August and everything after

As Simon and I sit in the cool of our HQ in Michelin House, we reflected on several matters, including when we will we have earnt a light lunch in the Oyster Bar on the ground floor of this illustrious building. We walk past the diners on a daily basis, eyeing up what Claude Bosi has caught that day. 

Other reflections included if it will ever rain again* and what the September market will bring; to use painfully overused political language, its likely to be ‘challenging’, with ‘bumps in the road’, some ‘hurdles and headwinds’ and, with fingernails digging deep, ‘unprecedented’. Because everything is. And if it isn’t, it should be. Please ban the word, or at least fine people for using it. It could be used to pay for Number 10’s next unprecedented redecoration.

Also, that August, in the 24 years Simon and I have worked together, is always quiet. There, I’ve said it and thus broken Rule 2 in the Estate agents’ handbook – “Never say you’re quiet”. I expect to get shot down, but I’ll take the risk. It’s holiday time, London empties and even the ineptest parallel park-er could park a bus in Cadogan Square without worrying a fabulously valuable bumper. However much we hope tourists will come and buy a property, it’s rare and probably will be for another 24 years. It’s family time, or time alone, or time to explore, or sit and for the majority, July and August is the time to do it. But it can bring near deafening silence to Estate agents’ telephones. But they’ll ring again. They always do.

On 18th August, it will be 6 months since we left our previous employment on Chelsea Green. Storm Eunice was blowing up, well, a storm and it made for an unforgettable last day. The six months since have been, in the main, a fabulous adventure with inevitable frustrations of bureaucracy and hoops to jump through (some larger than others). One appreciates the support that a large firm provides but once the initial set up is done, things ease, hoops reduce, and much has been learnt along the way. (I can’t say ‘journey’ – wasn’t a journey a long drive in a car about 5 years ago? I blame X – Factor).

The principal joy of setting up was the branding and seeing it take shape - finally stumbling of the ‘that’s the one’ moment. It appears to have been well received (I know, I know, people lie) but we like it. The website and the enormous effort to make Simon and I appear approachable rather than an aged boy band, where the other three members have gone on to successful careers in acting. We are pedantic in how things should look and read. We know our audience, often far brighter than us, notice errors and these reflect on us. We don’t always get it right. 

Our greatest fear of setting up was, ‘Where the heck are instructions going to come from’. But come they did and from several sources, including old clients, buyers, buying agents and a couple of our competitors, all of whom we are hugely grateful. Every instruction brings elation as it is, in the present, ‘us’ that the client trusts rather than a ‘brand’.

So, what will bring August and Everything After (a fine album from my youth) bring. It’s an impossible prediction so best we report back when it has happened but with little heartening news on the horizon (we won’t list them) it’s likely to be tough. We can pull out the old cliches that London is the safe haven for the world in turbulent times (and it is) but our market is also driven by sentiment and this we need to be aware of. It’s not being negative (Rule 7 of the Estate agent handbook “Don’t be negative”) just a factor of good ol’ realism. If you confront the problems, you have a chance of resolving them. However, we’ve been through tough times and consider ourselves well positioned to use this experience to provide (what we consider) the right approach to a buyer or seller, and not rely on blind optimism. 

We have no party line to tow or targets to meet or beat. We’re here to advise and not tell and we sincerely hope the clients we’ve acted, or are acting for and will act for, will find some comfort in our approach. We look forward to the next six months and would be delighted, if you’ve has made it this far, to talk about how we might be able to help you, your clients, your family, or contacts in prime residential matters. Perhaps even over lunch with Claude’s Prise du Jour.

*clearly this was penned before today's biblical downpour.

For our ongoing updates follow us on Instagram.