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Ian Needleman

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About Me

my expertise in the industry

Ian's Recent Activity

Easy for "Former" Fine & Country global chief executive Simon Leadbetter to comment about regulations, as he is no longer an agent, he does not have to spend time studying for exams whilst small businesses like mine must work extra hard to keep going during the worst shortage of rental & sales properties since I my business in 29 years! Reason "To much "Regulation", EPC’s, AML, Right to Rent, Gas & Electrical Safety....HMO, Additional & Selective Licensing...Do I need to go on! Banks, accountants, stockbrokers, solicitors, doctors, and dentists may well be qualified and are strictly regulated but there are daily cases of bad & Illegal practice. Most Agents including the larger organisations in North & Northwest London say they don't reduce fees, but to get an instruction they "ALL" always negotiate fees... The Property Redress schemes are there to protect the public from bad practice by any agency. Propertymark and Estate Agency Trainers are always going to push for change to charge exorbitant training & course fees. There is enough bulletins and updates available to keep on top of the forever over regulating changes all the time. The public prefer the experienced independents as they are more approachable and go that extra mile to give good advice. Long Live the small Independents, despite the big boys trying to swallow them up! Funny how so many small agencies are constantly being approached to sell their management portfolio to bigger chains, reason, they realise they cannot get these landlords any other way!

From: Ian Needleman 26 April 2023 10:23 AM

David, Janet & Mike, I agree with everything you both say , I have written to Lord Best , 50 different Housing ministers, Nathan Emerson & Tim Douglas at Propertymark with little or no response as regards my total opposition to ROPA , been an agent 45 years and not in the mood for Exams and more stress , we have enough of that with to much regulation that is killing the rental & sales markets. MPs and the government ministers don't sit exams to govern us do they !! I doubt most of them have qualifications , for sure they don't have any commonsense. Just wondering , do you belong to Propertymark ? , I do , but not sure after many years whether they have the best interests for small independant agents like myself , just encouraging expensive courses & events, and more regulation ...Mainly to boost there own coffers & agenda. Like David said there is already a Property Osbudsman doing a good job , rooting out the bad eggs, in the industry, supported by the Estate Agency Act.

From: Ian Needleman 14 April 2023 13:48 PM

What an inspiring story. Great to see the Oscar magic. Perhaps he might have the golden touch like his Father and create his own special effect at easyProperty. Good luck Damian.

From: Ian Needleman 09 July 2021 13:37 PM

Firstly, Countrywide are hardly a good example of a well run Estate Agency, as recently publicity would suggest. Lets not forget that Propertymark whom profess to be the leading membership body for property agents also appointed last year a new chief executive from a non-property background Mr. Tim Balcon (Former chief executive of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment). Roy Marsden was not employed to be a good Estate Agent. But for his expertise in streamlining and modifying the easyProperty website/brand with the use of technology, which I assume he did well in previous roles in other industries.

From: Ian Needleman 19 June 2021 10:46 AM

Estate Agency is changing! No matter how we feel as Estate Agents, there is no harm in competition within the industry. It also helps multi branch offices & Independents from being complacent. Despite product manager Roy Marsden’s lack of property related experience, it may well be an advantage, as coming to an online agency from a totally different background would suggest to me that easyProperty are looking at all different ways and aspects they can improve their online standing and presence. Former vice president of Planet Hollywood, founder of Screen Select (Later Love Film) & former Zoopla entrepreneurial Guru Alex Chesterman (now founder of Cazoo) also came from a tech background, but he became a leader in how to promote properties to new heights as regards marketing properties. We are all guilty of sticking to the traditional way we market and sell or rent homes, but we all can thank the internet for the way all our businesses have benefitted from the tech world which is forever evolving. There is plenty of room for both traditional agency and online agents, the younger generation seem to prefer completely different ways in dealing with their property requirements whether being a Vendor /Landlord or Purchaser/Tenant. Good Luck in your new role Roy at easyProperty and hope your knowledge is beneficial to the easy brand.

From: Ian Needleman 18 June 2021 20:59 PM

Sorry to hear of Tim Balcon’s departure. I recently spoke to him whilst at Propertymark regarding the ROPA recommendations and my worry of having to study and sit exams to carry on being an agent which I have been since 1978. He was a thoroughly decent man, listened and allayed my concerns. Tim Balcon gave me the impression that he was full of fresh and good ideas regarding the future of Propertymark despite not having a property industry background. Now he has gone before he even started. I told him that I felt Propertymark was no longer at the forefront of representing agents big or small, they seem not to be tackling the increased burden of too much regulation which is drowning the industry. I always felt that being a Member of Propertymark had credence and now with the lack transparency & leadership of the organisation and the exorbitant cost, this will make me less likely to renew my membership.

From: Ian Needleman 19 February 2021 11:34 AM

Too Much regulation, I wrote to Lord Best recently as a established Agent in Mill Hill North West London, he failed to address most of my points in my email however, seems hell bent in bringing in this qualification standard, I am a Independent one man band agent, I hope giving a good service to the community, but now being 58 and having to do a lot more paperwork than ever before, now I will have to do both Level 3 as well as level 4 in both Sales and Lettings, when on earth will I find the time to do 4 disciplines on all theses modules....Good Luck with that one ! If I do not in the future carry out or pass the said exams, I am being threatened to leave the industry and retire ! , I for one cannot afford to retire and will fight tooth and nail to protect the business I worked hard for and built up , with no help for the Government I may add, which provides plenty of VAT and taxes, which they have earn't on the back of my business ! As a member of both ARLA, NAEA & Safeagent as well all bodies that will earn fortunes with the courses and studying that will need to take place for thousands of agents ! Lord Best may think everyone is the academic type, but not everyone sits comfortably doing exams, but does not make them a bad Sales/Letting Agent, we just apply ourselves in a different way than the more academic type....This is a peoples business and keeping up with the correct legislation and changes is all a agent needs to be aware of , not the stressful studying and exam route. Hope the Government don't make it to difficult for me to carry on and not being forced to retire by Lord Best whom gets plenty of Financial privilege sitting in The House Of Lords !

From: Ian Needleman 30 January 2020 11:30 AM

As a small agency we are forever keeping up with the red tape and regulation set on us by the government. Now ROPA headed by Lord Best are talking about bringing in qualifications. How much will this so called Licence cost to operate? Perhaps they are hoping that if smaller firms are forced to go via a expensive course to qualify and then charged a exorbitant Licence Fee, the smaller agents will find it harder to keep up with the extra costs and burden and simply full away from the industry, so the public shall be left with larger agencies whom will charge what they like. As a small independent most Landlords and Tenants come to my agency in comparison to the larger agencies as they feel that they get a more personal & professional service. It is imperative that this continues in order to give choice to the public as part of this competitive industry. The Government recently implemented the tenant fee ban, so now the Landlord or Agent have to pay for the tenants references, how mad a idea was that ! Surely the Tenant expects to pay towards their references and a contribution towards the inventory (which is there to protect their interests). This was all because the government bend down every time Generation Rent or Shelter tells the Government to jump ...They say how high!! Propertymark should support all agencies! The idea of being part of a regulatory organisation was to make the public aware that I am a agent with integrity and someone whom can be trusted to give the best advice to all I deal with, I personally keep in touch with the constant changes, but now the Industry are not recognising the good work carried out by many of us and telling us to do exams, break our heads a bit more and pay a load of money for a licence to operate !!

From: Ian Needleman 12 July 2019 13:38 PM

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