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Finding a property that gives you butterflies when you walk in the front door is not always easy, especially in a market with limited supply like we have seen over the past 18 months. Scouring Rightmove and Zoopla and ensuring you are registered with local estate agents should cover you for 85% of the properties for sale… but what about the other 15%? These are properties which never hit the open market. I am not talking about the Rightmove listing you see which states “SOLD PRIOR TO MARKETING”…that’s just a sale that happened before photos were ready and a description was written. There is a sector of the market which never gets advertised and remains private throughout the transaction and usually after completion. So why does it happen and how can you hear about these properties?
Not all sellers want their properties advertised publicly. This may be for privacy reasons, security, a change in life circumstance or simply a personal preference, but whatever the reason, the need for discretion requires a different approach to a normal sale. When we are instructed to sell a property ‘off-market’ we speak to the most suitable buyers on our database first, so if you are not registered with the agent, then you will never know about these properties. Building a relationship with local estate agents is essential in order to hear about properties which others simply don’t know about, and that will also mean being frank and transparent about your buying position and how you are funding a purchase. You need to be the agent’s first call when they are instructed. These types of sales are becoming more common but tend to be limited to a handful of agencies who are able to offer the level of service and experience required to broker this type of transaction.
Hat and Home discreetly sold six houses in January, without the need for full market exposure. In each case we achieved a record price for our client. Our private sale service is led by me personally and matches discreet buyers with discreet sellers in the upper quartile of the market. With twenty years’ experience in the sector, in both prime central London and the local area, I know what it takes to broker a deal and facilitate its successful execution. If you have a property to sell or let which requires a private approach, please drop me a line to arrange a consultation. Ben Gee 07523106629 ben@hatandhome.co.uk
