REMAX estate agency signs

gerry · Post by **gerry** » 01 Oct 2007, 18:44

I was wondering what others thougth of the wide spread use of 'For Sale' signs putup around Portobello by REMAX. I have complained to planning who say they are only allowed signs on the building or property but not on lamp posts and other publich highway places. They are very aggressive marketers who tend to leave a trail of signs directing people to the property concnerned. I took one down today that was actually planted in the new public garden on the PROM.

Gerry

admin: thread moved

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 01 Oct 2007, 20:37

Check your PM's Gerry, by the way - welcome to the forum!

*iv edit - this post was merged and moderated by wangi*

Post by **wangi** » 01 Oct 2007, 22:33

Remax aren't alone in this... It's common site to find a forest of signs on certain street corners!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 02 Oct 2007, 08:04

Still not attractive! Street maps are easily available (and sensible if looking to move to an unfamiliar area) - and those with internet access can pin point the house easily enough. I can see why "they" do it for houses off the main streets to attract the impulse buyer (?!) but ...

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 02 Oct 2007, 10:43

Crikey! The Remax sign at the bottom of my road has disappeared AGAIN! I wonder who would do such a thing...? The one on the lamp post seems to have been tampered with too...!

I wonder if the person doing this is going to take ALL of the remax signs in Porty down, or just the ones at the bottom of HIS road...?!

Then again, I'm sure if he APPROACHED the people who own the property being sold he would find them ONLY TOO WILLING to discuss other locations for the board...

Not pointing any elbows...

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 02 Oct 2007, 10:55

impossiblevoices wrote:Then again, I'm sure if he APPROACHED the people who own the property being sold he would find them ONLY TOO WILLING to discuss other locations for the board...

Maybe he doesn't want to be told where to stick the boards IV?

Must admit I find all the stuff that gets put up on lamposts around election time etc. very unsightly, but at least that only happens every few years or so and usually gets taken down again fairly promptly. If Remax start putting stuff up all year round, I suspect Gerry won't be the only person who'll be removing them.

Franck · Post by **Franck** » 02 Oct 2007, 14:31

gerry wrote:I was wondering what others thougth of the wide spread use of 'For Sale' signs putup around Portobello by REMAX. I have complained to planning who say they are only allowed signs on the building or property but not on lamp posts and other publich highway places. They are very aggressive marketers who tend to leave a trail of signs directing people to the property concnerned. I took one down today that was actually planted in the new public garden on the PROM.

Gerry

I think you need to lighten up.

Agressive marketing is one reason people might chose remax, it's only a sign directing people to properties that might not be visible on main routes.

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 02 Oct 2007, 18:34

Aggressive marketing is the very reason I wouldn't use Remax to sell - and would be wary about buying a property marketed by them!

Were "hidden" properties so very difficult to sell in the past without littering the place with signs?!

aileenandfearghal · Post by **aileenandfearghal** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:45

Poppy wrote:Aggressive marketing is the very reason I wouldn't use Remax to sell - and would be wary about buying a property marketed by them!

Were "hidden" properties so very difficult to sell in the past without littering the place with signs?!

I think I need to unlurk here to speak up for Remax. Please be really careful not to tar all estate agents with same brush. We sold our flat with Remax because they actively try to sell your property, unlike the feckless layabouts in a lot of the solicitors offices. It isn't aggressive, they just do their job well.

Michael did a great job selling our flat and we would recommend him.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 06 Oct 2007, 14:02

aileenandfearghal wrote: We sold our flat with Remax because they actively try to sell your property, unlike the feckless layabouts in a lot of the solicitors offices. It isn't aggressive, they just do their job well.

It seems the way they 'actively try to sell', by plastering the evirons of the property they are marketing with garish signs, is off putting to some.

Remax strike me as trying to introduce a more North American way of selling houses, which leaves me cold. I don't want to have a 'relationship' with my 'realtor' thanks very much and I am perfectly capable of making my own mind up, when viewing a property, which features are desirable or not.

A friend of ours in Vancouver once gave our address to his local estate agent in an effort to encourage us to move out to Canada. As well as being bombarded with literature about available properties, we got Christmas cards with a glossy, festive picture of the estate agent, his wife and 2.2 kids on the front and inside a letter telling us how great he and his wonderful family were doing. What the hell is that all about?

seashell · Post by **seashell** » 06 Oct 2007, 21:20

It is about paying someone else to do a job that we used to quite nicely for ourselves here in Scotland. I do not understand this vogue for estate agents myself. Why pay good money for an estate agent when most people use the ESPC? It all boils down to the state of the market, the area you live in and the price you are wanting for your property. How much an estate agent can add (other than in pure financial terms to yourself) is debatable.

aileenandfearghal · Post by **aileenandfearghal** » 07 Oct 2007, 00:21

I'd argue it's not an American thing, in fact I'm sure the vast majority of properties sold in the UK are through an estate agent - but it's certainly not the norm in Scotland.

