One good thing about the property crash is that free-loaders who got rich with the skills and dedication of a piece of wood floating down the river are gonna get a wake up call. Not saying all estate agents are bad, i’ve met a few good ones, but several really bad ones. So here’s some advice for estate agents:

*If you can’t fit a bed in it, don’t call it a bed room, your not fooling anyone.

*If someone tells you what there looking for don’t just show them what you’d like to sell unless it matches their needs. It wastes both your time and mine.

*Visit the properties yourself before you bring a client there. Its so off putting when the person showing you around has no idea of whats in the house and can’t tell you a single feature with it being blatently obvious. “Lets see whats behind this door, oh this must be the master bed room. And this is the ensuite… oh no wait its a walk in closet”.

*If someones in the market for renting do not utter these words (yes this really happened!) “Don’t suppose you’d wanna buy one of these houses im selling them too.”

*Dont cancel meetings within minutes before your due to meet up saying the property was rented earlier. Cause you should have let the person know before they left to go view it. Find an alternative, even if its a colaboration with anyother estate agent or firm.

*Know what unoccupancy cost rate is and value it, have the ratios worked out in advance. There’s more to a deal than price and price negotiation has many varieties.

*Never reject an offer outright, always counter offer – even if the counter offer doesnt budge on price – counter with some small value add. Discount on Wireless with an agreed supplier; discount on SKY (everyone can get 75 quid for a refferal); discount on the local gym joining fee; restaurant voucher; the list goes on and on and on. Reason for this is an intelligent person in a market with excess supply will never offer asking price, but if you reject out right its human nature not to say ok then if you wont negotiate then i’ll give in.