Today you have possibly taken one of the most important and most expensive decisions of your life.
To move home…
Whether that involves just yourself, a partner, children or extended family it is a decision that you have probably taken some time to arrive at. We are here to make this next step as easy and ‘stress free’ as possible. We may be the first agent through your door or the last. We appreciate you have just had an unenviable day of making estate agents cups of tea and having some kind of ‘beauty parade’. All agents will seem to be saying the same thing and claiming the same incredible results all backed up by the most confusing statistics and case studies.
In actual fact, we all offer and ‘claim’ the same things but it is how you execute these services, that makes the difference. To try and make things a little easier we have tried to break things down into more digestible sections.
1. Accurate Valuations
Honest, straightforward advice.As a family business we only make money when we sell your home therefore we only take on properties that we are 100% certain of being able to sell. With some national agencies the staff get paid whether they sell houses or not and therefore are more interested in hitting their instruction target.
This can lead to price inflation and, more importantly, unsold property. We will only ever value your house at a level we can achieve and we will provide you with a wealth of comparable properties we have sold and prevailing market information to give to total clarity to our appraisal of your home.
2. Inspiring Photography
This is huge for us. So so important. We take enormous pride in how we make your home look and are constantly referred to as “only selling nice houses.”
We shoot in a manner more commonly found in stylish interior magazines than estate agents’ windows and our signature ‘lifestyle’ shots show your home in its very best light.
3. Effective Advertising
We all advertise on the same websites and in the same newspapers but it is how you present and manage this exposure that is critical. Flick through the Lichfield Mercury now and tell me which advert stands out the most. Which properties have the largest and best photographs? Which advert has the most impact? It may sound arrogant but I know you will say it is Downes & Daughters.
Now bring up Rightmove and On The Market and search for houses in Lichfield. When the search results are presented to you try and notice which houses stand out and why. It will be the ones with blue sky, drenched in sun. Again they will be our properties that stand out the most.
4. Your Friendly Sales Team
Arranging or conducting viewings is something we take great pride in ‘getting right’. We have spent years creating the ‘right team’ and we’re consistently complimented on our friendly yet professional approach. A sense of humour is essential in this industry and we understand you actually need to ‘get on’ with the person you will be speaking to more than anyone else for the next three months of your life.
As one of our previous clients put it...
“Thank you for being the best Estate Agents, Councillors, and Life Coaches that a very confused family could wish for.”
5. An Active Database of Current Hot Buyers
We micromanage our database of ‘buyers’ and being the leading agent in certain areas we are the ‘go to’ company and have recorded huge success even with ‘pre-marketing’ sales. It’s not always just what you know…
6. Constant Viewing Feedback and Vendor Management
...sadly the service most UK house sellers complain about and with very good reason. We take this part of our agreement very seriously and our minimum service standard is at least one ‘update’ call a week and feedback after EVERY viewing. As our client you must know what we have done, are currently doing and plan to do in the future.
7. Brisk Sales Negotiation
We believe our sales progression and negotiation service is difficult to beat. Our skills were learnt in London working for a top end agency. Negotiating on behalf of some of The City's top executives left no room for error.
It is a part of the sales process constantly overlooked whilst we at Downes & Daughters treat it as probably the most crucial.
8. Proactive Sale Progression
Too many agents when making a sales pitch concentrate on the items I have mentioned previously. However when you look at a standard house sale (if there is such a thing) we would estimate that approximately 80% or our workload is carried out after the sale has been agreed. This is why we can boast a considerably better than the national average fall through rate.
The national average of sales falling through before completion is 30%. Yes, 3 in 10 sales agreed never make it through to completion. Our fall through rate is just 20% - 1 in 5.
These statistics should not be overlooked and it is because of our meticulous team approach to managing the whole chain and enviable relationships with local solicitors that we can be very proud of these statistics.
9. Detailed Floorplans and Accurate EPC's
Such important tools delivered in a clear and concise way. Stating overall floor area and giving specific room dimensions. Normally one of the first things a purchaser looks at when considering a viewing.
10. Beautiful Brochures
We take great care, and pride, in how we present YOUR home. After all it is your very own shop window. We only print on the highest quality card and use the best inks available and our designers have created a simple and contemporary design to show your home in its best possible light.