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6th August 2018

Ignore the doom-mongers: there’s a whole new property market out there

If you want your agency to thrive, you need to adapt and overcome. And there’s never been a better opportunity to do just that, says Land & New Homes Network founder, Kevin Ellis.

I’ve recently been amazed by how much negativity the industry has been generating. Take a look on Twitter or LinkedIn and you’ll see a whole host of gripes about everything from the impact of online agencies, cheap fees, to falling property prices. Some of these are valid concerns and real challenges, but many agents would rather complain about what they can’t change than embrace fresh opportunities. Don’t forget, every market makes a market.

And there isn’t a bigger opportunity out there right now than land and new homes.

If you know anything about me and the network I created, you’re probably thinking ‘he would say that’, but our regional analysis shows that the number of planning applications, approvals and decisions remains strong (take a look at the council statistics in your area and you’ll see what I mean, or call me and I will show you the numbers). The government is serious about house building and developers are clearly committed – and they’re not in the business of holding on to housing stock; they want to sell their properties.

As an estate agent, that’s what you do best.

Many of the agents in our network are flying high right now because they are ‘squeezing the lemon’ in their territory and applying their skills and local knowledge to everything from part exchange to auctions, commercial property to shared ownership to land and new homes. Yes, residential property and lettings will be the backbone of our industry for a long time to come, but I don’t believe that just these two revenue streams are enough to sustain a growing business in today’s market.

Agency owners need to adapt and evolve, rather than ploughing the same furrows over and over. I’m firmly of the opinion that land and new homes must – and will – become part of the modern agency toolkit, and in many areas of the country this is already happening. It’s a relatively untapped market that offers not just the initial sales revenue, but lettings income and subsequent resale potential. Win/win/win.

The smart move, of course, is to become the go-to agent in your area before your competitor.

This is where we come in. We only allow non-competing agents from any given region to join our network and we can give you all the tools, resources, data and guidance you need to start operating in this profitable area of the business. Our members collaborate to bring profitable developments to life and you’ll soon learn everything there is to know about carving out a successful new niche for your agency.

Or to put it another way: we’ll show you how to create a land and new homes department that’s built for long-term prosperity.

And if you’re still concerned about the economy, the impact of Brexit, the tenant fee ban, or any of the other negative that’s doing the rounds, simply stop, take a good look at your business and ask yourself: am I in the strongest possible position to ride out a coming storm?

Add land and new homes to your agency armoury and you will be.