Do you want to be an estate agent?

Do you love property? Do you want to do your best?

Do you have balls and great communication skills?

Do you want to be an estate agent?

Do you want to work for a fabulous, focused, family owned business?

If the answer is YES to all of these questions, then get in touch!!

We have an opening for a Sales Negotiator in our close-knit team and we would love to hear from you if think the role would suit you.

You will be responsible for looking after a property and it’s wonderful vendors from the moment they instruct us to act for them to the day we hand over the keys.

We’re not your average estate agency, we work together as an organised team to get the best possible results for our clients. No two days are the same and we love that!

You’ll get to visit some amazing properties, learn about why Spencer is different to other agents and be part of an amazing team. What’s not to love?!

Email nicola@spencersestateagents.co.uk - thank you! 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Selling your #property #blog in the Spring - Spencers of Sheffield

Tips for selling your home this Spring

With the weather hotting up and spring flowers and trees in bloom; now is the time to use the abundance of the beautiful flora and fauna to help sell your home. Freshly-cut flowers add an instant spring feeling and lovely aroma, whilst bright flowerbeds and hanging baskets can give your property that extra curb appeal.

It’s also the perfect time for spring cleaning and de-cluttering, to make your home feel airy, light, and spacious. Simple things like rearranging your furniture, can give viewers the impression of space and when it comes to accessories, less is always more.

Spread the word by telling family, friends, neighbours and local businesses that you’re selling. Social media is also a great FREE marketing tool, including Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook, so use them to your advantage. You never know where an unexpected buyer might spring from!

Be sensible about the value of your property, don’t just opt for the highest valuation, it might be tempting, but if your property is still on the market months later, it has cost you money.

Finally, check you have the title deeds and (if you’ve made any changes to your home) planning consents and certificates. The wrong time to start looking for them is when you’ve sold the property. “Apart from anything else,” says Howard Elston of Aylesford International, “delays in the legal process are the most common reason for properties not selling, and can give a buyer time to change their mind.”

If you’d like a FREE market appraisal of your home, just call Spencers on 0114 2683682

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 

Do you love the idea of an internet only agent?

Would you use an internet only agent? 

You may have seen a recent TV programme that promotes the idea of selling your home without the help of a traditional high street agency. The host made some interesting points and highlighted many important ideas, which would help any homeowner improve their chances of selling, not least the fact that kerb appeal and presentation could be the difference between attracting a buyer or not. Sarah Beeny, who was the presenter of the programme, boasted several times that she in fact owned an established online agency, so it perhaps wasn’t that surprising that she failed to offer a truly balanced view to highlight just how important a local estate agent can be.

My biggest issue with the vast majority of online companies is that they often take a fee upfront and nothing upon completion of the sale. This may seem appealing but what incentive is there for them to attract the highest possible price? Once you have parted with your cash, what’s in it for them?

2014 has been a very good year for Spencers, but there are clear signs that the market is beginning to slow and, in a tough market, it will take a lot more than a flashy website to sell your house.

The most effective part of marketing any property is the initial launch and the key to being successful is the asking price. If this is wrong, and you struggle to attract viewers, you can often be left selling a property for a lower price than would have happened had you got the marketing price right in the first place.

Most commonly our business comes via recommendation but I can guarantee that wouldn’t be the case if we didn’t have knowledgeable, professional and local people working as negotiators. I find it difficult to understand how a company with people sitting in a call centre, who have never stepped through the door of a property, can efficiently negotiate on behalf of the homeowner to achieve a sale at the best possible price.

There were many other issues with the programme itself, including a quoted average fee cost which is much higher than what the local agents here in Sheffield charge. Ms Beeny also failed to point out that vendors may not be able to check the ability of a buyer to secure a mortgage, or effectively handle multiple bids that could create a sealed bid process, and therefore a much better result.

The internet is paramount to marketing, but if you can find an agent that can embrace new technology and combine that with local knowledge and a professional service, you may well be on to a winner! For a free valuation of your home and current market advice please call 01142 683682.

#Spencers Deadly Estate Agent Sins Blog!

Spencers Seven Deadly Sins!

What other Agents get VERY wrong

(in our very humble opinion!)

Lust – some very naughty agents lust after property SO much that they convince a vendor to sell to them off the market, which goes against all of an agent’s normal advice and principals. If an agent tries to buy from you off market, make sure you get a second opinion from another party to ensure you aren’t being diddled!

Gluttony – too much of a good thing is certainly not good for the soul. Taking on volumes of properties that your staff can’t properly manage will not make you very popular! We take on an exacting number of properties by cherry picking the ones we really want so that our staff are never overloaded and you will always get the very best service.

Greed – some agents will tell you that your house is worth A LOT of money just to get the instruction. I will never forget what a competing agent said to me when I challenged him on this, “better unsold on our wall than sold on someone else’s”. If you think they are telling you your house is worth too much money, they probably are!

