NEWS
Property market booms – but could paperwork delays burst the bubble ?
With average house prices reaching a record average of £ 266,000 and a quarter of properties selling for £ 30-40k over the asking price , it ’ s fair to say the property market is experiencing a significant upswing .
Motivated sellers and buyers alike are rushing to secure the property of their dreams . Recent statistics suggest a quarter of sellers received an offer within one week of putting their homes on the market , while 40 per cent accepted an offer within two weeks .
However , as OCALS MD Jeremy O ’ Connor explains , there is something of a fly in the ointment . “ With offers coming in thick and fast , many conveyancers are facing a rising backlog in pre-Covid files ,” he says .
“ As a leading personal search provider , we have seen the notable increase in requests on everything from drainage reports and energy assessment to residential searches .
“ With the sheer amount of paperwork
Property advice - OCALS MD Jeremy O ’ Connor
involved in every house sale , being able to provide such services under one roof can take away a lot of frustration and wasted time .”
With house prices rising , many younger first-time buyers are being priced out of the market and are looking to rental properties instead , particularly within the North-East , where rental demand is currently at 42 per cent . In Darlington , it currently sits at around 52 per cent – well above the national average of 39 per cent .
Such high demand again brings with it a need to speed up the process , saving time through efficiency and reliability .
By offering more than 80 different search options under one roof , and with the option of digitising the entire process , OCALS offer just such efficiency to solicitors , often shaving as much as three weeks off the process .
OCALS – which stems from O ’ Connor Associates Legal Services – is staffed by a team of local people , all experts in their field , with second-to-none knowledge of the area and offering helpful and friendly support .
Find out more at ocals . co . uk or give Jeremy a call on 07917 610893
AT THE DOUBLE !
The team at Mercury Wealth Management are celebrating after being awarded a second prestigious accreditation .
The new accreditation , from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment – the professional body of choice for the securities , investment , wealth and financial planning sectors – is a very rare achievement for the Stockton-based firm .
Only 69 other companies throughout the country have been given the honour .
Mercury ’ s team of 12 looks to partner with families , providing a relationshipbased service for those aiming to create , manage and preserve wealth .
“ We ’ re thrilled with this achievement ,” said managing director Oliver Bourke . “ Our team works exceptionally hard to attain such high academic standards .
“ It ’ s important to us to be able to demonstrate to our clients that their wealth and their family ’ s future is in the safest hands .
“ To the best of my knowledge we are
Mercury Wealth Management director Nigel Bourke , managing director Oliver Bourke and chartered financial planner Richard Berriman .
the only company in the north to hold both Chartered and Accredited status with two professional bodies .”
Oliver is understandably proud to be part of the Mercury Wealth family and is committed to its growth and development .
“ To achieve accreditation , 50 per cent of the planning team needs to be certified financial planners . Your processes are scrutinised to ensure you offer full financial planning services to a client and the way in which you work and what you offer is inspected thoroughly .”
With accreditation reassessed each year , Oliver is committed to retaining Mercury ’ s high standards .
“ We have training schemes for all our financial planners and we seek excellence in everything we do ,” he said .
“ We are committed to developing the team and always striving to get better .
“ Our continual education is an essential pillar of Mercury Wealth Management , as we feel that translates to the very best service for our clients and their family .”
mercurywealth . co . uk
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