Estate Agents - are they all the same? #Sheffield #Spencer #Blog #SpencersAgents

"They’re all the same!"

Blog by Chris Spooner, our Senior Valuer at Spencer

I was in a well-known coffee shop last week when I happened to over-hear a conversation where two people were discussing a recent experience of choosing an estate agent. "I went for the agent who had the lowest fee because when you break it down they're all pretty much the same." This comment managed to make me experience sadness, disappointment, anger and happiness all in a 20 second moment but thankfully happiness was the emotion I felt for the most of that day.  I went back to the office to be greeted by our office manager who had a smile that was bigger than a Cheshire cat’s! The reason for her happiness was a vendor who had just been into the office to drop off a set of keys for the sale of their house which had just completed. Behind her on the desk were four bottles of wine, a bunch of flowers, and two cards, which had comments thanking us for all our help. This particular vendor has had plenty of recent experience with estate agents both as a buyer and seller so it was even more satisfying to read his praise of our team for all of our efforts. He was keen to point out that my initial marketing valuation was in the middle of three that he had received when looking to find a suitable agent, and he also was happy to admit that we weren't the cheapest agent to quote for his business. The results though were that we achieved a sale price higher than the highest valuation he'd received with a service that he couldn't find even the smallest of faults with. He couldn't believe the difference between using ourselves and the previous agent he used less than three years ago who at the time he chose because he thought all estate agents were the same! 

If you're thinking of selling your home in the near future and also think estate agents are all the same, please come down to our office for a cuppa and chat so we can try to help you see how different we might just be.

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk

#property #estateagent #sheffield #blog

Hallam Primary School #Sheffield Draw their Dream Homes

At Spencer (The Estate Agent) we’re really lucky to be able to work with the local community by sponsoring local football teams like Hallam FC and Ecclesall Rangers, provide prizes for Easter egg hunts for the South Yorkshire Twins and Multiples Association, and coordinate knitting for The Jessop's Hospital NICU, to name but a few.

  

 This month, together with Hallam Primary School in Fulwood, we have run a ‘Draw your Dream Home’ competition and the pictures are absolutely brilliant! From a dog-shaped house to an eco-friendly hut, we’ve seen it all. The whole school got involved and it was seriously difficult to choose a winner, so in the end we chose three winners from each year group. But that was still incredibly tough!

Managing Director Nicola Spencer & Co-Director Lee Bullen Assistant Coach at SWFC took their twins to Hallam to give out the prizes in a special prize giving assembly and it was fabulous to meet the artists themselves.

The winning pictures will be on display at our office at 469 Ecclesall Road until the end of April for anyone who would like to come and have a look. We’d love to see you!

Well done to all the amazing children, we have loved being involved. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

#Sheffield #Walkley #Property #Blog

Is Walkley becoming the new Crookes?

Spencers' property sales are booming in Walkley, with investors and homeowners looking to benefit from this great up and coming area. There’s a real sense of community here;  the residents love to support local businesses, whether it’s the family-run butchers’ and inner city farm shop, the two excellent bakeries, the Cafe Pie, ‘where Henderson’s Relish runs on tap’, or the great local pubs and amenities.

Walkley has much more to offer with its excellent bus routes giving easy access to the Universities, main City Hospitals and Sheffield City centre and let’s not forget the green spaces of Ruskin Park and the picturesque Rivelin Valley.

Our own Walkley resident, Ashely commented “Having lived in Walkley for a little over a year, what I love about the place, is the close knit village feel and picturesque views with the added advantage of quick commutes into the city, Crookes and Hillsborough areas”

  

Here’s just a few of the properties we’ve sold in the area this year;

• 202 Howard Road – Sold in 1 week!

• 204 Howard Road – Sold in 2 days!

• 51 Cromwell Street – 9 Offers, Sold in in 1 week!

• 49 Parsonage Crescent – 7 Offers, Sold in 1 week 

We also have a fantastic double storey upper apartment, which has come on to the market recently, but we doubt it’ll be available for long, as we already have two bidders! 

http://www.vebra.com/spencersestates/property/26202198

If you’re looking to sell your property, why not call Spencers for a free valuation? on 0114 2683682.

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Forge View Launch Night a GIANT success! #Property #Sheffield #S10

Conroy Brook Developments Launch their new site in Sheffield 10 - Forge View

#Spencers Agents are proud to represent Conroy Brook in this fabulous new release of five stunning properties in the heart of Sheffield 10. All of the five properties benefit from high quality fixtures and fittings with options of high spec interiors incorporating brands such as Siemens, Laufen, and Siematic, as well as Porcelanosa tiling. 

