Clark Weightman Consider Technique

Carl Bradley

I was talking to a new client today and he asked me about some of the techniques we use when marketing a property.  It prompted me to think about the tools that are available to us in order to achieve maximum market exposure for a client.

I try to keep all of my marketing very simple.  I often say to clients (and myself) “what is it, where is it, how much do we want for it?”  It goes back to Kipling and the six honest serving men – only I’ve simplified it a little bit further.

The first tool is our marketing particulars.  We tend to use a standard template across the business to maintain the brand image and also it keeps the information we give out consistent.  That said if a property warrants a bespoke brochure we work with some great designers who can help go that extra mile. The marketing particulars are then used for direct mailing and to send out in response to enquiries generated by the marketing campaign. They are also available as a download from our website.

The most valuable tool in the Agents armoury is the sign board.  A large proportion of our enquiries start with “I’ve seen your board on…..”  Again we try to keep the sign boards simple, but include basic information including floor areas and the use of the property so people know what it is we are offering.

We also maintain an excellent online presence. All the properties we market are listed on our own website, but we also list with Zoopla Commercial, PropertyLink and CoStar. Our marketing particulars are also sent to the Economic Development teams at the various Local Councils we work with.

We are also members of Property Agents Independent and Industrial Agents Society and where appropriately listed with Perfect Information Property.

Clark Weightman is also enjoying a growing following on social media and can be found on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  Whenever we get instructed to sell or let a property, details are subsequently sent out using social media.  Our reach is increasing all of the time and only a handful of agents have really embraced social media, so this fresh approach will give our client’s properties the competitive edge.

We also stick with some of the tried and trusted methods of advertising and use the local newspapers and national property press.  Responses to advertising have changed but I still feel that success largely lies with knowing which property suits each style of advertising.

Last but not least, our magic ingredient! Experience. We know the market, who is looking to invest, which occupiers are looking to move.  Agents used to have a “black book” of contacts.  OK, the technology is a lot more sophisticated now, we use a great system called Agency Pilot, but the principals are still the same.

My old boss used to say “know your stock” He was right; I’ve made it my business to know what we’ve got on the market and who is in the market for property.  Putting them together means that we can achieve our client’s aims.

Have you got something you want to sell or rent out?  Give me a call on 01482 645522, no obligation and always happy to put a package together for you.

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Autumnal Blues and Hull Fair Fudge

So, Hull Fair has started, something that never really appealed to me, but Mrs Bradley took the children and they all seemed to have a good time.  They even brought me back some Jack Daniels fudge and brandy snap.  We even spotted the vouchers in the Hull Daily Mail so the rides didn’t cost as much as first feared.  A satisfactory afternoon by all accounts.

It’s strange how annual events in the calendar focus the mind.  The nights are starting to draw in, crisp autumn evenings followed by the slightly damp mornings.  It’s a good time to have a quick check on some practical housekeeping points with your commercial property.

Over the summer there may have been a build-up of  weeds in gutters.  With the addition of falling leaves, gutters could be blocked and when it rains they will overflow and before you know it there are damp issues in the building.  It doesn’t cost much to get someone up to check the gutters and it could save you a small fortune in the long run.

As winter approaches, if a building is empty there is a risk of pipes freezing.  Frozen pipes may lead to bursts and a major cleaning up operation will ensue.  The options are simple and if practical I’d advise leaving  some background heat on in a building as most heating systems have a frost setting.  This will not only protect the pipes but will save the building from feeling cold and damp when a prospective occupier is looking around it.  If background heating isn’t an option then make sure the water is switched off and all pipes and heating systems are drained down.

