Savage & Savage

26/07/2024

Day 10 to 5 Instructions in 90 Days

So I’m reading a book called, ‘Burn After Writing…’

In one the chapters the author wrote, “Predicting your future requires an element of self-delusion.

The difficulty is that sometimes we can make something happen as we intend to and sometimes we cannot.

And even when the intention is clear, the consequences must always be largely unforeseen.

Fortunately, our intention is rarely very clear.

Where are you going?

Where are you going?

Where are you going?

But really, where are you going though?

How about now?

And now?

And be clear on this: The question is not where do you want to go or even where do you fancifully dream you will end up.

Look at what you actually do.

Look at the patterns in the rhythm of your everyday life and extrapolate accordingly….”

Everything I talk about when it comes to property is the injustice of this industry…

So I launched my Zero BS Estate Agency brand August 2020…

Not because I wanted to take over the world, but because I want every single seller across England and wales that doesn’t want BS to achieve what their house is really worth…

In other words…

…help motivated sellers avoid an unethical agents (as my good friend and business mentor Jason Cannon Elite performance coach puts it) —> Agents who get in the way of a perfectly good sale …

Am I going in the right direction?

I think so…

Any guarantee of what I’m doing will work?

No…

But I’m sure as hell going for it…

Why?

Whether what I’m attempting works or not.

Whether I meet dead end after dead end…

Whether I make it a success…

None of that matters.

This mission isn’t about me.

It’s about doing what’s right, even if it hurts….

25/07/2024

“I Believe Agents Should Sell a Sellers Property For Free If They Fail To Deliver on Their Price Promise…”

I was told once that I should never, ever offer to sell someones property for free…

But…

Fail to deliver the results I've promised a seller, yet expect to get paid for non delivery of promises shows a willingness to deceive or take advantage of another human-being, which in my view is unethical.

Failing to deliver results I've promised leads sellers down the path of failed property sales...

For the record, 100% of properties that come to market should sell..!

There are buyers for every property in every area in any market.

Yet according to Christopher Watkin a marketeer in Estate Agency, 47% of all property that comes to market in England and Wales fails to sell...!!

I replied to a comment on his post, “They (home sellers) don’t normally sell because most agents don’t know how to tell the truth and get away with it, so they bullsh*t their way to instructions and once instructed, rely on hoping they can get the seller down on price…”

Don’t get me wrong, there are sellers out there chancing their arm and agents only too willing to take a property on they know won’t sell…

Problem for sellers who want the truth.

Most Estate Agency’s aren’t built that way.

They’re built around keeping the lights on…

Meeting payroll…

Keeping the office doors open.

So they’ve learnt to be the masters of double speak.

If you've heard the word Doublespeak before, it's the language that deliberately distorts, disguises, obscures, hides, or reverses the meaning of words.

Said differently, when an agent says, “We’ll easily be able to achieve the valuation we’ve given you…

…but we’re going to have to work really hard....”

Is doublespeak for, “We know we’re not going to get anywhere close to that price, but thats okay, you were stupid enough to sign our 22 week sole agency contract…”

Literally, sellers are treated with contempt.

The consequence for sellers, is that buyers aren’t stupid…

They’re generally more knowledgable than most individual agents because they get to see all the properties similar to yours in the area…

and agents under pressure to meet their office KPI’s tell buyers what the real money is…

Then if the buyer does make you an offer, do their best to make you accept it...

Is that working for you?

The point I’m making…

Agents weld great power.

But do they have the courage to lose a seller's instruction.

Because if they can't help themselves from saying things that sound nice thier advice will cost you a lot of money.

So a general rule of thumb…

The longer a sole agency contract is without the agency providing proof of what property's similar to yours are really selling for including their selling methodology that consistantly delivers results (you can hold them accountable to)…

Then they either don't know what they're doing or their delibrately bullsh*tting you…

The way I see it…

An agent who’s expecting to be paid after asking a seller to reduce the price of their property should sell the property for free…

For example…

If I fail to deliver on the price promise I’ve made a homeseller, I should sell their property for free…

After all…

Agents who promote themselves as experts, should deliver expert results…

If you’re a Marlow homeowner who wants to know exactly how to sell your home properly and for the money you deserve without fluff or agent double speak, I’ve written an ebook [FREE] just for you.

