9165 - BM Outlook 2022 R6 - Flipbook - Page 35
The combination of ‘traditional’ estate
agency, including high quality sales
brochures, and a more modern approach
that makes use of available technology
has enabled Batcheller Monkhouse to
create a versatile approach to what Wendy
calls “modern estate agency”.
“At the heart of our approach is our large
network of registered buyers with whom
we are in close and regular personal
contact. Many people sign up to be kept
informed of new properties even if they
haven’t at that point seen anything that
catches their eye on our website,” she
added. “We regularly email details of
properties across the database of buyers
and we individually contact them to talk
about anything we think will be of interest.”
For most people, their home is
their most valuable asset. When
they come to sell that home, they
need to know that the agency they
choose is committed to making the
transaction as easy as possible and
achieving the best possible price.
Against a background of rising prices,
Batcheller Monkhouse achieves that goal
by combining traditional values with a
modern approach to estate agency and a
customer-focused flexibility built around
the needs of the vendor.
In many cases, that means taking an
‘off-market’ approach, sending details of
the property discreetly to potential buyers
who have notified the agency that they are
looking for a new home in that particular
area, and avoiding the sign in the front
garden heralding the imminent departure
of the occupier.
“People are increasingly keen on
sounding out the market first rather than
announcing the fact that their home is for
sale,” explained Batcheller Monkhouse’s
Wendy Stirk. “At the same time, with the
market changing so swiftly, the off-market
approach is a great way of gaining more
insight into where the price should be for
an individual property.
“Inviting off-market offers rather than
listing a price gives us that insight and
helps us make sure the price is right before
32 | Outlook
advertising it more widely – if we even
need to do that. In many cases we find a
buyer for the home before it gets that far.
Wendy Stirk
Partner,
Head of Agency
“We have a central database of potential
buyers who notify us about the kind of
home they are looking for and we contact
them regularly to talk through any new
opportunities. The off-market approach
works for them, too, as they get a chance to
view and make an early offer on a property
before it is advertised to a wider audience.
Alongside a personal approach that works
well for both vendor and buyer, Batcheller
Monkhouse uses modern techniques
including social media advertising that can
even include targeting a specific village.
“In one case we had a client who wanted
to sell her large home but would only do so
if she could find a smaller place to move
to within the same village,” said Wendy.
“We put a post on Facebook describing
what she was looking for and asking if
anyone had anything suitable they wanted
to sell. Someone came forward and both
transactions went through smoothly.”
The off-market approach works particularly
well for vendors who aren’t in a hurry and
are happy to wait as long as necessary to
find the right buyer. It also allows Batcheller
Monkhouse to gather feedback on the
property and ‘tweak’ the price if necessary
before advertising it more widely if that is
what the vendor wants.
A client wanted to sell her
large home but only if she
could find a smaller place
to move to within the same
village. We put a post
on Facebook describing
what she was looking for
and asking if anyone had
anything suitable they
wanted to sell. Someone
came forward and both
transactions went through
smoothly.
Alongside tailored marketing packages
and an up-to-date database of buyers,
Batcheller Monkhouse benefits from
proactive sales teams across the region,
all of whom are committed to finding
buyers for all the homes across the patch,
not just those within their own area.
The firm’s structure is that commission
payments are split across the whole team,
therefore everyone is keen to help move
negotiations forward.
Each agency office has its own ‘applicant
manager’ responsible for maintaining
the database of buyers, making contact
when new instructions are received and
keeping in touch with them in case their
requirements or budget change. This is
also vital in building a relationship with our
buyers, getting to know them and their
requirements better.
“Keeping in close personal contact with our
buyers is really important to us and can be
very effective,” explained Wendy. “It’s not
unusual for someone to buy something
very different from what they told us they
were looking for, or in a different location.
Developing a relationship with buyers
allows us to get to know them so that we
can suggest properties they might not
initially have considered.”
In addition, all key staff meet vendors and
tour the house that is for sale, making
sure that whoever takes a call from a
prospective buyer is familiar with the
home and can in most cases answer any
questions they may have. Accompanied
viewings are also an opportunity for us to
get to know the buyers and understand
more accurately what they are looking for.
A member of staff offers to accompany
every buyer on a visit to a vendor’s home.
The combination of
‘traditional’ estate agency,
including high quality
sales brochures, and a
more modern approach
that makes use of available
technology has enabled
Batcheller Monkhouse to
create a versatile approach
to “modern estate agency”.
The property market is currently strong,
with prices holding firm after rising
considerably last year. “There are still
more buyers than sellers, which is keeping
prices healthy,” said Wendy.
One recent example of a successful sale
through Batcheller Monkhouse was a fourbedroomed property with a garden and a
good view in a quiet location. Launched
on the open market it attracted more than
50 viewings and eight competitive offers.
Contracts were exchanged within 21 days
at a figure in excess of the asking price.
0% VAT
The installation of certain energy saving materials will attract
zero rate VAT for a period of five years from 1 April 2022. The
number of items included has been extended and will be widened
so that homeowners are able to qualify for the reduced VAT on
energy sources such as heat pumps, solar panels and domestic
insulation. With building cost and energy costs rising, the cut
in VAT for energy saving materials will make renewable energy
more affordable for residential properties.
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