The Wright Estate Agency in Major Property Website Initiative


Nick Julian – Managing Director, of the Isle of Wight property specialists, is joining with other
pre-eminent estate agents throughout the UK to feature their clients’ properties on a new and important property website - www.mayfairoffice.co.uk

“The internet plays such a big role in property marketing today,” says Nick Julian, whose firm has been ‘on the internet’ for as long as most. “Buyers often start their property search nowadays by visiting the area electronically through the internet. More and more buyers choose the internet for speed and convenience.

“Our internet strategy has to reflect this. So, in addition to our own highly popular and well-used website, it is important that buyers can find our clients’ properties through other websites as well.

“The importance of the new Mayfair Office site cannot be underestimated. It has been designed for ease and convenience. It is essential that major independent firms like ours have access to a national site that reflects our reach over the entire country. Buyers come to the Isle of Wight from all over the UK for a variety of reasons, and our association with fine estate agency firms in other areas means we can tap into a national group of buyers.

“This is a sophisticated, good looking and easy-to-navigate site, and one free from gimmicks. These factors were most important to us. Not only did we want to avoid long and frustrating download times, but also we wanted a site free of clutter. We required quick access to the property search portion and to our other specialist areas.”

The website covers the UK and offers buyers some very useful features including dedicated equestrian and waterside property sections. There is also an overseas property section for those seeking to buy a holiday home or investment abroad.

For further information about The Wright Estate Agency and the new Mayfair Office website please contact Nick Julian on 01983 822 122. - www.mayfairoffice.co.uk

Craig Davis –

Is a Negotiator based at our busy Shanklin office and has been with the company for 2 and 1/2 years. Craig has recently completed his NVQ level 3 in Estate Agency and was nominated for an award by our training provider. At the recent award ceremony at Lower Hyde in Shanklin Craig was awarded "Trainee of the Year for Advanced Customer Service" by Isle of Wight Industrial Group Training services for his NVQ 3 in Estate Agency.(Picture shows Craig receiving his award from Linda Stone Customer Services Program Manager from IWIGTS). Janice Turner the Internal Verifier for IWIGTS said “ Craig was a very competent student and produced high quality work throughout the course).

The Wright Estate Agency currently has eleven members of staff studying for different levels of NVQ in Estate Agency. “This is an integral part of our company training and something we encourage all members of staff to adopt no matter what level or age they join the firm. The NVQ’s give an excellent grounding in the business and help to strengthen our staff’s abilities.” said Nick Julian – Managing Director.

Natalie Draper -

We have promoted Natalie to Senior Sales Adviser at Shanklin office for her continued and growing support to Joan Blakley the Manager over the last year. Natalie has been of great help with training new staff and gives assistance to Jan in our sales co-ordination department. Natalie lives in Lake and has been with the company since 2001 with a short break in between.

Kathryn Timmins -

We have recently also promoted Kathryn to Senior Sales Adviser based at Newport office for her help with training several staff over the last year and her dedication to the main office role. Kathryn has been with the company for just over three years and is also studying for her NVQ level 3 in Estate Agency. Kathryn lives in Newport and thrives on the busy office environment.

By Ian Pollock
Personal finance reporter, BBC News

Once again the government has hesitated over its plans to introduce the compulsory use of Home Information Packs (HIPs) when home owners put their properties up for sale.
On Tuesday, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said she would not require the HIPs, which come into effect next June, to include a Home Condition Report (HCR).
Why bother with HIPs at all, then?
After all, supplying information about the state of your house upfront to a prospective buyer has always been the central part of the new system.
Radio 4 listener Niall Connolly investigates HIPs for Inside Money
At first glance, the government appears to be caving in to pressure from estate agents and others in the house buying industry who have lobbied against the idea.
Trevor Kent, former president of the National Association of Estate Agents, welcomed the latest development gleefully.
"I hope she will realise in due course that even this watered-down version of the HIP will be both expensive and unnecessary, and I call on her to drop the whole concept before any more millions of tax-payers money is wasted."
There is little doubt that HCRs have now fallen down the government's scale of priorities.
It says that making house sellers provide Energy Performance Certificates for their properties is now more important than speeding up the transaction process.
Vested interests
It was only in April that Ms Cooper backed the government's plans vigorously.
This is not a U-turn. We are bringing them in on a phased basis DCLG spokesman
"There are a lot of vested interests who make money out of the current process who are complaining about these changes," she said at the time.
The government first committed itself to introducing HIPs in England and Wales back in 1997.
It has long claimed that their introduction would be the answer to gazumping, failed house-buying chains and money being wasted by buyers.
But the progress of the idea since then has been slow and tortuous, including a small trial in Bristol and delayed legislation.
At first sight, Ms Cooper's statement gives the impression that the government may never enforce the use of home condition reports, which are simply a type of house survey by any other name.
She said she hoped they would still catch on, as they should still make things quicker and easier for people buying and selling houses.
But a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said making HCRs mandatory was still an option:
"The first stage is to see how they work on the ground. This is not a U-turn. We are bringing them in on a phased basis," he said.
There will be a series of further tests and pilot projects, he pointed out.
"It's about the timetable for bringing them in."
What is going to happen now?
Earlier this year the government decided to have a dry run of the new HIPs.
You might as well do the whole thing in one go Paul Broadhurst, Association of HIP Providers
About 14,000 have been used so far in house sales, but crucially, nearly all of them did not involve an HCR.
In fact, only 250 have done so.
So it is hardly surprising that the DCLG is now not sure that, in their present form, they are quite what is required.
The dry run will continue this autumn, but will use HCRs.
However, that simply is not soon enough for the government to be happy to make them compulsory next June - hence the delay.
Some people in the house-selling industry have been keen on the idea of HIPs, seeing them as a business opportunity as well as a good idea for buyers, and have been gearing up to use them.
Various estate agents, surveyors, solicitors and IT companies formed the Association of HIP Providers.
Their spokesman, Paul Broadhurst, said the latest decision to delay the compulsory surveys was "disappointing - wholly unnecessary."
He argued that as Energy Performance Certificates will be compulsory next year, the surveys might as well be, too.
"The energy efficiency reports will cost between £200 and £250, in any case. Most of that cost is due to travelling to and from the property. You might as well do the whole thing in one go."
Nothing to inspect
Behind the scenes, many professionals, such as surveyors, building engineers and quantity surveyors, have been doing the training courses which will qualify them to carry out the HCR inspections and charge sellers for their services.
Unless it's mandatory, there's no real need for what I've been learning Howard Betteridge
About 400 have qualified so far, with 4,500 or so in the pipeline.
Ms Cooper said she was worried that not enough had been trained so far.
But those who have qualified from the courses feel the rug has been pulled from under their feet.
One of them, Howard Betteridge, said he was shell-shocked.
"I've paid £9,400 for this course, I've had to borrow most of the money from the bank. Unless it's mandatory, there's no real need for what I've been learning."
One day, he may make some money from selling their skills. And one day, the HCRs may become compulsory.
But the government's determination to push them through has clearly waned.