The Critical Importance of Referencing

In an ideal world, once a tenant has been found, it would be good to think that you, as a landlord, can simply sit back and watch your investment deliver the anticipated return on investment without further involvement. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why some letting agents only offer a tenant finding service. Simple really – or is it?

Experience is a great teacher, and we have proven time and again that tenants must be fully referenced before signing, … Continue Reading…

What’s Wrong With Rightmove & Zoopla?

There’s no question about it, buyers visit Rightmove and Zoopla because they provide easily-searched access to properties currently available for sale. Or do they?

Certainly property portals are efficient and estate agents have embraced them for many years as being an important addition to their marketing toolbox. On the surface, people no longer apparently need to register with an estate agent when looking for a property. However, those buyers who do register directly, tend to find they are offered properties before … Continue Reading…

October 2016 Property Market Comment

Powerful opposing forces seem to be keeping the property market in check this October, driven by the usual suspects. Demand remains high, but supply is still short. Interest rates are historically low, based on a bank rate of just 0.25%, so mortgages remain cheap, but are difficult to get, with 12% of self-employed applicants being turned down. House prices in the three months to September were 5.8% higher than the same time last year, but down 0.1% down on the … Continue Reading…

The Power Of Pre-Marketing

There is a strong argument for creating maximum exposure for a property during its time on the market, and much of our effort and resources are spent achieving the right exposure in the right places.

However, one of the most powerful ways of securing a fast sale at a high price can actually result from minimal exposure – or rather exposure only to a select few!

It works by taking advantage of the fact that people enjoy being offered something on an … Continue Reading…

Autumn’s All Go!

With the summer, and the initial confusion over the Brexit issue, now firmly behind
us, the market is active once again, and we actually find that we currently have far
more buyers than we do stock, but predict that there will be a run of properties
coming onto the market in the run up to Christmas. Those who enter the market
ahead of this rush are likely to be the winners, as they will be competing with old
stock.

New-to-market properties over old stock that might … Continue Reading…

Changes – Not Just Digital?

As we celebrate 25 years in business this month, we reflect on the changes that we have encountered since 1991.

This was the year the world wide web was created, the year that Bryan Adams achieved the longest running Number One with Everything I Do, I Do It For You and the year Freddie Mercury died. John Major was Prime Minister and and the UK went into recession. You could buy a terraced house in Wellingborough for less than £30,000!

On 13th … Continue Reading…

The Big Debate: Buying Vs. Renting

A recent survey amongst UK estate agency members aimed to find out which is the cheapest option when looking for a home: buying or renting. Conducted by Relocation Agent Network, of which Richard James Estate Agents is a member, the survey found that buying a house continues to be the cheaper option.

Relocation Agent Network, the national network of selected estate agents asked its members whether it was cheaper to buy or rent a three-bedroom semi-detached house over the course of … Continue Reading…

This month marks 25 years of Richard James

Friday the 13th is deemed to be unlucky; however on this day in September 1991 Richard James Estate Agents opened the doors for the very first time.

Despite some turbulent times over the last 25 years we are now celebrating our silver anniversary. Like all businesses we have faced many difficult challenges, particularly house price “boom and bust”, high interest rates in the 1990’s, the banking crash of 2008 when mortgages became scares and currently we dealing with fall out from … Continue Reading…

25 years in business, 25% off standard fees

We are 25 years old this month, yes Richard James opened in September 1991 and to mark our 25th anniversary we are offering 25% off our standard Sole Agency fee from 1st September.

With this offer, your property will be marketed from our Wellingborough, Irthlingborough and Rushden offices which are open seven days a week, accompanied viewings, next day feedback, advertising on at least 14 websites and the assistance of 650 estate agents offices across the UK via the Relocation Agent … Continue Reading…

Brexit? It’s business as usual for Relocation Agent Network members

It would appear that amongst Relocation Agent Network members, the result of June’s EU Referendum has (so far) had little impact on the UK housing market.

One week after the EU Referendum, Relocation Agent Network surveyed a group of its members to see what trends they were experiencing in each of their local housing markets. The results found that – on the whole – trends were relatively unchanged.

When discussing the direct impact that the Referendum has had so far on the … Continue Reading…