Why leading property professionals can’t survive without social media

Why leading property professionals can’t survive without social media

by Louise United Kingdom

Social media services have become increasingly useful to property professionals over recent years and now the latest survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has confirmed social media’s place as the essential online tool for successful companies.

The survey found that some 91% of US estate agents now use social media. Key reasons for doing so included lead generation and keeping in touch with clients. Of those surveyed, 70% were found to use social media in order to build relationships and network, demonstrating the value of social media both for maintaining contact with existing clients. Attracting new clients was also shown to be a key benefit of social media, with 64% of respondents saying they use the platforms for marketing and generating leads.

The importance of social media is instantly apparent when the numbers are considered. Facebook has over one billion monthly users, there are 500 million Twitter accounts, LinkedIn has more than 225 million members and over six billion hours of YouTube videos are watched every month. Furthermore, according to Pew Internet, 73% of adults who are online use a social networking site of some kind.

For property professionals in the UK and around the globe, the power of social media cannot be ignored. From enabling wider audience engagement to making it easier for clients to get in touch, social media is an essential part of the modern property professional’s repertoire.

In the UK, for example, some 80% of those looking to purchase a property begin their search online. Indeed, traffic statistics company Hitwise has reported that 1% of all UK internet traffic relates to property.

But with such a huge number of people to reach out to and such an array of sites through which to do it, the best approach can often be tricky to establish. That’s where AB Property Marketing comes in. We keep up to date with the latest research on social media usage.

We know, for example, that in the UK Facebook dropped 1.5 million users between December 2012 and December 2013 based on comScore data. We also know that Pinterest is now more popular than Twitter, attracting 21% and 18% of online adults respectively during 2013, according to Pew Internet. The Pew research also reveals that LinkedIn is particularly popular amongst higher income households.

AB Property Marketing’s social media service provides property professionals with experts in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo Social Media channels. Keeping abreast with the latest research means that we can take a personalised approach to targeting clients’ social media activity, thus capitalizing on each client’s ability to expand their reach and generate maximum impact.

To find out more about how AB Property Marketing can boost your business through social media, visit us at http://www.abpropertymarketing.co.uk/what-do-we-do/social-media/ or call and speak to one of our expert team today on +44 845 054 7524.

Oxford continues to shines with Millgate’s luxury detached homes contenders for an Evening Standard New Homes Award 2013

by Louise United States

Not only is a place at Oxford University still one of the most hard won in the world but the ‘city of dreaming spires’ has also roared in at second place in a recent Santander poll for the top UK towns and cities for business competitiveness.

Based on 20 factors that can drive private business competitiveness and success for towns and cities including enterprise, talent, connectivity, cost and well-being, the index is a comprehensive study of the largest 74 conurbations in the UK as well as 32 London boroughs.
Corporations such as Mini have brought wealth and jobs to the area and sales of the Cowley built iconic car have reached an all-time global high this month. In response to business demand a new hotel is earmarked for the area and DHL are hoping to open a new courier base nearby. Indeed these are not the signs of a depressed recession-hit county but one that is progressive and forward thinking.
Another business tapping into Oxfordshire potential is house builder Millgate. Developing their first eight homes in Marcham near Abingdon in early 2012 these luxury homes sold out in less than six months. Millgate went on to construct four further country mansions in Oxford’s exclusive Boar’s Hill area. This elite development was unique to the area as there has been almost zero new home construction in Oxford for the past couple of years – especially at the top end of the market where these homes sit.
Once again sales have been swift and just one of the four stunning homes, Highview Manor, remains. Featured in the Daily Telegraph, Oxfordshire Life and the Financial Times, this gorgeous house is now being considered for a prestigious Evening Standard New Homes Award 2013 for best luxury home.
Due to the success at Boars Hill, Millgate remained committed to the appeals of south Oxfordshire recently completing a third development at nearby Hinksey Hill. Named as one of the Top 20 places to live in the UK by Knight Frank, it is an area favoured by families for its easy commute into the city yet retaining all the benefits of a country location, Hinksey Hill is somewhat of a hidden gem.
Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director at Millgate, comments on the house builder’s achievements to date and plans for the future,
“Being based in Berkshire, Oxfordshire was virgin territory for us but after quickly establishing the high demand but lack of supply for luxury detached family homes which Millgate excel in building, it has been a hugely positive move. I have been delighted at the reaction buyers have had to our developments and indeed the Evening Standard New Homes Award we received last year for Beech House at Boars Hill.”
The Evening Standard best luxury home hopeful is Highview Manor. The Manor house is set in the grounds of former Warnborough College, believed to be the very first mansion to be built on Boars Hill.
The property has commanding views to the North over the Preservation Trust land towards the Oxford Spires and to the South backing onto ancient woodland and to the Downs beyond.
This inspired Georgian style mansion is set within south facing grounds in excess of four acres. The accommodation, set over four floors is large and spacious combining the splendour of a traditional country manor house with modern 21st century conveniences.
Highview Manor comprises: a drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen, family room, orangery/breakfast room, games room, five bedrooms and five en-suites, an indoor swimming pool, leisure zone, cinema, wine cellar, gymnasium, all weather tennis court and pavilion, four car garage and courtyard.
The house also benefits from a detached cottage with kitchen/breakfast room, living room and two bedrooms.
Also awaiting a hopeful accolade from The Evening Standard for best family home is Rushton House, one of four country homes built on Hinksey Hill. This is a superb three storey, detached house set in half an acre plot of mature gardens.
Designed for modern family living. A magnificent open plan kitchen/family room extends the full length of the house including an orangery that is flooded with light.
Upstairs the expansive master-suite includes a walk-in fitted dressing room, a luxurious en-suite and a large private timber decked terrace. A guest suite and a further two double bedrooms and family bathroom complete this floor. The second floor has the fifth bed with en-suite shower room and a spacious games room offers flexibility of use.
Rushton House is priced at £2,100,000. 
Highview Manor is priced at £5,950,000
For more information contact Millgate on 0118 934 3344or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk.