The launch night saw property gurus, local celebrities, potential buyers, and industry experts schmoozing, laughing and admiring the new properties currently under construction in this prime position in S10.

A reservation was taken on the night and we have another one just being agreed, leaving potentially only three of the properties available. We are delighted with the response so far and with the feedback. If you think that you could be interested please get in touch as soon as possible so that we can talk you through the benefits, the styling, the efficiency, and the options that are open to you. 

Jon Bailey of Conroy Brook stated "We were overwhelmed by the positivity from all of our guests, and with the response from potential buyers to date. The former reservoir has presented some build challenges along the way but we are now ploughing full steam ahead with plot five, which should be ready by the end of Summer. Spencers believe in our product and our company ethos, and we feel that this will be a great team effort to achieve our goal of customer satisfaction going forwards."

Each property boasts south facing aspects to the rear, sun terraces on two levels, excellent proportions and the unique flexi-room, which can be whatever you want it to be (a gym, cinema, recording studio, playroom). You can't fail to be impressed.

For more info contact Nicola@SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk or call on 0114 2683682. 

PLOT 4

PLOT 5 

SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk 

When is the best time to sell my #house? #Property #Sheffield

Chris Spooner Blogs from a Valuer's Viewpoint 

"Over the past four months when meeting new clients, the most common questions I’ve been asked have been; are prices going up?  Is the market moving? How much are your fees? But with out a shadow of doubt, THE most common question would have been; When is the best time to sell my house?

 

"Previously, ‘Spring’ has been the most obvious answer, and many could say the same today, but every estate agent in Sheffield right now, should, and probably will shout loud and clear to put your property up for sale today. I’ve worked in the property industry for over 10 years now but only once or twice before have I ever experienced the frenzy and demand that we are seeing at the moment. As I write this, after a busy and productive Monday, here at Spencers we have recorded 22 offers after a fantastic weekend of viewings! And would you believe the majority of those offers have all been recorded at an asking price level or higher, from buyers who are ready to proceed. Why is it happening? – another common question asked.

"One of the great things about property is that it’s all about opinions and it provokes conversation. My opinion is that after a tough time for all, the confidence in the market and economy on the whole seems to very good. Buyers can only see the market going in one direction and so now is the best time to jump on the bandwagon. In comparison to this demand, we are seeing the lowest level of available property since the height of the previous market back in 2008, which is why we are back to the days of ‘best and final offers’ or ‘sealed bids’.

"Will this activity continue? Today I have shown potential buyers around a house in High Storrs that drew the attention of 30 viewers on Saturday, 40 in total so far. If we sell that house to one person, what are the other 39 going to do? Do I think enough properties will come to market over night to satisfy this demand? Unlikely, but as we approach the summer months, more people will decide to sell and that will not only help to satisfy demand but give the buyers more choice and options. This may mean that prices begin to stabilise and level out which again points to why the best time is right now as a seller.

"With the perfect approach to marketing; professional photography, floor plans and Internet advertising across all of the major property portals, you can be assured of finding a buyer at the best possible price with Spencers. Not all agents are the same. Call or call in to our Ecclesall Road office 0114 2683682 or email us at Sales@SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk to book for us to come and see you." 

40 years of #Sheffield Housing History - Guest blogger Jim Spencer

Jim Spencer's take on Sheffield Housing History...

"I started in estate agency in 1971, after the market had trundled along steadily since the Second World War in fairly unspectacular fashion. Almost immediately a boom occurred and prices doubled in around two years, due partly to a shortage of stock, and partly to major company moves in the 70s, Sheffield benefitting from the influx from the main offices of the Midland Bank (now HSBC) and Manpower Services, both of which were poorly handled by those organisations with employees fighting each other for the same properties. Their staff were, of course, provided with in-house finance whereas other buyers in the market place needed Building Society loans, as the High Street banks were not major providers of finance in the 70s and 80s. 

"Building Societies were mutual institutions and needed funds from savers to be able to lend, hence interest rates soared to 15% in the 80s, and mortgage queues formed which required a minimum 10% deposit to be held by the Society for 12 months before you could apply for a loan! A maximum loan of 3.5 times one income was applied, with a further once times a partners income if they were in full time employment.

