am sure you are one of the very best.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 03 March 2021 17:08 PM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Agreed, see my rant below...

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 03 March 2021 10:20 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I think it's a great idea. I believe we have been cornered into a mindset in this country that property conveyancing involves some kind of mysterious wizardry that estate agents must keep their inquisitous noses well away from. If a freehold house has 'clean title' and is not falling down, as a cash buyer, why can't I just buy it in a few days? Rather I am told with a wry smile that, "it isn't as simple as that". I spent a few years selling properties in Spain (yes, I HAVE heard ALL the stories - get an approved lawyer) where often, an agreement is signed on the day with a 10% deposit, a few extra days to ensure all the main stuff is well, then payment for completion. A little too simple probably and yes, we have leases, easements, compliance etc etc but it would help if conveyancers spent a little more time responding to enquiries by picking up the phone and talking to each other rather than waiting endless days days for "letters responding to enquiries". Ahh, enough, don't start me! I need to go and chivvy up a solicitor over a complicated lease situation that's been holding up a sale for several weeks.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 03 March 2021 10:18 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Sounds a teeny bit like a HIP to me. Personally, I thought they were a good idea at the time when just about everyone else was raising hell to get them abolished. Hey ho...

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 01 March 2021 10:14 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
So true - whole buildings with no cladding where the lenders STILL refuse to lend.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 10 February 2021 18:05 PM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
More often that not, at some stage in the sales process I will be contacted by the solicitor/conveyancer/assistant for a copy of the EPC despite it having been attached to the initial sales letter/email, depsite EPCs being publicly available online. Until even these basics can be mastered by the conveyancing profession I think we may be a way off from proptech being the solution.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 26 January 2021 10:28 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Murray, I so agree with you and I also agree with Daniel. We now use a third party company to deal with not only AML but proof of funds for buyers. It's all online and a great way to deal with it.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 12 January 2021 10:48 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Jolly good luck to them! I have often wondered if such a concept could work whether it's a coffee shop, bookshop, whatever floats your boat. What I would say, however, is it does rather prove that if the concept of a High St estate agent office is not sufficient to draw people in, is it worth having a high street office?

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 23 December 2020 09:07 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I often suggested to employers that they gave their staff laptops instead of desktops where they could work from anywhere. The answer was that it would be "impractical" for a whole range of reasons. And yet, here we are, a whole army of us self employed agents working from anywhere we damn well please, out and about in the community fully linked to our offices and systems. I can be called anytime anyone wants to speak to me.... perhaps not on Christmas Day although, great excuse to get away from the fam.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 18 December 2020 11:00 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
In my time working for one of the "cheaper" brand corporates, we were regularly encouraged to tell the buyers that we would not be able to forward their offer to the vendor until they had spoken to our "financial advisor" so he/she could verify their ability to purchase. In the event we had multiple offers on one property, we were told to recommend to the vendor the buyer doing their mortgage through us over a cash buyer on the basis that as the mortgage buyer would be paying for a valuation, they would be more comitted to the purchase. Negotiators who were so aggressive as to get complaints to the MD were held up to us as beacons of success who were doing their job properly. As usual, the atrocious practices of these idiot companies will reflect on the rest of us.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 11 December 2020 12:17 PM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
This is a great idea and one that theoretically should speed up the conveyancing process significantly. Another great idea - you heard it from me first - would be if all development companies started the ball rolling with new homes.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 26 October 2020 09:29 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
As a great believer in Prop and in fact anything 'tech' I might suggest that conveyancers might start with making a little more use of the 'telephone machine' as opposed to 'waiting for a reply to a letter I sent on the xth of Jungust.' Docusign, technology that has been around for some considerable time, is something hugely underused and we are now using a company called Thirdfort for AML and proof of fund checks. To me it's all magic stuff but it makes life so much easier.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 21 October 2020 09:31 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Very unusual for Jeff Doble to put his head above the parapet to make a public comment so it is interesting that he has done so now. It is becoming increasingly clear that the self employed Estate Agency model for which read, 'working from home/any time/any place' is gaining a serious foothold in the industry proving very much that estate agents are becoming increasingly LESS dependent upon high street offices of which Dexters have a great many.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 21 October 2020 09:20 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Thanks for the laugh!

