Putting the right foot forward…

  • 8 years ago
  • 1

Well, that’s it all over then.  The Rugby World Cup that is.  There will of course be 3 further games of what could be some of the most exhilarating play ever seen, but for the Home Nations it is acknowledgement that yet again, no one was good enough.  Be it 1 point or a yawning margin of defeat it reads the same; close, but no cigar, not even a cheroot.  There is an irony that a nation with a population that does not even reach double figures is most likely going to walk off-deservedly so-with the hardware.  The irony of the situation was not lost on me when I drew the comparison with world of estate agency.  I know, even when watching the Mother Country twice lose the lead to SA, I am thinking of work.  Dedication is my middle name.  Cynics may say that the weekly Rightmove figures were a welcome distraction from watching my countrymen commit hari kari in front of a global audience.  What was evidenced over the weekend was that size and location can be massively overrated ( stop the tittering at the back, you with smutty minds).  At Cheshire and Co I regularly find myself being told by potential clients having told them what we as agents can do to ensure that their property is sold, “yes, but you aren’t in the town centre and you aren’t part of  a big corporate chain are you?”  Correct on both counts, (which, incidentally you knew before walking through our non town centre based, independent office-that you were able to park outside).  But they still came and on receipt into their bank account of the monies from a successful sale, they really did appreciate that skill, professionalism, commitment and hard work trump a shiny corporate issue uniform and the corporate mentality that goes with it (and I can speak with authority on this as I was part of the machine), every time.

Sartorial differnces aside, the other thing that got my attention was that Lloyds-the bank owned by you and me-had commissioned a report into ‘second steppers’, those who are taking the next step on the property ladder.  My first reaction was, ‘what has this got to do with increasing my share price?’  My second reaction having read the report’s findings, was that some people have too much time on their hands and need to get a proper job.  The report cited research that involved asking homeowners (it did not say how many), where they intended to get the deposit to buy their next home. Apparently, 14% would “consider” asking a family member for help and half of this unspecified number could not move for the second time without the assistance of a family member.  And?  I would reckon that 7% of those who decide to move would not have been able to without the ultimate ‘help’; someone popping their clogs.  As we all know, where there is a will, there is a relative… What was the point of that report and how much did it cost to collate such seismic information?  The report’s findings have nothing to do with Jeremy’s housing crisis, because second steppers are also benefitting from surging house prices, as they have a house to sell.  There will always be a proportion of people who fall outside the norm-whatever that may be-and it is the norm that people need help for, for any number of reasons;  it is called life.

 

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