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Why Are Property Videos So Important?

Posted on by prateek

Reside’s Toby Martin explains why video tours have risen to prominence over the last 18 months.

When England went into its first national lockdown in March 2020, it prompted a significant change to our industry. For years, property agents have relied on glossy promotional photos and in-person viewings to sell or let properties, but our industry’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has seen video technology become the most important piece of the property marketing jigsaw.

Shortly before that first lockdown, we rushed out to all of the properties we were marketing at the time and recorded walk-throughs using our iPhones. These were rudimentary, rather shaky videos – not very professional at all – but they proved to be highly effective. More than 50% of the properties let by Reside between March and September 2020 did not require an in-person viewing at the property. They were taken on the basis of the photographs, which remain very important, our floor plans and the video tour.

The most stress-free letting experience I have had. The video tour options meant we could stay safe during the whole process.
– Emily Goodyear, Google Review

Whilst our professional photographs allowed tenants to see a property at its finest and created the initial interest from the online listing, the video tour created an extra element of trust with the prospective tenant. An unedited, recently recorded video gives a true, trustworthy portrayal of the property in question, and allows the tenant to proceed with confidence without the need to visit the property in person.

A year down the line, we have worked hard to improve our videos by investing in more advanced video equipment. Our videos are now more professional and higher definition, but they retain the homemade quality that allows tenants to trust what they see on the screen. And, as we record them in-house, we don’t need to charge our landlords an extra penny.

Every property is now listed online with a full video tour, and they continue to allow overseas, isolating and infirm tenants, or just those who can’t get away from work, to experience the property from the comfort of their own home.

Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.

 

We Are Hiring: Lettings Negotiator

Posted on by prateek

Please note, this position has now been filled.

Lettings Negotiator

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm, and occasional Saturdays.
Salary: £26-30k per annum

Reside is an independent letting agent whose innovative, ethical and successful service is highly praised by its tenants and landlords. We recently won our second Bath Property Award, in which we were commended for the growth of our business and the innovative ways in which we adapted to the pandemic.

We are looking for an approachable, capable Lettings Negotiator to join our hard working team, who will contribute to our future growth and improvement. The role has potential for growth as your own knowledge of the industry develops.

You’ll join a busy and dynamic lettings team that is at the core of our company’s profile, providing a warm welcome to new clients and ensuring that they receive a personal and professional service.

In this role, you will:

  • Be the first point of contact for prospective tenants, registering them on our CRM software and matching them to suitable properties.
  • Schedule and conduct property viewings.
  • Negotiate tenancy terms between landlords and prospective tenants, and provide landlords with regular updates on the letting of their property.
  • Record video property tours, and contribute to Reside’s video marketing content.
  • Produce property particulars and brochures.

Requirements

  • A compassionate and approachable manner, with the ability to form a good rapport with our clients.
  • You can command a busy workload, offering and accepting support from your fellow Negotiators.
  • Confident computer user, especially MS Office.
  • A clean full UK driving licence.
  • Industry experience and qualifications are desirable, but not essential. You must be prepared to study towards a relevant qualification, if you do not already hold one.

Benefits

  • Salary from £26,000 to £30,000 per annum, based on your experience and qualifications.
  • The opportunity to obtain an industry qualification.
  • 20 days’ annual leave, plus public holidays.
  • Headspace account to encourage a healthy and mindful approach to you work.

This is a permanent full-time role.

If you are interested in applying for this role, please send your CV and a covering letter to ben@localhost.

Toby Climbs Everest For Charity (Sort of)

Posted on by prateek

The Sofa to Summit challenge caught my eye as a way to become more active whilst fundraising for a cause that is close to everyone’s hearts right now. The NHS and the RUH have been spectacularly stretched since early 2020, and it will feel good to do something, no matter how small, in recognition of that.

A happy, healthy Brandon Bower

Over the course of any normal year, Reside usually organises several fundraisers to support local charities; in the past, we have worked with Off The Record Bath, Bath Area Play Project, VOICES and Bath Samaritans to name a few. However, given the recent lockdowns it has been difficult for us to arrange these kinds of events over the past 12 months – so I jumped at the opportunity to do something again that gives back to our local community.

