The Homes One January Newsletter: Happy New Year to you all !

Dear Friends,

As everyone knows Homes One is predominantly a buy-side agent.

However, even though we are a spend to save model (saving our clients more than they spend in over 95% of transactions), I wanted to let you know about a way of getting my property wisdom for free!

In 2022, 25% of my turnover came via another route: managed sales.

A managed sale means that I interview and select the best agents, partners and strategies for my clients who wish to sell - and assist in managing the transaction.

All contact and negotiation goes through me, saving my clients time and hassle - and it means they receive advice primarily from a well-known and well-trusted source – with the added benefit that I can also offer the property to any clients I have directly, on the buy side.

The best thing about this is that I do not charge the seller but instead take my fee from the main agent – no brainer!

And, if I also found you a buyer, then you’d save on the agent’s fee as well.

Market Observations

Plus, we are included in the recommended buying agents list

Now the unsolicited pitch is out of the way (my apologies!) - my best wishes to you all for a healthy and prosperous 2023.

The end of last year in the UK seemed particularly difficult all round and there was certainly some hard-to-ignore negative sentiment, politically and economically. As is usual, property was resilient… however I am noticing that people are not making any unnecessary moves – caution abounds.

January 2023 has started more positively. For the second year in a row I have been included in the Spears 500 recommended buying agents list which is the top accolade in the field, IMHO.

I have also had a flurry of calls with foreign interest in London property again. People sense an opportunity and if you have dollars there is an even more compelling case. The majority of my business has been built on the back of foreign investment and I am hopeful of a return to pre-pandemic levels of activity this year – after all, 12 months ago we were still in the final throes of lockdown.

Lack of stock prevails, particularly at the higher end – and I feel this trend will continue and so prices in this sector will not crash but soften.

The market is undoubtedly slow ! In the past I have noticed this can lead to impatience among vendors ... a good thing for my buyers.

Middle East Boom Time

A few points for your attention

I was lucky enough to travel the Middle East region twice at the end of last year; (unfortunately not to the world cup) but on business to Saudi and for a holiday in Dubai.

The region is booming!

It’s full of optimism and opportunity and a sense of opening up and hope for the future.

This is so good to see for a region that has had so many troubles.

I will be spending more time there and will be In Dubai again at Easter.

Fortunately in the same way British-based people want a house in the sunny Mediterranean as a second home, many people in the region still see having a London base as an aspirational goal. And my hope is that this will support the above goals.

And I would love to meet up to discuss opportunities.

I look forward to reconnecting soon!

Warmly,

Karim

T: 07958 485 611