Where in the world…

by Louise Turkey

… Can you find an adoringly restored natural stone built house, with Laura Ashley interiors, surrounded by fruit orchards and olive groves? France? Spain? Croatia? The answer is Turkey in the local ecological village of Kirazli.

 
We have spoken to Karyn Phillips, the lady who owns this beautiful property which is currently on the market with specialist Turkish agency, Spot Blue. Karyn’s vision for property and building communities is something she has nurtured and developed throughout the years. Having spent 12 years at the hard end of social care, Karyn opted for an early retirement and took up part time property development… and if that conjures up images of two up two down house renovations, you’d be very much mistaken. Her first project was building a jungle house on a tiny Mexican island in the Caribbean.
 
Karyn has only ever been interested in unique projects which offer more than just a home in the sun, she sought out potential for small business opportunities and ways to involve whole communities. Karyn comments, “As we worked on each project we also found that contributing to the small communities we were in was as important to us as finding a viable business opportunity for the buyer.  We believe that our houses have to fit into their environment, offer something of benefit to the whole community and promote the area in general.” The house in Kirazli has the potential to be an art studio and gallery, small day spa or venue for art holidays.
 
Karyn fell in love with Turkey when she first visited, “We found a beautifully diverse country with amazing views, real drama in the scenery and a vibrant culture.  It really just blew us away.” Kirazli is perfectly situated just outside of Kusadasi, it is charming and tranquil yet close to Izmir airport and the Aegean coast beaches.
 
The house was bought with the intention of renovating it and selling it on to someone looking for an active retirement or overseas business dream, “For us it was always about achieving the reality of an idea, not about keeping the home forever, that was for the people who got to buy it”. Since Karyn’s husband passed away in April she has already set her sights on new projects in Turkey, each project gets more environmentally friendly and more authentic – key skills of a good sustainable property developer.  
 
The stone houses in Turkey can be difficult and costly to renovate, one of the reasons that so many are knocked down to make way for cheaper brick houses in their place. But true to her beliefs, Karyn’s intention was to lovingly restore the property using local craftsmen and reclaiming materials wherever possible. Every room was planned out in detail before any works commenced including interior layouts, themes and water colour sketches of the ‘vision’. It has been designed to be welcoming, combining wow factor with warmth; it has elements of Tuscan style with shutters on the windows and textured porcelain floor tiles in muted colours. With an injection of Laura Ashley furnishings there are also evidence of an English country feel from the shaker style kitchen to the hanging scented hearts on the cupboards.
 
If this property isn’t perfect enough already, then knowing that the neighbours drop round gifts of fruit and home made cheeses will help complete the dream. “When I am in Kirazli I know I am safe.  My neighbours aren´t intrusive or in your face, they just quietly accept me and watch out for me.”
 
Most of the families in the village keep goats and sheep for their milk, it is a true farming community. The village is surrounded by cherry (Kirazli means Cherry Village) orchards, vineyards, peach orchards and olive groves.  Everything moves to the rhythm of the crops, first the green almonds in April, then the cherries in May and June, then the peaches, the grapes in September and winter for the olives. 
 
It is no surprise then to learn that Kirazli is an ecological village. The headman Hussein, elected by the locals to democratically manage the village with a team of advisors, has ensured that the surrounding pine forests are protected and he has helped create a centre for ecological farming. As part of pre-accession European funding Kirazli received a grant to fund a three year project to establish the first organic seed stock in Turkey.  This project has just come to a successful end and further projects involve expanding the organic orchards. But Kirazli certainly isn’t without its regular amenities, the village has two butchers, two general stores a weekly bazaar on a Tuesday, a high school, two boutique hotels, a carpenter, a mechanic and several extremely good restaurants. 
 
Overall Turkey offers a huge amount to the careful and discerning buyer.  Prices continue to rise steadily and the credit crunch isn´t biting as hard as it is the rest of Europe.  Also, for British buyers flexibility on the currency you use to buy in makes it a good alternative to the Euro zone where the strong Euro makes prices hard to swallow. 
 
Apart from economic factors Turkey offers something culturally different, an appealing lifestyle and lower cost of living. It is a remarkably safe country with very low figures for crimes against the person and it is a country that still values the community.
 