The RUH, however, holds a special place in our hearts at Reside due to the experience of our Managing Director and the founder of Reside, Ben Bower. In 2018, Ben’s wife Natasha gave birth to their son Brandon at just 28 weeks – more than 12 weeks early. It was a tough time for Ben & Natasha, but the wonderful staff and state of the art facilities in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit meant that they could not have been better cared for. Brandon happily went home two months later – still in advance of his original due date!

I recall visiting Ben, Natasha and Brandon on the NICU ward. We’d had a baby boy ourselves just a few months before and were alarmed by what they were going through, but so reassured to see how well they were being looked after. Having heard so much about Brandon, Ben & Natasha’s experience, I’m very proud to be fundraising for the Forever Friends Appeal – no matter how small my contribution is, I am sure it will help to maintain the hospital’s incredible work.

Working with inspirational local people, our vision is to raise the funds needed to support the delivery of gold-standard healthcare in first-class surroundings.  We aim make a difference to every patient and every condition.
The Forever Friends Appeal 

My plan for scaling Everest is currently very basic: 48 flights of stairs for 61 days. But as lockdown restrictions ease, I am hoping that Bath’s hilly surrounds will help to mix up the scenery and preserve the stair carpet.

This is, would you believe it, my first time climbing Mount Everest, but I have thrown myself into similarly reckless commitments before. Despite being supremely unathletic, I ran the Bath Half in 2017 to raise funds for Sarcoma UK. I was joined by several members of the Reside team, and this has since led to similar unwise but worthy endeavours, including another Bath Half in 2019 in aid of Jamie’s Farm.

If you would like to track the progress of my climb, or even make a donation, you can find my Sofa to Summit page here.

Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.

Reside Review: February 2021

Posted on by prateek

There has been continued demand for rental properties in Bath throughout February 2021, maintaining the trends we saw in January when demand outstripped supply.

Smaller, more ‘typical’ investment properties have let very easily throughout the month, and while there has been fair demand for family homes, there have been precious few available on the market. At the very end of the month, we saw several larger properties return to the market as tenants gave their notice; as we grow closer to half term and Easter beyond, we will likely see this market become more active as families, who are traditionally reluctant to move during the winter months, start to make plans for the year ahead.

The lockdown that ran throughout February has not had a major impact on our activity; it has become common knowledge that our sector has been permitted to continue working, so tenants have been free to proceed with home moves and viewings. It has been encouraging to see how well clients have responded to the Covid safety measures we have in place, which have served us very well thus far.

On that note, B&NES council has made asymptomatic Covid testing available to local workforces who are unable to work from home, and come into regular contact with the public. This means that our staff will be able to get tested on a weekly basis, giving our clients even more reassurance that we are taking every precaution to safeguard their health.

Rightmove data shows a shift to rural areas

Data released by Rightmove during February shows a definite shift from major cities to more rural areas over the course of 2020. The area hit hardest was Greater London, which saw average rents drop by 6.4% over the year. In contrast, average rents in the South West increased by 5.4%, although it should be pointed out that parts of Devon and Cornwall, where rents are typically lower than in Bath, will have contributed to this figure.

Source: Rightmove.co.uk

The much-publicised exodus of renters from London is certainly something that we have witnessed in Bath, and we expect this to continue throughout the year as lockdown restrictions are relaxed. Cities such as Bath, with strong transport links into the capital, are prime destinations for renters looking to escape densely populated, built-up areas.

Bath Celebrates Its Property Sector

The Bath Property Awards are almost upon us, and we are delighted to be nominated as finalists. Held on Friday 12th March, the online ceremony brings together businesses from all corners of the property sector; it is remarkable to see the strength and diversity in the businesses nominated across the categories. Regardless of what happens in our ‘lettings agent’ category, it’s a pleasure to be in such enterprising and esteemed company.

Do check out the Bath Property Awards website to read more about the other businesses involved.

Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.

