Are you finding the right property hard to find?

Most people are used to the idea that we pay an estate agent to sell property for us. A perfectly sensible idea when the onus is on the seller to make the running in the process. But what happens when market conditions mean that suitable properties are in short supply? Sellers have too many buyers for their properties and prices go up: a rising market. Although sellers feel great about this and more than happily continue to pay agents to sell their property buyers end up feeling everything is stacked against them. Buying a property is an enormously time consuming business at the best of times but when prices are rising rapidly and supply is short then it can be a stressful and thankless task too. Or maybe you live miles from where you are looking to buy your next property and apart from the horrendous travelling involved in viewing properties have no knowledge of the local market. Then again you might be an investor looking to build your portfolio - perhaps in a new area where yields are higher but where you are uncertain of local issues that may affect your investment. Or maybe you are a developer too busy with your current project to source the next deal? RPS can help. We have a range of services tailored to the individual needs of each property purchaser.

Most homeowners are happy to pay for an estate agent to sell their current home while they spend their time looking for a new property. But does this always make sense? If time is short or the market is rising rapidly it is the buying not the selling that becomes the tricky part of the equation and since most homeowners looking to move will inevitably be both buyers and sellers in the chain that makes up the bulk of the property market then maybe it is time we all took a more considered approach?

If market conditions mean that the right property is hard to find why do so many people persist in paying good money for a professional to help them sell but baulk at the idea of paying a professional to help them buy? Cost? Well the figures don't stand up. Let's look at an example:

A buyer has a house which they are selling for £500,000 on which they will usually pay a selling agent's commission of between £6,500 and £12,500 depending on the type of agency and deal they manage to negotiate. The same buyer is looking to upgrade to a house worth £650,000 on which he might pay a professional property finding service a fee of 1% or £6,500. So no difference there. And if the same buyer were looking to downsize to a flat for example worth £350,000 the finder's fee would be considerably less than the estate agents selling fee!

But employing a professional to help you find and secure your next home offers you potentially so much more than this! For those with busy lives there is the obvious saving on time (and therefore money). A professional property finder can also ensure that you get first access to properties as soon as they become available (often before they are on the open market), getting you ahead in the race to find what you want and, by using a professional to search for your home, you can complete the process in record time. In a rising property market this means more money saved. Or maybe you are looking for a property to put your stamp on but have no real idea how much likely building works will cost. By the time you have paid for a builder or surveyor to inspect the property and give you an estimate another buyer has had their offer accepted and you are back to square one. Again RPS can give you this information on the spot and get you ahead of the competition.

What are the advantages of a search service?

Saving Time (and money) & Minimising Hassle: Obviously we take the strain out of searching for property. We save you time and money by using our experience to identify only those properties which will genuinely be of interest to you. But we do far more than this. When demand for certain types of property is high this doesn't only mean that the search becomes more competitive and difficult it means that prices rise and anything that does come on the market gets snapped up quickly. This too is where we can help:

Saving Money (and time): Rising property prices can mean if you are on a fixed budget or have sold your property already you are losing purchasing power with every week that goes by. Even if this is not the case employing RPS to search for you means that you get exposure to the widest range of suitable property as quickly as possible. Something you can not possibly do yourself unless you can afford the time to do it as a full time job. Our fees can be more than recouped by the simple fact that your money is reinvested in the market more quickly than you could have ever managed by yourself. As an example remember that a property valued at £250,000 at the beginning of a quarter will be expected to achieve a further £10,000 at the end of that three month period in a market rising at 4% (per quarter).

Be first in the race for property: By accessing properties sometimes before they even reach the market (remember sellers don't pay us fees so may be more inclined to sell through us!) we ensure our clients get first choice of suitable properties rather than having to scrabble with all the other interested buyers for the seller's attention. Or alternatively we can view a property on the day it is marketed and if necessary make an offer on your behalf before other buyers have arranged to take the time off work to even see the property. Again speed off the mark means more purchasing power for our clients.

Someone to advise and safeguard your interests: Our expertise also means we can help you avoid the pitfalls and possible problems you may encounter and offer sensible no nonsense advice. Remember estate agents (even the really good ones!) are paid for by the seller and their first duty (quite rightly) is to them. At RPS we earn our fee by making sure you are best placed to succeed in your search. Whether it be helping you through the minefield that can be buying property at auction or simply being able to advise as to likely costs of lease extensions or necessary building works, our service will ensure that you are in the best possible position to achieve your property objectives.

What do we do?

Firstly we will talk to you to find out exactly what it is you are looking for: your specific needs and the budget you have. How many times have you received property details from an estate agent that either only partially fit your requirements or don't fit them at all? Or sometimes registered with an agent never to receive any details at all?! Of course searching for property is not an exact science and if your requirements are too specific and your budget unrealistic it is unlikely that you will be successful in your search but if we feel this is the case we wont waste your time and will advise you of this at our first meeting. We can help you prioritise your search and make it more fruitful. Whatever type of property you are looking for, be you investor, developer or an owner-occupier family this process is the same. We find out what do you want and whether it is an achievable search. This consultation is free.

Where do we look?

Anywhere we think we can find what you want. This means proactively searching local markets for properties that may not even be for sale until we speak with the owner. In addition we have access to every single property that comes up for sale at auction nationwide, often before the catalogue is generally available as well as having extensive contacts with local property professionals and agents.

What do you get for your money?