It’s the exact 9 steps I use to sell my clients homes within 30 days for what they're really worth . Click link below to download now.

The ultimate guide for UK homeowners who want to sell their property quickly and achieve the highest possible net profit

16/07/2024

Can I 5 instructions in 90 Days From Scratch

The unfortunate reality in Estate Agency is that honesty rarely wins

At a party last weekend, I had an eye-opening conversation with an estate agent who’s thoroughly pi**ed.

He's fed up with losing instructions simply because he's committed to telling the truth.

The unfortunate reality in our industry is that honesty rarely wins because most agents lie to win instructions…

Worse than that, because they know they won’t perform, they convince sellers to lengthy and empty contracts they’re unable to get out of…

An Operations Director whose agency has over 50 offices told me that winning instructions is more important than the sellers' final outcomes.

No sh*t… this guy actually said that..

He said, “John, it’s not job to care about what a seller achieves. Your job is to get as many properties on the market as you can…”

Liars and cheats wasn’t something I didn’t know…

But to hear out loud!!

A former negotiator in this charlatan business revealed that their agents are incentivised to get the seller to reduce the price the sales manager said he could achieve…

In other words, whoever was the last agent was who got the price reduced to the level it eventually sold for, they were paid 3% commission of the total fee…!

If you’ve watch any of my TikTok videos, I expose industry malpractice and support agents who are committed to the truth.

The problem is, a lot of decent human-beings who have become agents lose to liars and because they don’t know how to tell the truth and get away with it : (

So over the next 90 days, my mission is to tell all…

The Goal…

To win five instructions in Marlow without using property portals.

Nor can my fee be less than 1.5%…

My only tools, are sales letters, my feet, facebook, landing pages and websites.

If you're a homeowner who values honesty, join me on this 90-day journey.

Follow my updates, learn from my experiences to ensure the truth-telling agents succeed and you get the best outcomes.

Not tied to a contract you can’t get out of with an agent that’s under performing.

ps. Subscribe to my Zero BS Estate Agency Podcast and TikTok channel.

Day 1 of 90 Complete

12/01/2024

“Was Jimmy Hendrix Murdered in Ladbroke Grove…?”

No word of a lie, this was the exact title of ‘I love The Grove’, a podcast where I used interview business, organisations and those running community initiatives in Ladbroke Grove…

Not only did I get to uncover people running businesses you never knew existed, I also got to discover things about Ladbroke Grove I never would have thought happened growing up there….

The Ladbroke Grove race riots…

The Clash...

A actual country called Festonia…

Cut Throat Alley…

I recorded with local historian Aidan McManus all about Ladbroke Grove’s rich history.

Aiden and I were mad passionate these episodes. But he was the star of the show.

We’d record in a pub or on a walk, local cafes…

Anywhere we could.

The level of detail went to, anything else wasn’t worth knowing if he didn’t know it.

So there I am hanging off Aidans every word and my draw dropped when he said Hendrix served in the 101st Airborne.!!!

"No fu***ng way...!"

So was Hendrix murdered in in the Samakan Hotel off Ladbroke Grove or did he die from a sleeping pill overdose.

The stories of those closest to him when he died are proper sketchy…

But that didn't matter... it was another of episode of pure dopamine.

And here I am again.

Only this, time a podcast all about where I live in Marlow.

I said this week I’ll have 10 podcast episodes recorded in the next thirty days.

Today I’ve had 5 Marlow businesses agree to record an episode with me.

Cannot wait to uncover the gold within Marlow too

If you live or know any organisations, community initiatives or businesses in Marlow that you believe would be up for coming on the show to, could you tag them in the comments below?

11/01/2024

“You can say that..! You’re just an Estate Agent…”

Char and I had just come back from spending a year in Oma.

My old bosses asked if I wanted my Sales Manager role back.

Starting where I left off, I set to work on getting my sellers property prices reduced so that we stood a chance of selling them.

“Hang on a minute John…!” I hear you ask..

Price reductions aren’t in my vocabulary.

I hate them.

They’re awful and shouldn’t be allowed to exist.

Unfortunately though, it’s a common bait and switch tactic used by agents to cheat sellers literally out of their homes.

This is how it works…

They give you price much higher than the real value.

At the same time, they massively reduce their fee to .075%…

And you think you’ve got a massive bargain,

But to get you the money they’ve said they can get you, you’ve just got to sign their sole agency 20 week contract…

The high price and the ridiculously low .75% fee is the bait.