And for those buyers willing to venture outside of the main tourist zones and the mainstream options there are huge rewards available in terms of discovering a whole new way of life and culture without sacrificing the modern amenities they need.
 
For further information contact Spot Blue on 0208 339 6036 or visit www.spotblue.co.uk.
 
 
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The Kirazli house is on the market for £245,000, it has three bedrooms, master with en-suite. Fully fitted kitchen with granite work tops; air conditioning, private courtyard garden and private swimming pool with waterfall feature. Available fully furnished. Contact Spot Blue on 0208 339 6036 or visit www.spotblue.co.uk for details.
 
 

“We Found the Perfect Property in Turkey on eBay!”

by Louise Turkey
No strangers to hedging their bets on eBay, the online auction house and marketplace, Ken and Tanya Griffith from Bristol have successfully bid for anything and everything on eBay, from cars to burger vans and from porcelain to…property! 
Here’s their story.
 
Ken and Tanya Griffith, who run a busy pub and juggle their time between an active family life with their three children and the demands of being hands on landlords, were using the internet to research their dream of buying a property abroad when they stumbled upon an advertisement for an apartment for sale in Side in Turkey on their favourite online auction site.
 
“Well, like most things, when we get an idea we just run with it” explains Ken, who together with wife Tanya had been considering buying a holiday home in either Turkey, which Ken had last visited 15 years ago, or Morocco.
 
“We have done a lot of shopping on eBay over the past 5 years and while we were searching on eBay for some more bargains we came across an apartment that property agents Spot Blue were selling in Turkey.  We linked through to their website and the process began.  It really was as simple as that!”  says Ken.
 
The apartment being advertised on eBay by Spot Blue, and which was subsequently bought by Ken and Tanya, cost them GBP 52,500 and rather than having to bid for the property against other online competitors they were able to deal directly with the sales agent Spot Blue.
 
“We researched Turkey some more via the Spot Blue website and went into discussions with Julian Walker, the managing director of the company after deciding that yes, Turkey was the location we favoured, and we were very excited and surprised at how easily everything came together.”  Explains Tanya.
 
“It really was just like buying any other purchase on eBay except we didn’t have to bid for the property in the usual way!  There are more regulations when buying residential property so the contracts all had to be done separately to eBay.  But fortunately, because we’d chosen to buy with a reputable company it was all plain sailing.”
 
Ken and Tanya bought a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in Side in southern Turkey on the Mediterranean coast and have paid a deposit and their first payment from savings, they are going to get a mortgage in Turkey to help fund the rest of the purchase.  They are going to view the property for the very first time this month and intend to use it as a family holiday home away from the hustle and bustle of their hectic lives in the UK.
 
In speaking about the purchase, Julian Walker from Spot Blue explains that: “we use eBay to advertise our properties because it’s an excellent way to introduce the fantastic range of apartments and villas that we have for sale across the whole of southern Turkey to a wide audience. “
 
“We don’t generally suggest that our clients buy off the internet without having first viewed the development, not having spent at least a little time with us in Turkey…but if buyers like Ken and Tanya come along who have very little time but a very definite idea of what they want, I personally will work with them to make sure that they are well taken care of throughout the purchase process.”
 
Ken and Tanya can certainly verify that this was the case for them: “Julian has been very professional, with no hard sell and plenty of real advice.  We felt we could completely trust him and he is very efficient with follow up calls and general processing of information.  We look forward to working with him more in future as the rest of the sale goes through.”
 
The Griffith’s story is becoming less unusual as greater numbers of would-be property buyers begin their research into homes abroad via the internet.  Locations are decided upon, inspection trips are booked, viewing appointments are made, and in an increasing number of circumstances, deals are closed via the internet with the buyer making limited contact with agents and sometimes even less contact with the property that they are purchasing.
 
Discussing the growing trend of buyers using the internet to at least begin their research into buying a home abroad Julian Walker advises: “people need to be aware that they are taking a risk if they do no greater research than simply looking at property details on the internet before buying. 
 
“We encourage all interested parties to take advice, to get independent legal representation and to certainly take a trip with us to Turkey to look at property.  So far this year alone we have managed to maintain a 100% sales success rate with clients who take this advice from us and come with us to Turkey.
 
There are clients like Ken and Tanya who have time limitations or even a very clear idea of what they want to buy abroad, and we can of course accommodate their needs too, but for such buyers I would always advise the following”: –
 
“Get a lawyer who acts independently to your agent or developer, use a reliable estate agency which belongs to relevant trade bodies, thoroughly research areas, prices and rental potential and make sure you understand your contract and what you are signing.  What’s more, only ever pay monies into lawyers’ or agents’ client accounts or escrow accounts, and make sure you retain some part of your payment until you take delivery of your title deeds.”
 
Currently being advertised for sale by Spot Blue via eBay are one, two and three bedroom off plan apartments in Altinkum.  They are for sale from GBP 22,950 and are within a resort style development that affords homeowners access to communal swimming pools, a pool bar, gymnasium and fitness suite for example.  There is also onsite security and a lettings service making these excellent investment properties or holiday homes in the sun.
 
For more information please contact Spot Blue directly on 020 8339 6036 or visit www.spotblue.co.uk.