Wirral Life January 2020 | Page 64

W PROPERTY L LOOKING BACK ON 2019 Speaking to Wirral Life, Skellens Director Guy Platt-Higgins recognises that "the property market has been tough in 2019 and certain adjustments had to be made to enable Skellens to successfully compete with long-established agents and those offering online services." Guy said: "2019 was our first trading year and we are proud to be able to claim that things have gone well for all those who have sold their properties through us. "We are consistently at the top of the “most clicked on” properties chart and we are continuing to sell properties quicker than other agents. Fortunately, we have never featured on the “slow movers” chart of shame. "Our achievements are down to good old-fashioned hard work, skill and a desire to provide the highest quality of service to all of our clients. “There are 2 important factors when it comes to deciding upon which Estate Agent to instruct: Firstly, is the valuation right? Secondly, is the agents fee reasonable? These are questions that everyone should ask themselves before signing on the dotted line… 64 wirrallife.com "Valuations can differ but ours are realistic. Ours will result in a sale. Overly optimistic valuations will not achieve this. They may seem flattering at the time but they will invariably result in properties lingering on the market and eventually the price having to be reduced. Lingering properties and price reductions rarely look good to potential buyers." Guy continued: "When it comes to fees, these also differ from agent to agent but we have set ours at a level which is always competitive. Our current fee is 0.5% of the ultimate sale price and we do not top that up with viewing fees, VAT or other extras. Nothing is hidden. Everything about our service and pricing is totally transparent. This fee is fixed until 31st March 2020. "It will of course take time to build on our reputation and to change the general perception one might have of Estate Agents, however, we are doing all that we can to make that change in the marketplace and assure anyone wanting to sell their property that we will assist them every step of the way and guarantee that they receive the very best price for their property, as quickly as possible, for an extremely competitive fee. So here’s to 2020! Best wishes to everyone for the new year!"