The contract they get you to sign because of FOMO is the switch.

They never had any intention of selling your home.

It just gets added to a pool of properties on their data base to price reduce.

So if I know that, why was I attempting to price reduce?

1. Because I can’t have property on my books I can’t sell
2. That’s massively unfair on the seller
3. I inherited at least 3 properties that were over the money and I was working out which of the sellers I could work with and those I couldn’t.

To cut a load of back and forth conversations out of this story with a particular seller…

When I told her that if we couldn’t agree on a new marketing price, I would dis-instruct myself…

“YOU CANT SAY THAT… YOU’RE JUST AN ESTATE AGENT…!”

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand I operate in a negative reputation industry.

And I always lead with empathy for someone else’s situation first.

But the moment she said, “you’re just an Estate Agent…” was the moment I politely dis-instructed myself…

Yet I could have done what most other agents do.

Hide behind the signature she signed on the contract and reminded her that until the contract length had come to an end…

And including the 28 day notice period had expired written in the small print, only then, would she be allowed to break free.

But behind closed doors my colleagues and I would conspire against her.

The point I’m making is that if you’re serious about selling your home, take all emotion out of the sale.

If you don’t, succumbing to an agents words without coldly checking the facts first will cost you thousands.

Ps. if you’re about to sell your home and don’t know what to ask agents, watch this tiktok video I recorded below.

1587 likes, 68 comments. “Four killer questions for estate agents at valuation”

10/01/2024

Day 2 of Building My Marlow Estate Agency

“I Was The World’s Worst Estate Agent…”

Standing there outside the flat I felt like a pr******te.

My problem…

No-one was leaving property viewings with a happy ending.

"What had I done...?" I thought to myself regretably.

Just months before I was in the Parachute Regiment. An elite and hugely respected regiment across the entire world.

And here I was in an industry where I’m disliked before I say a word and distrusted before I open a single door.

Why did I ever watch that fly on the wall documentary about Estate Agency with some fella saying he was carrying 180Ibs of kit and equipment during basic training…

Utter bollocks…

The only time I had 180LBS on my back was crossing the boarder into Iraq...

"He absolutely couldn't do my job, but I could 100% do his..."

Char was pregnant with Amelie, and after the tour of Iraq, no way was I going to risk Amelie growing up without her Dad.

Since 2003, 17 of my Regiment have died.

And there I was, an Estate Agent getting more complaints than offers.

I hadn’t a single clue what I was doing and it hurt.

I had a come from a process driven organisation to an industry that either didn’t know what a process was, or the reality, colleagues didn’t want to share how to be successful…

This industry isn’t built like the military.

I hated it…

I had no idea what I doing.

I never hid in Iraq, yet here I was hiding in the office pool car scared of the phone.

I read sales books in an attempt to work it all out.

I watched sales videos.

Nothing was working.

But I could see sellers suffering in the market place because agents across the board saying things that sounded nice that turned into a sellers ultimate nightmare.

Bad practice.

A lack of ethics.

A massive lack of integrity.

Everything I despised sat in one industry.

But I couldn’t leave.

Amelie was weeks away from being born.

Equally, I had huge desire to protect homeowners from the predators snaring the vulnerable.

Finally and after failing for three months on the job a colleague gave me 3 buyer qualification questions and everything changed.

I still had my parachute regiment mentality of, “never be beat, won’t be beat…” and started to get offers and tying up some deals on the way…

Within two years I was a sales manager…

Since 2005 I’ve sold countless properties achieving a 99.47% valuation accuracy rate which is 3% better than what my competitors achieve.

Why?

Because I vowed to change this industry.

My number 1 principle in this industry should be a given.

“Always do whats right, even if it hurts…”

But it’s not a given.

So I stuck with this industry because I can’t stand the injustice of buyers and sellers being lied to. After all, who else was going to protect sellers that want to be shown the right way?

Today, I interview on my Zero BS Estate Agency Podcast on iTunes the agents and industry personalities that share the same ethos as I do so...

No one pays me to do it…

But if I’m going to practice what I preach…

“Always do whats right, even if it hurts…” right?

09/01/2024

"Got To Make The Dreams Come True..."

So I was asked to introduce myself and what I'm gonna do in the next 30 days to move the needle forward...