Reside Review: January 2021

Posted on by prateek

Rental Market Continues to Show Resilience

Despite being locked down throughout January, the rental market once again proved itself to be resilient in the face of national restrictions. Our industry was fortunate to be permitted to continue operating during lockdown, whilst observing strict safety precautions. Previous lockdowns have taught us not to expect a decrease in demand, and January was no exception; over the course of the month, we let more properties than in January 2020, at a higher average rent.

Demand has in fact been exceeding supply; on the last day of the month, we had only five available properties remaining on the market. In the current market, a sensibly-priced property with professional photographs and a quality virtual tour should attract good levels of interest straight away.

Helping Homeschoolers

We have been scratching our heads of late, wondering what we can do to help our local community get through this current lockdown.

One initiative we landed on was to offer support to homeschooling parents who do not have access to a printer, and are unable to print schoolwork for their children.

We have virtually become a paperless office over the last few years, so this seemed like a very good reason to press our hulking office printer into action. Using the systems we have put in place for key collections, we can also offer contactless collection from our office door.

So please – if we can help with this, do get in touch. We would be very happy to print your schoolwork for you.

Awards Season

In January, we were named as finalists in the 2020 Bath Property Awards, which are being held in March of this year. The awards are run by Mediaclash, the team behind Bath Life, and are a celebration of the local property sector. We’re honoured to be involved, alongside a host of excellent local businesses from across the sector, and look forward to the very creative virtual event that Mediaclash have organised.

Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.

Off The Record: A Lifeline For Young People In Bath

Posted on by prateek

As a proudly independent Bath business, Reside has always endeavoured to engage and give back to the local community through a variety of different initiatives. One such commitment is made through our membership of the Bath Percent Club, whose members pledge to contribute a percentage of their profits to local causes. Each year, we ask our staff to select and research a local charity for us to support.

At the end of 2020, our staff unanimously selected Off The Record Bath & North East Somerset as their charity of choice. Through their work in the local community, Off The Record helps to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of young people; their Fundraising Manager Martha Robbins kindly took the time to speak to us about the important work they do.

Could you summarise what Off The Record does? What is the make-up of the charity / how many volunteers do you have?
Off The Record is a youth charity covering Bath and North East Somerset and beyond, powered by 20 volunteers, 22 counsellors, and employing 39 people. We provide life-changing support to young people who come to us in crisis, and carry out ground-breaking community work that acts as a safety net, preventing vulnerable children slipping through the cracks.

Many people may be unaware of the extent of the issues faced by young people in the Bath area. What kind of support do you provide?
In 2019, we provided around 30,000 sessions to young people from ages 10-25 with our extensive array of support projects, which are all entirely free of charge.

For those going through traumatic experiences such as family breakdown, our advocacy team protects children thrown into situations that they will struggle to navigate alone, such as being removed from their families and placed into the care system.

For those at breaking point, having been dealing with painful circumstances or serious mental health conditions alone, our counselling and listening support team is a welcome out-stretched hand, providing confidential sessions in a comfortable setting to turn around a young person’s outlook.

And for those who want to change the world around them, our participation team works to involve young people in meaningful projects that contribute to our community, to help give them purpose and the support bubble we all need.

What new challenges have you faced during 2020, specifically with regards to Covid-19? And how has it affected the young people you work with?
The effects of Covid-19 have only increased the need for our services. Now more than ever, the public recognises that ‘home’ feels like an unsafe place far too many young people. Isolation, academic stress, unemployment, so many issues that can affect young people and their families have been intensified by the pandemic. For instance, we have seen a 40% increase in referrals compared to this time last year, particularly relating to self-harm, suicidal thoughts and family relationships.

We have seen a 40% increase in referrals compared to this time last year, particularly relating to self-harm, suicidal thoughts and family relationships

Thankfully, we have been able to continue to provide all our advocacy, counselling, and community-based work in person or on-line, in accordance with government guidelines over 2020. It has been a challenge for all our staff and volunteers, but we are lucky to have such an amazing team that pulls together.

