A Very Independent Estate Agent
FIONA MCGARRY speaks to Alex Atabey of Alexander Estates
Alex is well aware of the reputation that estate agents have and has a wealth of stories to tell. He is at pains to stress that Alexander Estates is a bit different.
“There was a elderly tenant of ours who got evicted, and we helped him find a new place. He was really happy, and whilst we were moving him in, he said to his friends on the street: ‘Alexander Estates are great – I mean you wouldn’t invite an Estate Agent round for dinner – but these guys are actually good’.”
Alexander Estates is in Kings Road, St Leonards where Alex used to be a franchisee for the ‘Hunters’ chain. Alex didn’t find this model rewarding. In fact, he found it exhausting and soul-destroying. So last year, with the support of colleague April, he decided to gain more freedom and flexibility by buying himself out, rebranding and becoming an independent agent.
Alexanders offers a full sales and letting service. Although the business is ‘new’ in its current form, they’ve been in Kings Road since 2007 and have a lot of experience in the area. They love being part of the Kings Road community of independent businesses. ‘Independent’ is a word that Alex uses a lot – in fact he describes the business as “ferociously independent”.
When asked about people in this area who have problems with selling their property. Alex says: “Nine times out of ten, the seller will go with the agent who comes up with the highest valuation, even if it’s not realistic. They often end up reducing their price and getting less than they would have done if they’d gone with a more accurate valuation. We’ve sometimes lost out on business because – although it’s tempting to jump on that bandwagon – we’re trying to be optimistic but realistic. “Beware of agents who overvalue”, he says, “it’s just as bad as undervaluing”. Alexander’s pride themselves on accuracy, so that their customers achieve the “best market price in the quickest time. Any old fool can pick a number out of the sky. It takes experience and integrity to tell a customer what their property is actually worth.”
He explains that they would like to expand the property management side of the business, although there’s currently a shortage of properties. It’s a difficult market because of the increase in Airbnbs; renters tend to stay put, and some people are even happy to leave properties empty so they can move in when they retire at some time in the future.
April explains how some agencies do ‘block viewings’, and those who really need the property – maybe pensioners or people with disabilities – can get rejected out of hand because of the tendency to favour younger professionals. “We try to find the right tenant for the right property,” she says. Alex agrees – “We want to help the local community and not just focus on newcomers to the town.”
To find out more go the Alexander Estates’ Facebook page @alexander.stleonards.
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