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I recently came across this poem about investing in property, and thought you might find it interesting. Once you have read it, and only then, take a look at the date of first publication. Makes you think! “PROPERTY INFLATION” I…

I’ll tell you what you aren’t selling people – bricks and mortar. Let me explain. The Chief Executive of Black & Decker once said: “People don’t go into a DIY store because they need one of our drills. They go in because…

I spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing the differences between full-service high street estate agents and self-service, low-cost online agents with clients and peer groups. There are the inevitable fee comparisons, real people or computer algorithms, doing…

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has just announced a rise in the Bank of England base rate of 0.25% - the first increase in over a decade. The base rate is the figure on which mortgage rates in…

“Moving House” may be the term we commonly use, but moving HOME is surely a better description for one of life’s more stressful experiences. Few changes in life, other than a relationship, can stir such emotions. As a leading estate…

As the internet has become the first port of call for most prospective buyers, estate agents can feel somewhat swamped with so-called buyers. The issue is not a lack of enquiries, but which of those enquiries will turn out to…

Really? We shall see.  The way I see it, British house prices will at best keep up with inflation this year and next, with no rises expected at all this year in London, and the so-called silver economy appears to…

Very recently some local sellers have approached Lock & Key to sell their property following a less-than-impressive performance by an online alternative to “proper” estate agency. Although it is always tempting to say “I told you so”, we wouldn’t be…

I am engaged in a never-ending struggle with my inbox, receiving over 100 emails a day. Staying on top of them is like clearing the Augean stables. Of those, many contain the term “house prices”.  The first one is something…

As you look through the pages of most local property newspapers and magazines, all you generally see are pictures of properties. As you turn from page to page the only discernable difference between estate agents is their corporate colour scheme,…