Sloth – some agents are incredibly lazy. I viewed three properties recently after requesting to see TEN via Rightmove. I only viewed three because only three out of the ten agents came back to me to book me in and I await a call from the other seven! Out of those three, NONE of the agents have called me for feedback! Make sure you do your research into an agent’s service and don’t just take their word for it!

Wrath – Spencers stay out of Agent v Agent mudslinging. Because we are based out of the way of the war at Banner Cross we don’t tend to find other agents slating us for fun to try to make themselves look better. Now, now, big boys, if you have nothing nice to say………..

Envy – they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we have had our share of other agents who have wanted to copy our name / ideas / style. Well, we can honestly say that we are flattered, thank you for thinking we are so dangerous to your business!

Pride – no one likes a bragger. You may have the biggest car, the most expensive house, the custom made suit….but did you make someone smile today? Did you make someone feel like they should drop you in a nice card to say Thank You? I know what gives us the greater sense of satisfaction

#Spencers Estate Agents #SocialMedia #FACTS #Sheffield

Instead of asking "Why are Spencers Estate Agents so OBSESSED with Social Media?" You should be asking "Why am I not?"

Facebook FACTS

1. Total monthly users: 1,310,000,000 with 680 million of them on mobile devices.

2. On a daily basis there are 350 million photos uploaded, 4.5 billion likes, 10 billion messages sent and 22 billion times that the Like or Share buttons are viewed.

3. Between 2012 and 2013, there was an increase in Facebook users by 22%.

4. Ever since Facebook launched there have been a 150 billion friend connections, 1.13 trillion likes and 250 billion photos uploaded.

5. Every 20 minutes on Facebook 1 million links are shared, 2 million friends are requested, and 3 million messages are sent.

6. Despite being blocked, there are roughly 95 million Facebook users in China.

7. Approximately 7.5 million sites contain the Facebook Like or Share Buttons.

8. Every morning when they wake up, 48% of 18-34 year olds check their Facebook account. 28% of that demographic actually check Facebook before they even get out of bed.

9. Users are exposed to 1500 pieces of potential content every day.

10. As of September, 2013 the percentage of 15-34 year olds on Facebook are 66%. Interestingly, 45% of internet users who are 65 years or older are also on Facebook. And, don’t be embarrassed if you’re Facebook friends with your parents; 70% of users are friends with their parents.

11. When Facebook began selling stock to the public and trading on the NASDAQ on May 18, 2012, its shares were priced at $38, which meant the company was valued at over $100 billion. It also meant that Facebook was worth more than eBay, Yahoo, Groupon, LinkedIn, Netflix, IAC, AOL, Zynga and Pandora… combined.

12. One million web pages are accessed using the “Login with Facebook”  feature

13. 3 percent of Facebook users login at least 5 times per day

14. 47% of Americans say Facebook is their #1 influencer of purchases

15. 70% of marketers used Facebook to gain new customers

16. 640,000,000 – total number of minutes spent on Facebook each month

17. 18 minutes – average time spent on Facebook per visit

18. 54,200,000 – total number of Facebook pages

19. 130 average friends per user

20. 75% of Facebook’s users are from outside of the USA

21. 7 million apps & websites are integrated with Facebook

22. Facebook employ only 4619 people

23. In 2012 the revenue was $5,090,000,000 in 2013 it was $6,150,000,000

Twitter FACTS

Total number of active registered Twitter users	645,750,000
Number of new Twitter users signing up everyday	135,000
Number of unique Twitter site visitors every month	190 million
Average number of Tweets per day	58 million
Number of Twitter search engine queries every day	2.1 billion
Percent of Twitter users who use their phone to tweet	43 %
Percent of Tweets that come from third party applicants	60%
Number of people that are employed by Twitter	2,500
Number of active Twitter users every month	115 million
Percent of Twitters who don’t Tweet but watch other people Tweet	40%
Number of days it takes for 1 billion Tweets	5 days
Number of Tweets that happen every second	9,100

1. 34% of marketers use Twitter to successfully generate leads

2. Twitter was the fastest growing network with a 44% growth from 2012-2013

3. 215 million monthly active users

4. Fastest growing demographic  on Twitter is 55-64 age bracket

Social Media FACTS

1. 93% of marketers use social media for business. Only 7% of marketers say they don't use social media for their business. That means there are lots of people out there getting involved and managing a social media strategy. It's becoming more common to include social media as part of an overall marketing budget or strategy, as opposed to when it was the outlier that no one wanted to spend time or money on.

2. 25% of smartphone owners ages 18-44 say they can't recall the last time their smartphone wasn't next to them. It's pretty clear that mobile is a growing space that we need to pay attention to. And we've all heard the cliché of smartphone owners who don't want to let go of their phones, even for five minutes. Well, apparently that's not too far from the truth. If 25% of people aged 18-44 can't remember not having their phone with them, there are probably very few times when they're not connected to the web in some way.

