Monthly Archives: July 2016

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Charitable Events

Swansea estate agent teams up with Sketty School to raise funds at their annual summer fair

Photo Caption: Children at Sketty Primary surround the Dawsons’ car as they try to figure out how many balloons were inside?

Leading estate agent Dawsons is no stranger to pledging their support to the local community, and after running a number of fundraisers in recent months for their chosen charity The Wallich, the firm turned its attention to Sketty School.

The school is close to many staff member’s hearts, in fact Dawsons’ very own Dan Guttery sits on its board of governors, and with the school’s summer fair coming up, he spied an opportunity to introduce some great family fun and raise essential funds in the same breath.

“The Sketty School Summer Fair is always a great day out and this year’s event was no exception. I came up with an idea that would help raise funds during the fair and offer something different for all who attended. Children were invited to guess the number of balloons in the car and whoever guessed correctly or closest won a prize. Overall the day was a great success, the weather held off and the ‘guess the number of balloons’ competition was a definite hit,” said Dan, who works in the lettings department at Dawsons’ Walter Road office.

The Dawsons’ balloon car competition cost £1 to enter and the winner won £25. The car contained 165 balloons and though competitors did not guess the exact total, the lucky winner’s guess was 161.

The summer fair was held on school grounds this month and was organised by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). With funds available to local schools considerably less than years gone by, ideas and events like these are being used to make up some of the shortfall. Money raised at previous fairs has supported various projects at Sketty School, including the creation of a new library, and the purchase of musical instruments and playground equipment.

A spokesperson for the PTA said: “Fundraising is an essential part of the PTA’s role and we make a significant contribution to the school’s activities.

So far this year we have funded £1000 per for the teachers to spend on sundries such as paint, paper, and other materials for crafts. Also, Annual school membership for Techniquest, the marking of the netball court, purchase of table tennis tables and an “Explorer’s Shed” for Years 1 & 2 and finally funding of the school’s Active Learn Reading Scheme.

“It is fantastic that we are able to support these local events, and we do so in any way possible as they are such important causes. I know the fair was a great success, and hopefully our small involvement helped on the day,” concluded Ricky Purdy, Director of Residential Lettings.

Staff 12th July
Auctions, Lettings, Mortgages

New promotions, appointments and staff moves as leading estate agent just keeps on growing

After winning the title of Wales Lettings Agency of the Year at The Lettings Agency of the Year Awards 2016, independent estate agent Dawsons has gone from strength to strength.

In recent months the firm, which has eight sales branches throughout Swansea and south west Wales offering a wide range of property services, has made a number of new appointments. Dawsons is pleased to announce two new additions, Robyn Lewis and Dafydd Spear.

“Robyn joins our highly successful auction department bringing a wealth of experience, boundless energy and enthusiasm, three factors that mean Robyn can easily and confidently handle any residential or commercial property queries. With a very broad knowledge of the housing market and experience spanning a number of years in the industry we also welcome Dafydd to complement our very busy Morriston team,” said Joanne Summerfield-Talbot, Director of Residential Sales at Dawsons.

It’s not just new team members that Dawsons is celebrating, there has also been a variety of promotions and moves affecting current staff. Emma Bolton has transferred from the firm’s successful Marina branch, where she worked in sales and lettings, to their Mumbles branch to take on the role of Branch Manager. Emma’s drive, determination, energy, and vast knowledge and experience in the housing market makes her the perfect staff member for the job.

Joanne added, “Due to the continued growth of our business we have made a number of internal moves throughout our sales department for existing key staff to provide additional support with their vast knowledge and experience, and for some of our newer members these moves will help with their progression and advancement within Dawsons. We wish all of them the best of luck in their new roles.”

New Investment

My view on recent EU events – by leading estate agent Chris Hope

Whilst for months the question leading up to the EU referendum revolved around whether you were in or out, the query currently on everyone’s lips, no matter what their personal or professional standpoint, has to be – “what now?” Here Chris Hope, Partner at Dawsons Estate Agents, provides his view on the UK’s recent exit from the European Union and helps you figure out what’s next for you, your clients and the wider property market…

Business as usual

My view on our recent Brexit is simply business as usual, but for professionals everywhere, regardless of their niche or agency size, it is important to remain clear and positive when it comes to our immediate business future.

Following the momentous decision of the British people to leave the EU I have discussed the potential ‘fall out’ calmly and positively with many of my RAN business contacts across the UK to give both fellow industry insiders and our clients a local expert opinion to help maintain confidence and ensure that we have a clear message to offer to all of our audiences.

The market’s reaction

It would appear that the money markets had not anticipated the ‘out’ vote, however, the Governor of The Bank of England, Mark Carney, has addressed the press with a very calm and confident statement reassuring all that there are contingency plans in place to shore-up the banks and avoid any immediate turmoil.

Key points to takeaway in light of our recent exit from the EU include:

  • The Bank of England has huge reserves & plans to react positively to the vote
  • The stock market has not crashed and it has been lower this year!
  • Intent from ‘overseas money’ clients to buy property has been immediate
  • We still have a 500,000-person strong population growth and evidently they have to live somewhere
  • The majority of the Great British public are very positive about the result

All the points mentioned above offer some reassurance for what for many has been a shock result, but what’s next for our economy, our security, our relationships with the rest of the world and, more importantly, factors that affect us and our clients a little closer to home?

In short…

Well maybe not that short! There may well be a period of re-adjustment, but people will always need a home and will still need to get on with their lives. If prices do need to adjust, we need to remember that if you lose £10,000 on your own house, you will gain it on whatever you buy next. There continues to be strong demand to live in this area and that will never change because this is a nice place to live.

Are people really wanting to put their lives on hold? I doubt it very much. Clients need to be thinking about other factors rather than just the financial consequences of not moving, such as not getting into the right school area, living in a cramped environment etc., plus what goes down will come back up – it’s just a timing issue. Most purchasers don’t purchase with a short time period in mind.

Will property still remain an asset?

The fundamentals underpinning property as an asset are largely unaffected by the vote. In fact, the UK’s population will continue to rise even if EU immigration is curtailed. But the fact remains we are still not building anywhere near enough new homes to meet the rising demand. These supply-side failures continue to cushion property values from other negative influences.

Currently on offer is a 5-year fixed, interest only mortgage at 2.45%, and potentially rates might come down even further. These are once in a lifetime mortgage deals and considerably offset any price reduction.

What’s next for you and your clients?

If you or your clients are waiting for a market that allows them to buy cheaply, with prices then rising, with low interest rates and a huge selection to choose from then they’re dreamers. That market has never existed, and our job is to highlight the pros and cons of current market conditions and make sure that our clients make informed decisions.

Whatever does happen next, the market will find its equilibrium. People will still die, divorce and decide to move, and whether they choose to rent or buy, let or sell, we shall still be in a position to give them professional advice enabling them to make the right choice to suit their circumstances. A difficult marketplace will mean a successful marketplace for us, and those without the knowledge, confidence and experience are likely to fall by the wayside leaving only the strong agents to deal with the transactions.

The market is what it is and as always Dawsons will find a way to make the best of it. We are very good at that having successfully traded for 25 years!