This will depend on your specific individual needs but in all cases we will look to produce a report detailing a list of suitable properties which we have visited on your behalf giving photos of the properties and the asking price as well as comparable evidence of the value of other similar properties in the area to help you make your choice. We can, if you require, also represent you throughout the whole buying process, accompanying you on site visits, negotiating the best price for the property of your choice as well as recommending solicitors, surveyors and mortgage brokers should you require. In short everything you need to ensure that the search results in a successful completion and purchase.

What is the likely cost?

A standard homebuyer search will cost between 0.75% - 2 % of purchase price depending on the value of the property purchased with an upfront fee - variable depending on the specific nature of the search but starting from £500 - which is offset against this fee.

Why should I pay someone to do what I can do myself?

The simple answer is, 'You don't have to!' We only want to work with motivated clients and if you would rather look for property yourself then that is fine with us. However, just as with selling property (something you can also do perfectly well for yourself) our clients realise that employing a professional to do the job provides them with the experience and expertise to achieve results simply not possible for them on their own. It not only saves them time and money (often more than recouping our fees) but in short it gets them one step ahead of the competition.

So if you think RPS has something to offer you as a prospective purchaser then contact us on 020 7598 9273, or via email at enquiries@realcom-uk.com to find out more.

If you are looking to relocate or seeking a second home in another part of the country one thing is certain; the business of finding the right property to suit your needs becomes even more difficult than usual. The sheer difficulty of 'commuting' to the area to view properties is time consuming and expensive. If you add a shortage of suitable properties to this mix it can become a Herculean task. RPS can help. We are used to sourcing properties in different parts of the country and while we specialise in the South West & Cornwall and the West Coast of Scotland our experience means we understand how to research local markets and get the best deal for our clients no matter where they are looking to buy.

What are the advantages of a search service?

Saving Time (and money) & Minimising Hassle: The distances involved in relocation and second home searches mean that employing a professional to take the strain is an obvious solution to your property needs. Our ability to track down a portfolio of properties to suit your requirements and present a report with pictures and detailed information on purchase price, likely selling price and local amenities for each property means we take the hassle out of finding the property that is right for you. We know your time is precious and we do everything we can to ensure that you can make the right choice about your purchase, quickly and efficiently.

With RPS to help you, you will avoid contacting numerous estate agents, avoid getting information on and viewing unsuitable properties. With RPS to help you there are no wasted hours (including valuable weekends) and no travel and accommodation expenses. All you have to do is make the final selection from the range of properties we research for you - and that we hope should be a pleasure! Saving money (and time) by ensuring you are first in the race for property: In addition we can help you hear about properties ahead of the competition and ensure that, in a competitive situation, you are the preferred buyer - something that is impossible to do from a distance. Someone to advise and safeguard your interests: If you wish we can help you through the entire purchasing process guiding you to ensure a successful completion. And if you need help finding local advisers like solicitors, finance specialists, surveyors, architects, builders and the like we can help with that too.

What do you get for your money?

As with our other search services this will depend on your specific individual needs but in all cases we will look to produce a report detailing a list of suitable properties which we have visited on your behalf giving photos of the properties and the asking price as well as comparable evidence of the value of other similar properties in the area. The report will also include details of particular amenities or facilities in the area according to your individual requirements. If you require we can then help you secure the property of your choice acting with you to ensure a successful completion to the whole process.

What is the likely cost?

The costs for holiday home or relocation searches are based on location and the individual needs of the client but the table below gives you a guide as to how we structure our fees. In broad terms we will charge an upfront registration fee (starting at £500) to cover the cost of initial researches and the compiling of your report and then, should you require our full 'brief to completion service' a percentage of eventual purchase price thereafter (0.75% - 2.5%).

For further information contact us on 020 7598 9273 or at enquiries@realcom-uk.com.

Property Search for Investors and Developers.

For the property investor or developer finding the right property at the right price is the key to success. Often, however, the business of running a specific project or projects can leave the developer short of time to perform this vitally important search. Likewise many investors simply can not spare the hours to research all the potential avenues available to them to help grow their portfolios.

RPS can help. After an initial free consultation to find out your specific needs we will then inform you of suitable properties that meet your requirements. You only sign a contract and pay for the properties you buy so our fees can be offset against future profit like any other expense. You only pay us when you buy and you only buy when the numbers work!

How can we do this? In two ways: firstly as a professional property finding service we have the time and the resources to search all day, every day for property to suit you and secondly, simply by leveraging the market through the power of our network we can source property that would otherwise not be available. Remember that you only pay us when we have found the right type of property for you. If you would like to find out more contact us on 020 7598 9273 or at enquiries@realcom-uk.com

In addition we can also put you in touch with other like-minded property professionals through our 'Connect' Service.

How does our 'Connect' Service work?

We can put you in touch with other investors or developers looking for finance to support their next project or purchase. As property professionals our contacts across the country include many like yourself who have investments in property who are seeking like minded individuals to partner with. So whether you are a developer who is looking for help financing a larger project than normal or a buy to let investor who has the opportunity to acquire a high yielding property but needs some extra funds to complete the deal we can put you in touch with those who can help provide the solution to your needs.

As with all our services we won't waste your time either. If we can help we will act promptly to make the connection if not we will let you know straight away.

How much does this cost?

Our property search fees for Investors and developers range from 0.75% - 3% of eventual purchase cost and depend on the size and nature of the purchase. For further details contact us to discuss your specific requirements but remember you only pay when you buy.

For our 'Connect' service our fees depend on the nature and size of the deal being brokered but in broad terms we have two fee structures. Either an upfront introduction fee or a percentage of the overall project cost. Again, obviously, our fees can be factored into the eventual project costs.

If you have a project that needs some extra financial help then why not give us a call on 020 7598 9273 or email us at enquiries@realcom-uk.com