Many property owners unfortunately overlook the fact that they should notify their insurers if a property is vacant. Most insurers have a code of practice for un-occupied premises.  This will usually, but not exclusively, include draining down of water and heating systems, sealing up letter boxes, disconnect electricity and gas supplies, removal of all combustible materials, boarding up of vulnerable windows and doors, regular inspections (and a log kept).  Each insurer is different.  Do not rely on this list, it is simply a guide, but do notify your insurers and follow their instructions.  If you do not and there is the need to make a claim you might not be insured.  Where practical we try to negotiate with insurers to allow windows not to be boarded up and electricity to remain connected.  We want the property to remain as attractive as possible for marketing purposes.

One particular area which becomes extremely difficult is where a property is let to a tenant but the tenant is no longer in occupation.  The landlord might not even be aware that the property is unoccupied.  There could still be some time left to run on the lease, the tenant is responsible for all the repairs, is still paying rent and has re-imbursed the buildings insurance premium in accordance with the terms of the lease.  In the landlords eyes the property is let and occupied.  In reality, and more importantly in the eyes of the insurers, the property is vacant and the landlord will need to notify the insurers and then ask the tenant to comply with the unoccupied premises requirements which the insurer stipulates.  We are dealing with two such cases at the moment and I can guarantee it is not straight forward.

If you are an owner of an occupied property and want a chat about the key issues, please give us a call at Clark Weightman.  We will be happy to help.

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Thank You

Thank You

We’d like to use our blog this week to say a very big Thank You to Jennifer Kirk who worked with us over the summer.  Jennifer approached Clark Weightman to see if she could join us for a couple of weeks work experience over the summer period and we’ve always been pleased to have students visit us for work experience.  Some enjoy the experience so much they decide to pursue a career in property, others to be frank don’t like it quite as much, but at least we have been helpful in a different way and helped focus their career aspirations elsewhere!

Jennifer enjoyed her two weeks so much she stayed for the whole summer.  Assisting with accompanied viewings, negotiations, research, surveys and valuations we’d like to think that we offered Jennifer a real insight into not just Clark Weightman but also what the profession is all about.

Having a degree in geography, Jennifer needed to make some decisions about her future career path and successfully applied to University of Reading and is now studying for a Masters in Real Estate which is the next step along her chosen career path as a Chartered Surveyor.

Everyone at Clark Weightman wishes Jennifer well with her studies and looks forward to seeing her again soon.  We are pleased to have played a small part in her career development.

Good luck, and once again thank you.

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The Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge is taking social media by storm, writes Clark Weightman Director Carl Bradley.  It’s an interesting phenomenon; whoever thought it up is pure genius! Get someone to pour a bucket of ice cold water over your head, nominate someone else and then give some money to charity, brilliant.  A work colleague even found himself excited to have been nominated and was eagerly plotting how best to take on the challenge to its greatest effect.  A mischievous glint was spotted in his eye as he analysed his options of who to nominate next though his enthusiasm dwindled slightly upon realization that everyone had apparently run out of ice.  I did suggest a trip to Grimsby docks as they have a major ice making kit there but he’d probably end up smelling of fish for a fortnight but alas, it is for charity.

Thinking about the way in which social media has driven this craze forward leads me to think about how we apply it within our business and how we can reach huge audiences.  I recently went to a business breakfast where Dan Germain was one of the speakers.  If you haven’t heard of Dan he is one of the founders of Innocent and is head of their brand and creative thinking.  The impression that he left from his short, but imposing presentation was that we mustn’t underestimate the power of social media.  The most amazing thing about it is that it is free – well for the time being anyway.

With this in mind we’re really focusing on what social media can do for us and in turn for our clients.  Whenever we put a new property on the market we’re letting people know about it through our Twitter feed, Facebook page and LinkedIn updates.  We’re new to Facebook with a modest but burgeoning following on Twitter and over 1,000 connections on LinkedIn.  It’s now an imperative part of our marketing strategy with any property we are selling or letting to promote it via social media.  If it’s your property, that is an instant audience that knows about the building’s availability.  With other social media campaigns we are signposting followers to our website which in turn has an excellent Property Search facility.  So if you’re thinking about selling or letting your property think about the work that we are doing via social media to find you a buyer or a new tenant.

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