"The reason I illustrate this point is to show how different it became in the 90's and onward, when the major banks entered the game  and started to loan 5/6 times income at rates of up to 125% loan to value. Such stupidity was bound to end in tears, hence the market crash from 2007 onwards.

"During the boom of the early 2000's first time buyers were given mortgages often without proper investigation into their credentials, and much poor quality lending resulted. Complaints today that mortgage finance is not easily available is understandable, but when compared to the 1980's, ftb's can hardly complain. There are now government backed packages to help, but with a present shortage of houses for sale, this could lead once more to rapid increase in value, which has already been seen in the South East, but less so in the North.

"The other side to the equation is housing supply, and in this respect our national efforts to provide new homes has been abysmal, slumping under the last Government to record low new house starts since the 1920's, and hardly helped since. The housing market has been lightly managed by successive governments, using a number of housing ministers who have failed miserably to improve the supply position. Hence our problem today, with easier finance chasing too few properties, and the prospect of increased prices whilst incomes have had to be curbed since the financial mess left by the Labour Party in 2010. As supply cannot be easily increased, the situation is almost certain to get worse before it gets better and needs a rapid release of potential building land in the right areas, building attractive properties, at affordable prices. All this has been beyond the wit of politicians in the recent past, and there are few signs the situation will improve in the immediate future. What we do not need is a mass of City Centre flats in "brownfield" locations as were built in the 2000-2007 period, without consideration for the public demand. We also give far too much credence to local nimbies who hold up vital planning decisions for purely personal interest. This cannot be allowed to continue if the British Isles is to provide for the large number of people who now need to be housed in the limited space available. It needs careful management, and planning needs to be taken away from local politicians with vested interests if we are to meet the demands of the future.

"Having lived through over 40 years of boom and bust in housing, it is time we provided some sensible long term management for such a valuable economic factor, and achieved some measure of stability.

"At present we have too few good quality properties to rent or buy, and rents have been rising steadily for over two years. Affordable housing policy is none existent for rental properties, and there are few signs of this changing. Many rental houses and flats are in poor condition, and often badly managed by landlords and unregistered agents, despite the efforts of the property industry, which continually pleads to successive governments for a level of licensing control, but get ignored.

"The sales market gets little help from Central Government either, requests for changes in Stamp Duty Land Tax, among other issues, being repeatedly ignored, despite the ludicrous way it is currently constructed.

"As things stand I can see little change in the future, with buyers and tenants fighting for acceptable properties whilst those in control of the property industry fiddle. Consequently it is more important than ever to obtain good quality professional advice from qualified or registered people to safeguard what is still a person’s main personal investment in most cases."

THE most wonderful testimonial #lovemyjob #Spencers #Sheffield

"To All at Spencer's

 

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the lateness of this note, moving into a new house with 2 small children in tow hasn't left me with much spare time!  I wanted to write and express my thanks and appreciation for everything you did for us when we sold our house through you.  You managed to sell our house in a matter of days not only once but a second time after the first sale fell through, both times negotiating us over the asking price.

 

James did a fantastic job of initially coming round to value the house.  He gave us a good honest opinion about the house and his thoughts on what it could sell for but without giving us the sales spiel some other estate agents give!

 

After the sale of the house (both times!), Sally did an outstanding job of keeping us up to date with any developments.  There were many complications with the house sale but Sally never seemed phased by the constantly changing circumstances of the sale or the number of times we would have to speak on a sometimes daily basis.  Even working overtime days before her wedding to try and ensure that our first house sale wasn't falling through!

 

I must have phoned Spencer's in excess of a hundred times over the space of 4 months of dealing with the house sale and not once did I have to leave a message on an answer machine, each time I phoned I would always get through to someone.  This would usually be the person I wished to speak to or on the odd occasion they were unavailable someone else would be on hand to answer my query.

The feedback that we got from Spencer's after viewings had taken place were quick (often on the same day) and honest accounts, not just what you thought we wanted to hear.

 

I would (and already have) recommend Spencer's to anyone and would have no hesitation in using you again, should we ever move!

 

Thanks again for all the effort you all put in to make sure our sale went through smoothly, it really was much appreciated."

Thank you SO much PJ - it was a genuine pleasure. 

The Fight in the Dog - #NoBull #Sheffield #Spencers #LeeBullen

The fight in the dog …

We head out to a lot of appointments where we hear all sorts of rumours and rubbishings about Spencers and our staff.  We hear that others speak about our lack of abilities and our incapability, which is a load of old flannel but it is amazing what some other agents will say to try to win a job. Personally I like to fight like Mohammed Ali to shout about what we are good at and why we are so "worth it" and not take the boring politician’s route.