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 20 October 2020 09:20 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Laugh out loud funny!

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 09 October 2020 08:44 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Good article, well said our Phil!

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 05 October 2020 08:45 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I agree with most of what you are saying Mr Bstard although I am one of the new self employed agents you refer to and we - the company I work with - do try hard not to compete by reducing our fees to undercut our competitors. In my humble opinion, agency fees in this couintry are as low as they can go especially when compared to other countries.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 14 September 2020 10:05 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
An agency agent.... another layer to get in the way? Sorry, but I just can't get my head around this one but I do wish them well. Time will tell.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 18 August 2020 09:36 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
So much negativity guys (and I note you are all blokes). Estate agency is going through a period of change and evolution right now. Let's see how they do in the long term and in the meantime criticise by all means but cut back the anger stuff (Chris Arnold excepted) and show a bit more respect. We're all just trying different ways to make a living.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 24 July 2020 09:53 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Totally agree Rollo, an absolute no brainer as far as I'm concerned.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 07 July 2020 09:37 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
As an estate agent currently looking for a large family home it has been an interesting time to see things from the applicant's perspective. IMHO Matterport walk throughs are useful, videos and music attachments can be long and dull but for me, 6 - 10 good quality photos, a clear floorplan and an accurate location pin are all I need to decide what gets shortlisted and what doesn't.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 19 June 2020 09:06 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
I can see the problem. In Central London where prices and fees are high and professional photographers are plentiful and reasonably priced, an average of 6 good quality images is sufficient together with a clear, easy to read floorplan is easily attainable. Ten photos would, in my opinion, be the limit. Where the quality of housing stock isn't so great and fees are low, the agent might not have access to an army of professional photographers or can't afford them (or both) and the result is bad quality photos taken by the neg on his iPhone. Add in a scruffy unkempt property and you have a problem. I suppose the answer here is for the agent to up his camera skills and get busy with impromptu house cleaning .

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 09 June 2020 09:46 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Very helpful comment...

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 03 June 2020 10:16 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Definitely agree with what you are saying Andrew. I have repositioned from corporate to self employed BUT with a company that retains a (just off) the High Street office in Central London. As consultants we come and go as we please and I am finding myself being far more efficient than I ever was working traditional office hours. It's not easy and things take a while to get going but it's certainly exciting. Respect to ALL estate agents trying to find new and exciting ways away from the corporate model.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 08 April 2020 11:48 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Estate agents offering mortgages/advice makes perfect sense until you go down the corporate route with pressure from up on high to meet targets.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 17 January 2020 11:00 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
So far, a highly thought out approach with transparent charges and an interseting pricing policy. This is agents thinking outside the box, being brave and bold enough to take the risks. Good luck Amy Dixon!

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 29 October 2019 09:01 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
On the other hand.... Russell Quirk has been upfront and honest about the failures of online and he was big enough to to step right out there to try and make it work in the beginning. How many people dismissed Rightmove when it first started up? With the benefit of hindsight, estate agency isn't going to transfer from High St to online in the way travel agency did so rapidly, but it is starting to happen. Personally, I have seen High St office footflow fall massively over the years sometimes to the extent where whole days would go by without anyone walking through the door. And yet, I was busy on the phone, e-mailing etc. It may take a while for the the traditional model to change but change it will and I would say that expensive street level offices will be one of the first causalties.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 09 September 2019 10:50 AM

Matthew Gardiner Legge
Great communication, great Proptech... all good tools for manging vendor expectations BUT it's the conveyancing process that continues to hold back the sales process. And that's the real problem.

From: Matthew Gardiner Legge 18 July 2019 09:06 AM

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