Welcome to The Residential Mortgage Hub‘s new ‘Spotlight Series’. Each instalment focuses on one of our fantastic estate agent introducers, we ask them some of your burning questions about the property market, their practices and advice.
Our first Spotlight article is featuring Sharon Paterson, Office Manager for Lamborn & Hill Estate Agents based in Sittingbourne, Kent. Lamborn & Hill are accredited by The Guild of Property Professionals, which is a National Network of carefully selected Independent Estate Agents.
Have you seen an increase of enquiries relating to the Stamp Duty Tax Holiday?
No not really, we did initially we did but not since the begin of the year. Our only issue we currently have is people saying they want to be in before the end of March which is extremely unlikely!
How has Lamborn & Hill adapted to the challenges that the industry faces since the national lockdown?
It has been a big part of the main changes, we moved to DocuSign for all our agreements and now include videos on most of our sales properties. Our meetings are also via Zoom.
What are Lamborn & Hill’s predictions for the future of the industry and how do you feel that the events of 2020 will change the process of buying a home?
We do not think ultimately that the sales process will change that much, people still like to view in person to get a feel for a property. The legal side could do with a massive overhaul as currently this takes the longest amount of time. Regarding the market itself, we think there will be perhaps a slight dip later this year (after the Stamp Duty break) but with rates low and hopefully the government introducing help for first-time buyers this should keep things positive.
What advice would you give to a client looking to purchase their first buy to let?
This is a tough one as the rental market has so many restrictions with electrical reports and changes in laws regarding evicting tenants. However, the rental market is still strong with lots of people looking for bigger properties. As long as you can get a good yield of over 5% and make sure you have the correct insurances in place, it is a better investment than keeping your money in the bank.
What do you think the future holds for the property market?
No matter what this year brings, the property market will always recover and come back strong again.
Why should potential sellers consider using Lamborn & Hill over any of the other local agents?
We are a small independent with a great team. We are competitive on fees and always look to give all our vendors/buyers, Landlords and tenants a personal service. Our team are quick at getting properties to the market (other agents take up to 2 weeks before getting the property on the market). We normally get the property on the day that we take the pictures. As we are small, our clients will be dealing with the same people from start to finish, rather than being passed to a central office once a sale/let is tied up.
Get in contact with Lamborn & Hill Estate Agents today:
Tel: 01795 293 000
Email: Sittingbourne@lambornhill.com
Are you looking for mortgage or insurance advice? Get in contact with our team of dedicated experts to discuss your circumstances and options.
