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Andrew Ireland

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my expertise in the industry

Andrew's Recent Activity

If HMRC require a greater return from property transactions, the evidence is clear, they should reduce SDLT.

From: Andrew Ireland 03 December 2021 09:47 AM

It seems that business rates in their current format are here to stay, high streets will therefore continue to decline as per square meter they will carry higher rates than say a distribution warehouse ergo online competition. Residential property shortages are as much to do with rocketing prices as they are lack of physical bricks and mortar. The two elephants in the room (that no politician actually gets, I've tried) are low interest rates for residential lending which inflates price and of course the effect of individual inheritance on the house market. To purchase a property forget 4 times your salary plus 10% deposit, its more like 5 times your salary plus your inheritance plus 20% deposit to buy a typical house these days. The disparity between those that have and those that have not will continue to grow and eventually the gap will become unmanageable in political terms. (Andrew Ireland MRICS completed a research degree in property economics at Reading university and is a former agent and current accredited residential valuer)

From: Andrew Ireland 27 October 2021 14:22 PM

He was alright; I think the Amersham Bi-election did for him, not really his fault. Still I am still newt counting with every planning application I make and spending thousands on jobsworth consultants reports. What do the Government really want? Beats me.

From: Andrew Ireland 15 September 2021 14:56 PM

As a Chartered surveyor, I am appalled by this news. You may be interested to know that minutes before this press release, I had an email from the chair of the Governing body informing me of the report's release tomorrow whilst omitting to say that Thompkins had resigned.

From: Andrew Ireland 08 September 2021 15:31 PM

Buyers want a directory of property for sale, they don't care about which agent it is; because agents don't really make a difference to them I have never heard an applicant say ' I will only buy from A and no other agent'. Sellers want the best price which is different to being listed on a directory. They are often duped by an agent into believing that one agent makes a difference over another in terms of price and service , whereas in most cases generally they don't, with the exception of the small independents who do make a difference because; if they don't work extra hard, they don't eat. Who will win out, the portals for ease of use by purchasers or agents claiming to be able to achieve best price for vendors? There is no answer but I think a clue may be in commission rates charged. Sellers think agents should do it for nothing at the best price. When the market resolves that equation, there will be change, but the answer doesn't appear to be cheap listing fees with zero service as the online agents have discovered!

From: Andrew Ireland 07 May 2021 10:25 AM

With appropriate PPE the risks of spreading Covid are greatly reduced; I don't see a problem.

From: Andrew Ireland 11 January 2021 14:45 PM

I don't know how they sleep at night. Stupid question, answer, 'Very well'. The company looks as though its heading for insolvency

From: Andrew Ireland 01 July 2020 13:24 PM

From this press release anyone would think this business were a footsie 100 company. Deck chair rearranging, we will see! The common theme is promotion of traditional bucket and spade estate agents, not very novel. Why not look at experiences from related external sectors, Fintec, Finance, Banking, It, people who know the route forward not the "same old". Lastly ditch farming and estates before its too late!!

From: Andrew Ireland 25 June 2020 09:38 AM

The fact that he refers to 'clients' as 'customers' says it all. All a bit 'Are you being served'. I'm interested to know how Grenville planned for Covid lock down when no one else knew about it well except Yopa. Yes, I run the biggest surveying company in the West country except everyone else. I agree with Michael the only success is profit, nothing else counts. You can list all you like.

From: Andrew Ireland 17 June 2020 18:49 PM

I can confirm that Homesearch are the likely main challenger to RM having looked at the service and tried it out. They are on our side and in fact all properties currently on the market are already listed with them, they are ready to go.

From: Andrew Ireland 15 May 2020 09:31 AM

All perfectly clear then. What could possibly go wrong?

From: Andrew Ireland 11 May 2020 14:56 PM

Actually, I think you address a minister as simply "Dear minister", bit amateur otherwise. And I personally wouldn't use grovelling terms such as "we plead". Sounds too desperate.