I responded, "Hi, my name is John.

I'm a UK Estate Agent with a passion for results.

I don't waste time - I find the opportunity and seize it for my clients.

I’ve always done this though for other businesses. Never for myself or my family…

Only now after years standing on the side line, am I getting the courage to walk alone.

I talk straight. Negotiate hard and reveal shady tactics most agents don't want you to know.

But why do I reveal the shady tactics in this industry?

Because I have this burning desire to protect people…

I need to turn my expertise of selling houses into a winning formula for not only homesellers, but to make sure I can keep my family financially safe working for myself.

I've been to war...

but this is scary.

In the next 30 days I will have…

--> my estate ageny website completely build.

--> 2 ebooks written to act as lead magnets for homesellers in my local area to get them on my email list.

--> 10 podcast recordings with local businesses highlighting who they are and what they do.

--> Have my buyer qualification course for estate agents refined and launched with testimonials..."

Documenting the journey...

03/07/2023

“The Number 1 Mistake Homeowners Make When They Hire Estate Agents…”

If you asked a builder to build you a wall and he dug you a driveway, would you pay him?

If you asked a taxi driver to take you to the airport and delivered you to the local docks, would you pay him?

What a surgeon who amputated the wrong leg, that guy is getting sued…

Yet homeowners fall prey to these builders, taxi drivers and surgeons all the time which is why I don’t believe in sellers signing an estate agents contract…

99.99% of the time they are weighted 99.99% in favour of the agent.

They don’t perform.

You can’t get out of their contract.

But for me as I wrote in my book, ‘Zero BS Estate Agency,’ —> RULE #1 An Estate Agent is a like a rented piece of equipment, and like any rented asset, if it’s not performing, it should be able to be handed back without penalty…

Chris who runs a PR company copied me in to this post written by Seth Godin about contracts, “The only variable is how specific you're willing to be about who is promising what…

…specific contracts don't completely protect you from dishonorable people…

…what they do is make it really clear about what it takes to do what you said you were going to do…

Start with a good agreement.

But your future depends on doing agreements with good people…”

Chris commented, “Who needs twelve week contracts? Only the insecure….”

The mistake…

Sellers not only mistakenly believe all agents are good people…

They unwittingly give false credibility to the agent who said the most…

And often, the highest figure comes with the lowest fee…

The antidote…

Don’t sign an estate agents contract.

You’ll see exactly how expert an agent is then…

After all, sellers are the employers. Not the other way round…

Want the exact 21 questions?

Click this link

Zero BS Estate Agency: Estate Agents That Portray Themselves As Experts Should Deliver Expert Results: 21 Essential Questions for a Foolproof Selection Process Before You Hire Your Next Agent...

29/06/2023

“I’m Officially An Author On Amazon…”

Seems odd that I write almost every single day yet fallen short of writing a book…

From all the stories I tell, why haven’t I written a book?

For the same reasons most people don’t.

“Who am I to write a book?”

“Who’ll read it…“

“Will it sell…”

“What if it’s rubbish…”

Thing is.

They’re powerful emotions.

This book has been gathering internet dust in my Google drive since 2016…

As far back as 2007 I was asking a colleague how I could get in every sellers head.

My topic: Estate Agency.

Angle: blow the doors off this industry.

Like the final fight scene in ‘saving private ryan’ where Corporal Upham goes coward to courageous getting his revenge…

Doesn’t matter I’ve somehow managed to amass 56k followers on TikTok…

I had a book I was too scared to publish.

This book is my revenge on lying, cheating, unskilled and misleading agents who deliberately cost homeowners thousands and thousands of pounds on the real value of their homes…

…manipulators for their own gain.

For me, it’s theft…

Agents work for sellers.

Not the other way round...

So I’ve given homeowners a behind the scenes insight of exactly how most agencies really operate behind closed doors…

In other words…

I’ve just created a load of enemies.

But you know me, “Always do what’s right, even if it hurts…”

Why?

Because I want sellers to have something in their hands enabling them to see the choice…

Either be happy to be lied to…

Or

Be enlightened…

Either way, sellers win

Available on Amazon.

Link in the comments.

26/06/2023

“£75k Difference Agents Valuations…”

So I get this comment on my TikTok channel, “We’ve had 2 local Estate Agents value our house and there’s a £75k difference in their valuations. What shall I do..?”