Speaking from experience, Remax actively try to sell your property and get you the best price whilst offering a personal service. If that's not your thing, then don't use them. But the reality is that a lot of solicitors simply stick the details into the espc and sit back and wait for their cut.

I'm not supporting any excessive use of signs, but surely if they are over the top/an eyesore that there are processes to deal with this?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 07 Oct 2007, 09:42

I agree, A&F, that any solicitors we used when selling, relied totally on the ESPC adverts to do the selling while taking their percentage.

I know that estate agents aren't confined to America (thinking here of all those property shows where Kirsty and her ilk are totally thrown by our 'offers over' prices and the sealed bid system here in Scotland), but with Remax when you click on the link, the first thing you notice is the whacking big photo of the person who will be handling your sale. That aspect of the firm strikes me as American.

Do you think you got a better price for your property by selling it through Remax?

Skeely · Post by **Skeely** » 07 Oct 2007, 10:56

aileenandfearghal wrote:I'm not supporting any excessive use of signs, but surely if they are over the top/an eyesore that there are processes to deal with this?

Gerry's process seems quite effective.

impossiblevoices · Post by **impossiblevoices** » 07 Oct 2007, 14:01

yeah - but not all that great if it happens to be your house that the sign is advertising... eh Gerry?

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 07 Oct 2007, 21:09

Personally speaking its ESPC for me every time. Everyone, looks at ESPC whether buying or selling. Its the biggest market. But each to their own.

Post by **wangi** » 07 Oct 2007, 21:27

impossiblevoices wrote:yeah - but not all that great if it happens to be your house that the sign is advertising... eh Gerry?

Well if the signs don't play by the rules then it's no great surprise to see somebody not play by the rules removing them...

There's a mini forest of Remax sings at the east end of the Pans, just before Cockenzie - wonder if they self-seed?

seashell · Post by **seashell** » 07 Oct 2007, 21:27

impossiblevoices wrote:yeah - but not all that great if it happens to be your house that the sign is advertising... eh Gerry?

Perfectly effective if the sign is outside your house. And if it isn't outside your house -then basically, it has no business being there.

There is a time and a place for all things - and cluttering up the streets and wasting paper resources does not appear to be one of them. I cannot imagine for one moment that large companies like Remx bother to go around removing all their signs and then dutifully recyclcing them. Quick turnovers, customer recognition and profit margins are their targets. Impact on local communities is way down the list.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 07 Oct 2007, 22:10

We had great fun the other week watching a Remax agent climbing on the fence at the corner of the Wisp/ Newcraighall Road.
Her skirt was a wee bit tight for the job.
Not sure where the premises to be sold were but the sign was next to the disussed police box.
Perhaps Dr Who has got the tardis on the market.

aileenandfearghal · Post by **aileenandfearghal** » 09 Oct 2007, 19:27

seashell wrote:I cannot imagine for one moment that large companies like Remx bother to go around removing all their signs and then dutifully recyclcing them. Quick turnovers, customer recognition and profit margins are their targets. Impact on local communities is way down the list.

I agree with the earlier comments that Remax does feel more American than the estate agents in England (where we have also bought and sold property), I think it is partly due to the fact that it is an American franchise and because they are having to push hard to fight the Edinburgh norms.

One of Remax's biggest problems is that it is seen as one company from the outside but it is actually very much a franchise. Michael (who set up the Portobello office) is a very nice guy. He has been frustrated with the solicitor system himself and decided to offer an alternative to other people in Edinburgh East who feel the same way. He spent hours and hours chatting to us when he gave us a quote and when we decided to proceed with Remax and he was always available on his mobile phone - even at evenings and weekends. Selling through them was the exact opposite of what you would expect of a large American corporation.

It's hard to know if we got a better sell than if we hadn't used Remax - as we didn't do both. But it was sold before it would've even made it into the ESPC (went on their website Thursday night, sold by Monday) and we got a better price than we initially expected (including taking into estimates from a traditional solicitor). And our buyer was excellent. You can't get much better than that.

And in terms of our signs, we had one in our flat window and one over the door to the stairwell. Michael was there bang on time on moving day to take them down, and I think he said they'd be recycled (not sure on that though).

We first bought in Scotland and used to think the solicitor system was best. Now? No way. They put you in the ESPC (but you pay for that!) and print your details - and for some of them, very little else. It's time for the scam to end!

Talk Porty ~ Portobello