STOP PRESS: BELVOIR ANDOVER wins top National Award !

We are delighted to announce that Belvoir Andover has won ‘Best in South’ award at the glitzy National Belvoir Awards held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the East Midlands last Friday Night.

The business owners were on hand to collect the award which has recognised Andover as being ‘Best in South’. The south territory has some 20 offices within it including the largest office in the country!

Best in South Award 2014

Phil Pinkney said ‘We are absolutely delighted to have received this award which recognises the efforts made by the whole team to enhance and expand the services offered to both its clients and fellow franchisees. The introduction of selling property has seen the biggest level of interest and we do not intend to rest until the public knows how much better we are at that too!’

Greg Greatbatch said ‘We were not expecting this award which makes receiving it even more special. To be recognised as ‘Best in South’ really makes all the hard work our team has put in over the last 12 months, really worthwhile. We were up against stiff competition with the largest Belvoir in the country being in the same south region!’

This is the second consecutive year that Belvoir Andover has won an award at the annual gathering of over 160 offices at their annual conference.

Belvoir Andover acquired two local estate agents in 2013, being Redwoods and ClearMove. They also moved into their Flagship offices on Bridge Street and doubled their team. Lastly 2013 saw the introduction of selling property too and Belvoir quickly became the second largest agent for selling in Andover.

Daniel Tarrant & Phil Pinkney on the night

When asked about the incredible amount of change that has taken place for the Andover office in 2013 they commented:

Greg Greatbatch said ‘It is important for us to consolidate our progress of 2013 and ensure that our commitment to outstanding customer service remains strong. We have made a considerable investment over the past 12 months, which we believe was essential to maintain our undisputed ‘Leading in Lettings’ crown, but also adding the additional services of sales and mortgages that was missing from our previous business model’ 

Daniel Tarrant commented ‘It has been an exciting journey over the past year, partnering with the incredibly successful Greg and Phil who have achieved such a phenomenal success with their agent since I met them back in 2005. I have always aspired to be my own boss and in 2013 my dream became a reality. I am proud to be working with these two bringing all my experience in successfully selling property in my home town of Andover. Clearly there was a gap in the market for offering a much higher level of customer service in estate agency than the public were used to which has played a big part in our success’ 

Phil Pinkney said ‘We have been very focused on where our business needed to be in order to offer our clients continued stability, high levels of customer service and a range of services that were consistent with the needs and demands of our extensive client base’ 

Phil Pinkney & Greg Greatbatch on the night

When asked what plans the business owners had for 2014 they commented:

‘We have a variety of plans for 2014. All will further enhance the service level and diversity that has been implemented in 2013. We plan to build on the team success of last year but you will see some new faces as both Karen and Emma go on maternity leave’ says Phil Pinkney

‘Commercial property sales and lettings were introduced in the late part of 2013 which has seen an enormous amount of interest with a number of successful contracts exchanged with large blue chip companies. We are expecting to see more and more commercial advertising boards go up around Andover in the coming months’ said Greg Greatbatch

‘We simply need more property to satisfy the intense demand we are seeing for residential property and the surprisingly high level of buy to let demand. There has been an unprecedented level of new investors coming in to our offices this year and we are delighted to be helping these new landlords start to build their buy to let portfolios’  says Daniel Tarrant

Belvoir Andover continues to go from strength to strength and is recognised as the leading property specialist in Andover. If you have a property to sell or let, join the success story by choosing Belvoir for all your property needs. Call us on 01264 366611 or email: andover@belvoirandover.com

Belvoir has been an owner operated business since 1997 and is part of a national network of other like minded agents.

www.belvoirandover.com

Job Vacancies (Andover) - Negotiator, Senior Negotiator & Maintenance Co-Ordinator

BELVOIR Andover has been a high performing Lettings Specialist since 1997. Andover is a bustling market town and a property hot spot for Buy-to-Let investors. BELVOIR is part of a national network of over 160 independently owned offices, of which Andover proudly sits at number 5, with only cities such as Sheffield, Lincoln & Peterborough etc ranked above us.