What are your hopes for the future of Off The Record?
Despite the evident setbacks this past year, it’s the success stories from our service users that keeps us driven and focused. One big goal in the coming months is to better promote and celebrate the great work Off The Record does. We also have been made part of the Rank Foundation’s Time 2 Shine scheme for 2021, which has enabled us to welcome a dedicated fundraising officer. With the support of our donors and the local community, we are quietly optimistic for the year ahead and what we can achieve for the young people we serve.

How can people help to support the charity?
To support us you can:

  • donate to keep our vital services free of charge
  • subscribe to our newsletter so we can send happy news to your inbox once a month
  • follow our social media to keep an eye on future events and opportunities, and share them with parents, guardians and young people you know.

You can find Off The Record on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

5 Reasons To Be Positive About The Rental Market In 2021

Posted on by prateek

Despite the current lockdown restrictions, we are all eager to find reasons for optimism in the year ahead. The cloud that engulfed 2020 has certainly not given way, but it has perhaps been lanced by some stray rays of sun thanks to the vaccine rollout.
Given the current need for positivity, what reasons are there to be cheerful about the property rental market over the next 12 months?

1. The Market in 2020

Rather unexpectedly, the rental market in 2020 remained buoyant to the end. The lengthy slump in activity that we all anticipated during the first national lockdown never came about, as agents and tenants adapted, and video tours came to the fore. Between March and September 2020, a staggering 54% of properties let by Reside were achieved without the need for a physical viewing – such was the success of our virtual tours. When the second national lockdown came around in September, the government took the decision to keep the property market open and allow viewings to continue, a policy that they have thus far maintained.

Strong demand from tenants, allied with a healthy supply of properties (partially from landlords exiting the holiday rental market) meant that 2020 was a remarkably busy year. We let more properties during 2020 than in any other year in the Reside’s history – a staggering outcome, all things considered.

There is no reason why this should change in 2021, so we expect it to be another strong year for both supply and demand of rental property.

2. Whatever Happens, We’re Ready

Whilst we hope that there are brighter times ahead, it seems likely that there could be further lockdown restrictions before things start to improve. But whatever 2021 throws at us – we’re ready.

Every aspect of our management service can be carried out from home, if need be. Every member of staff is set up with home access to our phone and computer system; property inspections can now be done remotely; we have a system for contactless check ins and check outs; contracts can be signed remotely; Right to Rent checks are carried out virtually and, as we’ve already established, properties can be marketed very effectively without anyone needing to leave their home.

Regardless of any restrictions that are put in place over the course of this year, we will be able to provide a full and professional service to our tenants and landlords.

3. Destination: Bath

Bath landlords can look forward to increased demand in 2021, as we expect the city to be a popular destination for renters leaving London (no, let’s not call it Lexit). It is widely thought that there may be something of an exodus from the capital post-Covid-19, as new working from home regimes reduce the need to commute so frequently.

4. Return of the Renters’ Reform Bill

The much-discussed Renters’ Reform Bill is slated make a reappearance later in the year. It formed part of the Queen’s Speech in December 2019 and was widely expected to progress through Parliament in 2020, until the government became preoccupied by more important matters. But with the private rental sector being inundated by so much new legislation, why is this a cause for optimism?

The Bill’s two main promises that have been outlined so far are to scrap Section 21 evictions, and to introduce lifetime deposits for tenants. If done correctly, both of these changes could be positive for landlords and tenants, so this key piece of legislation is an opportunity to improve the current system.

Lifetime deposits will travel with tenants from property to property, reducing moving costs for tenants and making the moving process easier and less costly.

Section 21 (or ‘no-fault’) evictions have long been in the crosshairs of the main political parties, and its departure is inevitable. ARLA Propertymark has lobbied the government to replace Section 21 with a more efficient system that would be fair to diligent landlords, and provide tenants with security of tenure. The detail of ARLA’s proposal can be found here, but it is not yet known what the government’s approach will be.

5. A return to normal

We have become so entrenched in our ‘new normal’, that the prospect of a return to the ‘old normal’ seems unfathomable. Nonetheless, if the vaccine rollout is successful, we can dare to dream of a return to some sort of normality later in the year.