“So a seller said to me once ,” I said, “John, I like you, but I’m not giving you my property. You’ve clearly over valued it to win my instruction…”

I hadn’t…

But I did have one buyer who was perfectly placed to make them an offer £80,000 more than what 3 other local agents said the house was worth.

So I told the seller to put in three rules if they were going to give me their property.

1. I wasn’t allowed market their property…

2. They were not allowed to sign my sole agency contract…

3. I was only allowed one viewing.

And if didn’t work out with my buyer, we could all walk away.

And that’s what we did.

Literally, based on my own rules, I was allowed only one viewing.

We achieved £80,000 more than what the next three agents valued it at.

The reality though, this is a rare event.

But I knew my buyer inside out…

You see, if we had of marketed the property and this buyer declined making an offer I would have caused the sale of this property to fail big time…

The seller would have looked greedy, yet it was my suggestion.

Knowing the consequences, I couldn’t let that happen.

I extend the same advice to you.

If an agent is saying the big money, and your concerned about losing out on the big money, you have nothing to lose if…

1. You confirm in writing that you’ll pay their fee should they successfully sell your home but decline to sign their contract…

2. They are not allowed to market your property.

3. And lastly, they only have a 7 day window to bring their top 5 buyers to your home at the valuation they told you…

And if the agent doesn’t perform, what have you lost?

You never signed a lengthy contract…

You never exposed your property to market…

You will gained so much insight in real time data.

You can’t lose…

26/06/2023

“We’ve had 2 local agents Estate Agents value our house and there’s a £75k difference in their valuations. What shall I do…?”

23/06/2023

“I Rather Lose Winning…”

So my first valuation went exactly to plan.

The only thing is, I’ve not won the instruction…

Beautiful house.

Excellent location.

Parking, where parking is a premium.

There’s so much going for it.

The problem…

There’s very little room for telling the truth in this industry.

“Oh I wouldn’t sell for that…” the seller said.

And I get it.

Another agent has just said £200k more than what there is comparable evidence for.

The truth hurts…

Equally it looks like I don’t know my market…

That I attempting to sell their property to one of my developer mates…

Or trying to sell their home cheap to make a quick buck…

The reality.

Home sellers generally believe the man who’s said the most.

But it’s not their fault.

It’s called the ‘anchoring effect…’ a cognitive bias that agents use against sellers enabling the agent to sell long sole agency contracts…

Said differently, agents price/value property based not on evidence, but on what they believe another agent will say.

The problem for the seller, they’re become anchored to the eye watering money and base every future decision and financial consideration on the eye watering money even though it’s not real.

In other words…

The anchor allows agents to sell lengthy contracts and confidently beat sellers down on price later, saying things like, “The market is not what we thought it was, and strongly suggest reducing the price to attract buyers…”

It’s a joke…

My advice to this seller, “I would love to work with you. But I can’t get involved at £1.1m as I don’t have the evidence…£900k maybe…”

[rule #7 Think Like Surveyor Thinks]

I went on, “If they truly believe in what they’re telling you, give them a mission…

1. Ask them to bring their top 5 buyers to your home within the next 7 days.

2. But they’re not allowed to market your property.

3. Agree in writing to pay their fee should they be successful, but do not sign their contract…

… and if they manage to sell your home at the price point their telling you, then brilliant for you and fair play to them...

…But if they don’t, what have you lost? Nothing, because you didn’t go to market…”

“But most sellers,” I went on, “won’t enforce the 7 day window. They’ll absolutely market their property and they will sign the agents contract…

…and if that’s you, that’s okay, my door is always open if it doesn’t work out..”

The point I’m making…

Winning instructions is more important to an agent than the truth…

The interesting thing, the truth requires no hiding place.

Said differently…

If I’m judging myself on a KPI, I’ve absolutely lost.

But if I’m judging myself on skill set, knowledge, a methodology of maximise profits for my clients homes, by telling the truth or walking away from an instruction, (as hard as that is because I want to protect sellers) I’ve absolutely won…

In other words.

I’d rather lose winning.

Because most of the time, I can tell sellers what the future looks like, but more often than not they have to discover for themselves…

After all, I’m also a dirty estate agent in the beginning of the relationship.

It ain’t always pretty for them or me…

But trust is earned…

Not given.