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James ellis

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my expertise in the industry

James's Recent Activity

No stamp duty on downsizing purchases would help.

From: James ellis 04 February 2022 09:41 AM

quite right - but it didn't go to well for the last prime minister to introduce a poll tax!

From: James ellis 18 January 2022 16:51 PM

I think we know what the public think of an empty shop with a note saying we're working from home - probably much the same as we think about all the public bodies who answer the phone with a message saying how busy they are and please go to the website to find an answer to your query!

From: James ellis 08 December 2021 15:08 PM

If the fraud was done in a way to two similar cases of which I am aware then what more due diligence can an agent carry out? In both cases the perpetrators were tenants. They changed their names by deed poll to that of their landlord and procured passports in their new names. So the passport and the utility bills matched the registered name on the title. And the vendor matched the passport photo. Is there a register giving the previous names of people that have changed their name by deed pole? Thanks to data protection probably not!

From: James ellis 05 November 2021 13:00 PM

No - its called marketing, every company exaggerates their offering these days it seems. PB need to qualify the 'if the property doesn't sell' clause - what if the property sells through another agent, which is not uncommon?

From: James ellis 07 July 2021 10:26 AM

i can't believe that - Rightmove will soon be out of business if agents find they are letting mortgage brokers list properties for free - in fact i think Rightmove have removed an "agents' " properties recently for not being able to offer full agency services. These people don't even pretend to be an estate agent.

From: James ellis 26 August 2020 11:32 AM

even now we agents have the opportunity to take control, but it is not in our nature, as small businesses thinking small, to see the bigger picture.

From: James ellis 20 November 2019 11:17 AM

It's not progress, PB is simply an alternative - and i will applaud CIELA if they get their message out to the consumer. I reckon most trad agents have a sales staff ratio of at least 3 or 4 times that of PB in any given area i.e. a more experienced and supportive service.

From: James ellis 07 March 2017 10:10 AM

Are fee diktats from up high price fixing if for example the same group has different brands in same high st. Must they let them undercut each others fees? Who is responsible for maintaining profitability the groups management with the overall view or the negotiator on the ground? Or franchised agents acting under a set of rules, would they be in breach if they laid down a fee scale to their franchisees?

From: James ellis 03 March 2017 10:16 AM

Well i would for one - if PB can get away with such advertising why cant i advertise that we get better prices than online agents (which we can)?

From: James ellis 02 March 2017 09:50 AM

My own view is that agents shouldn't support businesses like these (and there are a few already out there). As with many other aspects of our business we are giving away more and more of our opportunities to influence and negotiate direct with the consumer.

From: James ellis 19 January 2017 11:08 AM

Well someone had to do it, a thankless task no doubt, but thanks Charlie. Individually we small agents, the most successful in most marketplaces, don't have the clout to have our message listened to.

From: James ellis 18 January 2017 09:28 AM

After 43 years in this business I think i should be allowed to get a bit fat and lazy (soon) - but do I need an online agent to tell me how it should be done? Are they really the future? They have been trying long enough and still don't make profits. In my experience locally (N.London) they just aren't performing - how one 'local property expert' can show as many people on a Saturday as a traditional agent with eager young negs standing by I don't know. Of course it is not always possible to show everyone over when they want - but if the owner will show (which presumably online agents rely one) it is never a problem. E.g. the vendor of a property on the market for sometime with a leading online agent asked us to help - they had plenty of interest including a buyer at an acceptable price but couldn't get a sale to go through. We were instructed, took over the negotiations with all interested parties including the acceptable offer buyer. We received a cash offer of £100,000 more (immediate exchange) but as the original purchaser was in direct touch with the vendor he managed to hold the vendor to the original price agreed, and promptly exchanged. We still got paid. If the journalists are reading here i'm sure we all have such examples - anyone?

From: James ellis 23 November 2016 12:36 PM

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