Whilst it remains to be seen what a post-Covid world looks like, we will bring many lessons learned from the pandemic forward with us. Over the last year, we have been forced to embrace new technologies, pair back and hone our services, and work more diligently and harder than ever before. Although we wish this had never been necessary, we have discovered ways to be more efficient and innovative than ever before. Whenever we do finally emerge from the pandemic, Reside will be stronger and better for it.

Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.

November Lockdown: What You Need To Know

Posted on by prateek

Updated: 4th November 2020

We have received many enquiries over the last few days from landlords and tenants wondering exactly how they will be affected by the second national lockdown in England, which passed through Parliament today.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 specifically states that activities relating to our sector are allowed to continue.

Property viewings are allowed, as long as we have the permission of the incumbent tenant to do so and they are not isolating. We are taking careful precautions when visiting any property; all parties present are required to wear face coverings and gloves, and any surfaces touched are wiped down before we leave.

Home moves are permitted, so any tenants due to move in or out of a property during November can still go ahead, unless they have been told to isolate. We are required to comply with strict safety guidelines, and the measures we have implemented go beyond what is asked of us; all moves during the lockdown will be completely contactless so tenants will not need to meet with anyone from Reside in person.

Contractors are allowed to attend properties to carry out repairs during the lockdown, as long as they observe safety guidelines. We are asking tenants to report maintaince issues to us during November, as long as they are comfortable with having an engineer visit their property, so that we can arrange repairs where possible, rather than build up a backlog of issues to be addressed after lockdown.

Our office will stay open. Although we are heading into a national lockdown, we will still be here should you need us. Our office will be staffed during our standard opening hours, but you should telephone, email or arrange a Zoom meeting should you need to speak with us. Please do not visit our office in person during the lockdown, unless it is essential to do so.

Whilst we will be permitted to carry out the vast majority of our work, we must take extra safety precautions, all of which have been carefully planned to reduce risk to all parties.

We expect to receive more detailed guidance from government after the vote in Parliament, and we shall let you know if anything changes. In the meantime, if you would like more regular updates, these can be found on our social media channels or by contacting our office directly.

Covid-19: Landlord Legislation Update

Posted on by prateek

Extended Section 21 Notice Periods

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has confirmed that it is to extend the evictions ban in England until the 20th of September 2020, and will also introduce six-month long notice periods that will run until the 31st of March 2021.

The ban, which was announced in March as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, was to end on the 23rd of August, with some cases due to be heard immediately at the newly approved Nightingale courts. It has also been confirmed that once the courts do re-open, only serious cases such as those involving anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse will be prioritised.

Now that the ban on evictions has been extended, the Government must use this time to introduce further guidance and prepare the sector. It is important to take steps back towards normality so that both landlords and tenants have access to the justice system while putting measures in place to offer further support to tenants who have built up COVID-related arrears and this four-week extension will give Government the time to introduce such measures.

Timothy Douglas, ARLA Propertymark

MHCLG has advised landlords to work with tenants who are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic and consider all possible options – such as flexible payment plans which take into account both parties’ circumstances – to ensure cases only end up in court as an absolute last resort.

Landlords must disclose impact of COVID-19 on tenant

Those cases which do make it to court will be affected by new rules requiring landlords in England and Wales seeking possession of their properties to set out in their claim any relevant information about a tenant’s circumstances.

This information includes what effect COVID-19 has had on a tenant’s vulnerability or whether they are claiming benefits – information should also be provided on how the pandemic has affected a tenant’s dependents, if they have any. However, the rules do not require agents or landlords to actively seek out information but merely to make the court aware of what information is known.

The rules do not change the regulations around possession for landlords and they do not amend Section 21 claims or Section 8 arrears claims. What is changing is some of the steps that landlords must follow if they want to apply for possession through the courts.

STAY COMPLIANT WITH PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT

With landlords now needing to comply with nearly 150 pieces of law, it has never been more important for your tenancy to be managed by a knowledgeable, professional and regulated agency.

For guidance on all aspects of tenancy management, or if you are considering letting your property in Bath, contact us on 01225 445777 or info@localhost.