We are focused on not only providing award winning customer service for our clients, but also to our staff. We are constantly investing in the business and we have seen significant growth (particularly over the last 12-18 months). We like to keep our business at the forefront of modern technology, presentation and lead the town for innovation.

With a significant market share and an increasing portfolio, we have the requirement for a Lettings Negotiator, Senior Lettings Negotiator & a Lettings Maintenance Co-ordinator. Each of the roles are crucial to the continued success and customer satisfaction that has been the foundation of our business. We are looking for people who are keen to develop their career and join our enthusiastic team of property professionals.

We are offering attractive packages to suit the successful individuals including; competitive salary, bonuses, possible car, pension & private healthcare.

Would you be open to a confidential discussion?

 If any of the above is of interest, please forward a CV to greg.greatbatch@belvoirandover.com or contact us on 01264 366611 to arrange an informal chat.

We understand that it could be a scary prospect moving jobs but we are confident that you would be joining a dynamic and forward thinking agent that values their staff and are always looking to develop their careers.

Costly waiting game as nine out of 10 buyers not willing to compromise on first choice location

Despite rising prices and highest ever consumer confidence - 79% expect prices to be higher in 12 months - only one in 10 prospective buyers are willing to compromise on their chosen location

Finding their dream home is a challenge – while a third (32%) say they have found a home in their ideal location, 58% are still looking or waiting

Downsizers are the least willing to settle for second best (92%) and while first-time buyers are more willing to compromise, 85% still wouldn’t look elsewhere

As national asking prices hit the biggest annual rise in over six years, looking a little further afield could give buyers a better chance of finding their dream home at a more affordable price

Despite more people than ever expecting rises in asking prices over the next 12 months, the vast majority of potential buyers (90%) say they are not willing to compromise on their chosen location.

Rightmove’s Quarter 1 2014 Consumer Confidence Survey of over 45,000 respondents found that nearly eight out of 10 (79%) expect house prices to be higher in one year’s time. However, against this backdrop of rising prices, only one in 10 is willing to look beyond their first choice location for a suitable home.

Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst comments:
“There’s a real mismatch between buyers’ no-compromise stance on their most favoured place to live and the rising tide of prices.  Playing a waiting game and holding out for the right property in the right location could prove risky as, with prices in some locations rising by the month, buyers may discover that the one they’ve been waiting for is over their budget.”

With buyer demand exceeding available property supply in some areas, and the market momentum gathering pace in most locations, buyers are faced with limited choice.  Achieving the goal of the right property in the right location, and at an affordable price, is a considerable challenge.  Some success is being achieved, but currently for only around one third of buyers. While 32% say they have found a home in their ideal location, 58% are still looking or waiting.

Shipside adds:
“It’s still early in the year, so there is some encouragement that one third say they have found their first or next home where they wanted it to be. There needs to be more property coming to market however, to make sure that the needs of those still looking are met. People who want to sell and buy again are sometimes nervous of putting their house on the market if they cannot see much for them to buy.

“However, once you have a buyer lined up for yours, you are in a much better position to pounce and close the deal on the property you want.  If it takes time for you to find your next dream home, your buyer will often wait. There is no legal obligation to move out, so just keep the buyer warm and it will put you in a much better negotiating position when you find somewhere, as you can then offer your sellers a quick move.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, downsizers are the least willing to settle for second best (92%). While first-time buyers are more willing to compromise, 85% still wouldn’t look elsewhere. These are still startlingly high percentages, given the challenges of raising finance and rising prices.

Shipside observes:
“The by-product of the credit-crunch years is that fewer are willing to compromise on location, and are staying put until a property in their chosen area comes along.  Yet if people were willing to widen their location criteria even within a few miles, they might find they can find the type of property they want, but at a more affordable price.  Furthermore, the down-sizers who are least willing to compromise might run the risk of leaving moving too late and have less energy to fully embrace the freedoms of moving into a smaller home and a new community.”

* Source: Rightmove Blog