3. 72% of all internet users are now active on social media

4. 18-29 year olds have an 89% usage

5. The 30-49 bracket sits at 72%

6. 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media

7. In the 65 plus bracket, 43% are using social media

8. Time spent on Facebook per hour spent online by country. Here are the top three. USA citizens get the top gong at 16% followed by the Aussies at 14 minutes and the Brits at 13 minutes.

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." 

Black, one sugar please, with a chocolate digestive biscuit.... #Spencers Sally Blogs #Property !

Our lovely Sally - Lettings Manager - has guest blogged a little Lettings Department update....

"We have tried to publicise recently how much effort we are putting into social media and how hard we try to spread the word about our client’s properties; the truth is, it works, and we are thrilled how well things have been going for us and our Landlords. As we have steadily expanded over the past months, we have been so lucky to meet some of the most fantastic Landlords and Tenants, and it’s these fabulous people that drive us to keep striving to do better. Despite all the modern social media hype, we still have traditional family values at our roots, which provide us with an excellent foundation.

"What makes perfect sense to us is that if we look after our Landlord’s properties as if they were our own, we will have happy landlords and happy tenants. It really is that simple. We are also so pleased to have a great group of contractors who we work closely with to ensure that our Landlords are getting the best deal on works they have done to their properties, these are contractors we use in our own homes and who we trust completely. Also, there are no ‘commission’ charges added on to our contractors bills, the work paid for is the work done, nothing more. We don’t agree with hidden fees and have worked hard on our Landlords agreement to ensure that we provide a thorough property management service with no hidden chargeable ‘add ons’.

"If you have ever called us to ask how much we charge, then apologies, as you may well have been advised that we cannot really quote over the phone and that we’d like to come and meet you at the property. This is not a sneaky way of getting a free coffee (black, one sugar please with a chocolate digestive biscuit, if there is one going), it is because we are so passionate about the service we can offer you that we want to tell you about it in person, we want to see your property and figure out how we can best help you out. We are not a large corporate with a set formula, we will work with you to provide what is best for you. 

"I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I really like all of our Landlords, they are a great bunch of people. This may sound a little controversial but be honest, who can actually say that about all their clients? I believe it is because we have met them all, they have picked us and we have picked them, we are like-minded in how business should be conducted; with old fashioned values at its core but with a passion for innovation.

"For a free market appraisal at your rental property, please get in touch on 0114 2683682"

www.SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk

Don’t hate the player….... #Spencers #Sheffield #TheAgentvTheSolicitorBlog

Hate the player do not…..

Training up new negotiators is always fun, but should “stand on your chair when speaking to a solicitor” really need to be in the teaching manual?

I hate the term “progress checking”, you may as well call it “ringing to irritate you”, as that is what everyone seems to think that it is, or certainly what it does. We have tried our best to wrap up this term in as many different packages as possible. “We are ringing to facilitate the sale”, “we are calling to try to help you”, “we are hoping that we can provide you with information that you might find useful”, “we are the only people who are willing to speak to all parties involved without charging by the minute”.

The general public think that selling a house is easy, all you do is find a buyer and the rest of the job is done by the solicitor. After they have sold their house, they will tell you that their sales negotiator was invaluable. The negotiator speaks to the seller, the buyer, the buyer’s solicitor, the seller’s solicitor, the mortgage advisor, the surveyor, the agents throughout the chain, the utility companies, the contractors instructed for quotes, the removal firms, the families … and so the list goes on. “How useful” I hear you cry, “to have access to all this information and to be available at the other end of a phone or an email”.

Let’s be honest, moving house can be quite stressful. Often people really don’t want to move or don’t want to have to sell. The three D’s unfortunately feature daily in our vocabulary (death, divorce and debt) and no one likes to hear someone in tears over their circumstances, it is actually heart-wrenching. But your sales negotiator will listen to all your woes, and all your worries, we will hold your hand throughout the process and will try our best to always offer impartial advice, always with your best interests at heart.

So, when we are ringing solicitors for an update, this is so that we can help our clients, but also so that we can help chase things along too. We are quite happy to pick up the phone to our clients to let them know that they need to do something, or to explain that they need to call by to sign a document, or to pay across their deposit. We are NOT just ticking boxes on our software to say that we have called a solicitor, we are genuinely looking for ways to make the process smoother and easier for all concerned. If you are a solicitor reading this, maybe bear in mind that we aren’t all just irritants, we can actually help you.

I will keep “stand on your chair when ringing a solicitor” in my training manual for now, but hope to be able to take it out in the future and replace it with “invite the solicitor out for coffee”. We are all human and all trying to get to the same goal, and it’s so much nicer if we can all have a pleasant time along the way. 

http://www.spencersestateagents.co.uk/team.aspx

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!!