You are about to be horrified. Foxtons coming to Rye Lane

[Cyclemonkey]

Well they don't always. I assume the promise high valuations to get the seller to sign up and then try loads of pushy tactics to try and scare buyers in to offering at the asked for price.

Last time i viewed something with Foxtons it was a flat that was advertised as needing "a little cosmetic updating" in reality it was a disaster zone that would need significant work. The agent was very pushy when i commented it was priced in the high side for something that needed a lot of work. They kept on with scare tactics like prices will be higher soon, loads of better off people from East London are interested in Peckham now, this could be your only chance etc...

I decided if Shoreditch hipsters were willing to pay ?350,000 for a rubbish ex council flat in need of a complete overhaul they were welcome to it.

[Otta]

We bought our flat last year through Foxtons and thought they were pretty good to be fair.

Although that's probably because it was through the new CP Office, but being managed by someone from their Streatham office. They were doing a commission free intro offer, and so had no motivation to find other buyers to gazump us.

[Mustard]

Their rates for managing a rental flat used to be 17 percent, which is far higher than any other agents. Don't know if it is the same amount now.

[skipper]

P'raps they could incorporate a 'pop-up' chicken joint in the Rye Lane branch. That'd be pretty darned cool. Best of both worlds.

[DulwichFox]

Estate Agents provide employment for Local People:-

A record number of people work in estate agents offices and the sector is growing so fast that it amounted to the fastest growing part of the national workforce in the three months ending in June, according to official figures published on Wednesday.

The Office for National Statistics said that 562,000 people are employed in real estate in the UK, the largest number since records began in 1978, with 77,000 joining the industry over the last year ? data that added to fears that the country is heading for a house price bubble.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/11/record-number-estate-agents-housing

So don't knock it...

DulwichFox

[jimbo1964]

For once I agree with DF. We all know what's coming there anyway. In five years it'll be so long nail bar, hello Pizza Express.

[Jeremy]

I don't agree so much... I suspect it's mainly a sign of a rampant property market, which harms more people than it benefits.

[lesalden]

Estate agents are hardly adding to the GDP. Better if all these agents were gainfully employed.

[????]

I'm amazed that the dirsruptive technology of the Internet hasn't destroyed the EA business model yet....gotta come soon. Good articles on this somewhere recently but can't remeber where?

[worldwiser]

In terms of skill vs fees, I don't think I've yet come across an agent that wasn't fabulously poor value for money. Especially in London. You can't tell me the costs of running an estate agent here are double what they are outside London, or that their costs have doubled in line with property prices in the past 10 years. Why are estate agents' charges linked to property prices anyway? It makes no bloody sense at all. Total racket.

[Sue]

worldwiser Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Why are estate

> agents' charges linked to property prices anyway?

> It makes no bloody sense at all. Total racket.

Yep

[cle]

Any opening offers, like zero commission? As mentioned, everyone hates Foxton's until they want to sell... $$$

[Cyclemonkey]

When we sold last year we didn't go with Foxtons despite the incentives because they were pushy and awful to deal with - we decided it waasn't worth the extra ?5000 they were promising to get us.

In terms of the internet makign estate agents extincy i found that the couple of places we viewed that were marketed through online agents were problematic. The vendor had to be around to do viewings meaning that viewing times were very constrained. Also one vendor was very evasive about some of the questions we had. I think the very fraught and personal process of selling your home is sometimes best handled by someone with a bit of distance.

[northdulmum]

For me the downside constrained viewing times and tricky vendors is far outweighed by cost savings.

I'm also a foxtons avoider - I've moved house 5x and never been tempted to use them when selling.

Plus I regard houses they market in a negative way, makes me think the seller is either totally na?ve or a bit of a greedy so and so and has an unrealistic view of the price. So it actually puts me off.

Foxtons moving to rye lane??? Why on earth is that surprising? it's expensive to live pretty much anywhere in Londo which means considerably high fees for estate agents. That's the aim - fees. Where there are fees, there will be EA.

[cle]

Which online sellers would you recommend most?

[Countrlass22]

Foxton in brixton high street now to

[MissKing]

It's hardly exciting news, Peckham has been talked about in the media as the next up and coming area for yonks! I for one would be pleased to see rye lane smarten up a bit. And for anyone who thinks that is bad, well it used to be called the golden mile and was big shopping destination! Take the lane back to it's roots I say!

[mojoangel1]

Foxtons useless would not use them they dont even check posy codes properties are in, think its intentional myself.

[Lazero]

When I was a first-time buyer I made the mistake of signing up with Foxtons. Their constant calls and harassment put me off. And when I moved next time I completely ignored their properties on Rightmove as they would be over-priced and you'd have to put up with them.

I didn't mind seeing properties marketed with online companies but it makes it very awkward to be honest about a place or to negotiate. On the plus side their asking prices always seemed more reasonable as the agency doesn't know the area, and the owner is less likely to try a ridiculous initial asking price the same way Foxtons (or even KFH) do.

There is also a tier of small "off the high street" estate agents that seem to be more popular. I dumped my high street estate agent for one, and friends of mine have had positive experiences. They're less complacent than the big chains and offer a more personal service.

[peckham_ryu]

Apparently the application decision will be on 14th July

Some forthright objections in the comments published online: http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk:8190/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=_STHWR_DCAPR_9559963

My favourite is at the top of the comments : "The over styled, soulless, and slick brand is out of sync and unsympathetic to the urban grain of Rye Lane and its independent shops and stalls."

Personally, I'm looking forward to a small area of the pavement which won't be an obstacle course of piled up rubbish.

[Jeremy]

Surely any objections need to be based on the changes to the building, not the nature of the business moving in (see also the M&S saga)

[Swit and bold]

Unlike most I have lived in this area all my life, things change seeing the development's in the area and new people living hear I'm not surprised that foxtons want to open a shop in Peckham Rye. Don't forget Peckham is zone 2

[Nigello]

Personally, I'm looking forward to a small area of the pavement which won't be an obstacle course of piled up rubbish.

Spot on! The lane is long and busy enough for a variety of businesses.

[MissKing]

I don't see why everyone gets their knickers in such a twist about Foxtons. Oh the outrage, an estate agent!! Let's brick the windows! It's quite funny really.

[Bic Basher]

The rubbish is left by the fruit and veg stall, not the furniture shop which Foxtons wish to take over. It's bad enough Foxtons sticks out like a sore thumb in Brixton without another branch in one of the poorest parts of Southwark.