From: Andrew Ireland 04 May 2020 14:31 PM

From: Andrew Ireland 01 May 2020 14:34 PM

I thought RM was majority owned by Countywide and Connells predominantly. Why would they want to see reductions in RM dividend and wider access to competitors should RM reduce its price point. Home search is going to be launched in a couple of days and its free to agents and a very good search site. Thy are typical market disruptors with free entry where a monopoly or in this case a thinly veiled cartel in the form of RM has been operating. Its going to be interesting. I am certain that RM costs to agents will fall either through falling demand (fewer agents) or competition with Home search.

From: Andrew Ireland 30 April 2020 11:53 AM

I am sorry to disagree but all agency work where face to face is involved should remain closed. How would any of you feel if you inadvertently spread the infection to a person who subsequently died? None of you have spoken about personal experiences with people you know who may have contracted the virus or died as a result. Is that because you haven't had that experience yet? The statistics suggest that you will all be touched one way or another either with infection or death of someone you know. Its only a matter of time and there is a long time to go! Lobbying in such an open way is a public relations disaster the industry could do without. We will survive this, we have done in the past and we will again but not by appearing to be self interested in the eyes of the general public.

From: Andrew Ireland 23 April 2020 07:48 AM

OK, so all those who think the market is about to boom, put your houses on the market and buy a bigger house taking on more mortgage. Well some of you will be putting your houses on the market at any rate!.

From: Andrew Ireland 22 April 2020 10:15 AM

Hi Richard I am sorry to disagree with such an experienced local South Hams agent but Hilber is right, I'm afraid. Just to put this all in context, Bigbury is adjacent to Salcombe which voted for this restriction of locals only to fresh grants of planning consent about a year ago. The whole area is known as the South Hams and prices down here are high! However; residential property development has made a very significant contribution to the local South Hams economy over the last 30 years and you can't say you and your firm haven't benefited from the fees generated! Whilst I don't want to generalise either, many locals benefit by selling their homes for significant premiums to wealthy 'M25 buyers'. Many locals provide services to second home owners, in fact its the only sector that has significantly grown in the last 30 years. And yet that old envy thing, and dislike of incomers rears its ugly head and residents support restrictive development policies which will apply to new second homes. They will be worse off for it and whether Hilber has worked in Switzerland, Germany, the US or the outer Hebrides, it doesn't make a jot of difference, evidence is evidence.

From: Andrew Ireland 21 April 2020 13:14 PM

I didn't think the Government read anything more than four lines long? Anyway, I cant see why we as surveyors and agents would be a safe bet and other not. Why would we not spread covid as fast as a cabinet minister in search of a promotion?

From: Andrew Ireland 20 April 2020 15:19 PM

Couldn't agree more Phil, KF should take credit for their actions

From: Andrew Ireland 14 April 2020 11:36 AM

My heart goes out to all agents, particularly the junior office negotiators at the moment. Its not just the shut down; its the gradual haemorrhage of pipe line business and sale fall throughs. Its going to take a long time to re charge the machine and at what level of value? As a valuing surveyor undertaking private and bank work, I don't feel very inclined to stick my neck out at the moment.

From: Andrew Ireland 14 April 2020 11:18 AM

Fraud is a criminal offence, its unclear from the argument proposed by Russel Quirk where the criminality lies. The agent owes a duty of care to his client in Tort. An over valuation which leads to a loss could therefore result in a claim but requires, proximity, duty of care and actual loss all to be present. Very often it is but the general public are unaware of the legal possibilities. There may also be an implied contract term in equity within the agency contract that the agent should not act against his client's interests by frustrating a sale by advising of a value so high as to prevent a reasonable opportunity of a sale. Andrew Ireland MRICS

From: Andrew Ireland 07 January 2020 10:58 AM

Why would an agent want to get involved in an online beauty parade presumably revealing all unique selling points to competitors by doing so? The last 20 years in agency has seen companies with a similar model come and go. I wouldn't invest therefore. I remember attending a property exhibition in Olympia as an agent in the nineties and seeing some bloke dressed as a giant fish walking about advertising a property listing site called Fish for homes. I wonder what happened to him?

From: Andrew Ireland 04 October 2019 08:53 AM

Will never be enacted, won't be effective against most scams anyway, why exclude portals and those behind them? The introductory phase of property purchase is just the beginning of the process, what about conveyancing and lending which is chronically slow and self serving?

From: Andrew Ireland 24 July 2019 09:46 AM

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