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always been at the helm, I have had a number of team members who have helped maintain and enhance the Barry Allsuch & Co success story.
I feel it is high time to give a worthy mention to three of my senior staff who in their own ways as individuals have contributed to the high performance and professionalism of my company.
Some companies, I have noted over the years, make huge investments in state of the art offices, I.T. systems, huge media campaigns, but neglect the fact that residential estate agency is primarily a people business. I have computers, air conditioned offices and pro-active marketing but my main investment will always be in people. So without more ado here we go.
Paul’s stewardship is famed far &
wide
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Firstly, a gentleman whose solid reputation and integrity has spread far and wide, Paul Bloom is our Radlett Associate. In the 10 years Paul has been with me he has moved rapidly through the ranks to become my Radlett kingpin. Paul comes from a strong family background in business and sales and his communication skills are in my opinion without par in the profession.
During the working week Paul intermingles various roles, but his primary tasks are as follows:
Once an offer is made on a property it becomes Paul’s job to qualify the offer by gently checking the potential purchaser’s credentials. Once all is clear, Paul will report
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the offer to his client, the vendor, and negotiations begin. Obviously not every offer made is successful, but Paul’s negotiating skills really need to be witnessed to be believed, and if he feels a deal is to be done he will use a tactic I borrowed from Henry Kissinger known as “shuttle diplomacy”.
Once an offer is made on a property it becomes Paul’s job to qualify the offer by gently checking the potential purchaser’s credentials. Once all is clear, Paul will report the offer to his client, the vendor, and negotiations begin. Obviously not every offer made is successful, but Paul’s negotiating skills really need to be witnessed to be believed, and if he feels a deal is to be done he will use a tactic I borrowed from Henry Kissinger known as “shuttle diplomacy”.
Once a sale is agreed the real work begins. Paul has mastered the act of liaising with buyers and sellers solicitors every step of the way. He has built up excellent professional relationships with literally hundreds of law firms. Comments Paul, “Barry taught me at an early stage that the last thing a conveyancing solicitor wants is a young whipper snapper estate agent pestering him with the old adage “have contracts been exchanged yet”.
A number of solicitors I know won’t even come to the phone if they anticipate this sort of question. Of course the ultimate aim is to see contracts exchanged, but residential conveyancing can be intricate and a good solicitor will simply not exchange contracts until he is entirely happy with the paperwork and all that goes with them.
Paul has the patience of Job, and if asked, actually assists solicitors in their information gathering process.
Paul is also very much involved in valuing and he is usually accompanied by myself or our sales manager, Laurie Davis.
Laurie’s valuing is he forte
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This brings me onto another stalwart member of my Radlett sales team. Many adjectives spring to mind when I am talking about Laurie Davis, personable, knowledgeable, ambitious, loyal, convivial are just a few I can think of without embarrassing Laurie.
Laurie also comes from a strong family business background and in fact was the proprietor of a well known florists in Hampstead for many years. Laurie’s social and communication skills are so natural that the majority of his clients become friends. Laurie will go the extra mile for them and does regularly.
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Daily, Laurie’s primary role (assisted by myself and Paul) is valuing properties prior to placing them on the market. Stated quite simply, valuing is both an art and a skill and in an area such as Radlett only 100% accuracy is acceptable to me.
Regretfully over the years there have been more cowboy valuers than in Dodge City, they come and go. Their tactics are unprofessional. Flatter the vendor, come up with a grossly inflated valuation, rely on the possible naivety or “greed” of the vendor and take on yet another over inflated instruction.
Fortunately Laurie values accurately with the benefit of mine and Paul Bloom’s experience behind him.
Miriam, on the phone from 8:30 each weekday.
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Moving on to our rentals team, Miriam Gold our rentals manageress, has been with the company for 13 years.
Miriam works very hard and conscientiously. She puts in long hours and gets results day in, day out.
She has many retained landlords who ask Miriam to look after their rentals portfolio exclusively. Miriam has always been a perfectionist, She vets all tenants thoroughly and professionally before applying for references. Our rentals manageress is also ambitious. Whilst she has her office at our Elstree rentals H.Q, Miriam handles property over a 10 mile radius. |
This obviously takes in Radlett, Shenley, Porters Park, Bushey and Bushey Heath, Edgware, Stanmore and Bricket Wood. Of course we are very strong in Elstree, Borehamwood and Radlett.
As mentioned in previous editions, master builders Oakbridge Homes, are now commencing preparatory work on their three new exciting homes in Radlett, Tenbury Lodge, Burford House and Chantry House. If you wish to pre-register for information when we release these gems in a few weeks time, please contact Paul Bloom at our Radlett office by telephone 01923 852333 or email paulbloom@barryallsuch.co.uk.
We also have a new property being built and shortly to be placed on offer called The Dell, Radlett Lane which is situated in a rustic semi-rural location twixt Radlett and Shenley. I feature the first artists impression of this enticing property on our New Homes page 6. Again to register your interest please contact Paul Bloom at our Radlett office.
Not that long ago an embarrassed vendor came to Barry Allsuch & Co in a quandary. She had given another agent a short agency but had got no sale. She was coy as she had bought the property from Barry Allsuch & Co a while back and said she said she should have given it back to us to sell, but she was impulsive by nature.
We recognised a keen but albeit distressed vendor and having visited her property immediately knew the problem. Many rooms were cluttered and not really presentable. We politely reminded her of the old adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”
The vendor made frantic efforts and within 3 days was presenting a different property altogether. The second person Barry Allsuch & Co subsequently sent along bought the property “All the other agents said to me was let people take you as they find you and then suggested a price reduction to boot” added the now contented client.
A happy ending but the client knows the moral to the story, if you want your property marketed in a professional way call in Radlett’s longest established estate agency Barry Allsuch & Co. |