It is no surprise then to hear that one agent in particular has tried to use Lee (my co-Director at Spencers and my “other half”) being an ex-footballer to try to bring us down in the eyes of our potential clients. Lee, though, is not JUST a footballer. In fact, I think you will find that there is no such thing. No one person is pigeon-holed into JUST being anything. Interestingly most people have good hearts, good families, hilarious jokes to tell, great friends, hobbies and giving natures; to me, this therefore makes them family-men, comedians, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, golfers, child minders, amongst many more things.

Yes, Lee played football but he also worked in the repossessions department of the Alliance and Leicester and this does not make him a banker (!). Lee’s skills as a leader, football coach, fluent Greek speaker, father, and fork lift truck licensed driver make him as much of an all-rounder as you or me. It surprises some that I was once a chauffeuse, bar maid, car sales executive, typist, promo-girl, chalet cleaner, ski instructor (amongst other things) but it really doesn’t matter if anyone wants to hold these things against me.

It was with much pride this weekend that Lee could also add to his list of qualities and abilities, Published Author.

No Bull is the story of Lee’s life so far. Some may wonder what makes someone write a book, but I am filled with envy and inspiration that I will one day get round to writing mine which may be about some of the most hilarious moments in my estate agency career to date, so please be very careful about how you may be included. Lee has had many jobs around the world, but just happens to have people who want to read his story because he played football. To me, the most interesting part of the book is not the Dentist Chair story with Paul Gascoigne but him becoming an estate agent, because this will form part of the Lee Bullen Story Part Two when he will also be the Liverpool manager, apparently.

There are no mucky sensationalist stories in the book. It is a story of someone with a dream, working very, very hard to try to fulfil any part of that dream whilst travelling the world. Fulfilling dreams brings many sacrifices, much blood, sweat and tears, and true grit. The qualities that you would probably want to find in an estate agent trying to sell your house.

Next time you hear someone judging someone for JUST being anything, think about the people in your life and pigeon-hole your nearest and dearest into being defined by just one thing and ask yourself if this is possible.

I am incredibly proud of Lee’s achievement and can’t wait to write my own book one day. If you’re interested, the book can be ordered at NO BULL but this blog is not about a promo, it is about asking for you all to get to know us as estate agents, people, ex-whatever-we-ares, and future-whatever-we-will-bes, you might just be pleasantly surprised. 

Spencers are twenty years old! #thepartyROCKED

20 years! Good grief, where does time go?

 

Where were you in the Summer of 1993? I was just seventeen, had just passed my driving test, and was tee-total, which lasted until I was 24! My mum and dad had both been made redundant and decided that, with the money that they had received, they would set up the legacy that is Spencers Estate Agents....

A lot happened in 1993. It was the year that devastating news included the horrendous murders of James Bulger and Stephen Lawrence, and that saw the deaths of Audrey Hepburn, Pablo Escobar, and River Phoenix. 

Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was the hit of the year and Jurassic Park was the movie box office top title. 

It was the year that the Football Premier League was born, and both Sheffield teams were in it! I may have to point out for Pop's pride that MUFC were of course champions, and for my own, that SWFC ended the season in 7th where SUFC  finished in 14th. Enough football already.

Bill Clinton was the oh-so charming President of the good old US of A, and the oh-no-not-so-charming Prime Minister was 50 Shades of Grey John Major.

The Maastricht Treaty meant that the EU was formally established, and the public were allowed into Buckingham Palace for the first time in history.

And one sunny day in the heart of the summer, in the centre of the Universe that is Ecclesall Road, a couple of ambitious spouses opened the doors to Spencers Estate Agents.....

Thank you so much to everyone that came to our birthday bash. We are very proud to call many of our clients our friends, and have the most loyal and dedicated staff. Hopefully, looking round over a glass of wine, mum and dad can feel incredibly blessed seeing the progress of their original dreams and know that the only way forwards is for us to hopefully, very proudly, follow in their footsteps.

Thanks so much also to Nonna’s who provided the rather sensational pizzas, to the best DJ in the world, Greg Robinson, and to Fancie for the SuperSpencers cakes.

Hopefully, in another 20 years time, my hologram blog will be projected to you, we will all be selling properties by teleporting clients round their dream properties, and we will all be charging 5% like our European counterparts….

Sign of a good night!!