Today is no normal Friday. It is Black Friday.
The annual event has slowly (and some would say sadly) become embedded in British culture as shoppers grasp at perceived discounts in the run-up to Christmas, and estate agents are getting involved.
The American import, coming the day after Thanksgiving, is seen as the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping period.
It made its way across the pond a few years ago in the UK, with shoppers fighting over flat screen televisions and must-have gadgets, but more recently, research has shown many of the offers aren’t actually that much better than the rest of the year.
Estate agents have been known to get involved in Black Friday, offering a discount on fees.
Last year Your Move offered a £500 discount on fees to vendors instructing them and it has promised another offer to be revealed today.
Louise Hudson, marketing director for Your Move, said: “It comes at a good time of year for Your Move.
“November is typically a quieter month for instructions and Black Friday provides a big, national platform for a short, sharp, highly attractive promotional offer which helps customers who want to put their house on the market before Christmas, and those who were undecided about whether to go before or after Christmas.
“Your Move ran a Black Friday promotion for the first time nationally in 2016. All the branch teams were very enthusiastic about it, Your Move gained excellent brand exposure, and the results were positive, so we have decided to participate again this year.”
It seems more popular among independents. Glasgow-based Manor Estate Agents is offering a £300 fixed fee, while Coventry and Warwickshire based Brian Holt is offering reduced fees for vendors and landlords over a limited period.
Surrey-based Catling & Co is offering 50% off fees for new instructions this weekend.
However, others seem to have snubbed the event. Leaders, which offered a reduced 0.75% fee for new instructions and 5% lettings offer last year, is not doing Black Friday deals this year.
Bleak Friday as far as I am concerned!
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As an interested local observer, I’m personally familiar with ‘Surrey-based’ Catling & Co’s fee structure and this initiative suggests if it’s 50% off this weekend, they’ll end up working for free ! There’s nothing like a credible strategy to drive business forward as an independent agent and this is……….nothing like a credible strategy.
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NOPE.
Difficult to falsely put up your fees for several weeks in advance just to drop them back down to normal again.
Whole thing’s an effing scam if you ask me.
Rant over!
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Agreed. I don’t need to offer a special deal. I give good value for the service I offer all year round.
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