Tell us more about your role

I have been an estate agent for over 25 years and Branch Manager at Bradleys Paignton for over six years, offering sales and lettings advice to homeowners and buyers in the area. Along with my team, we manage property listings, conduct market appraisals, provide staff training and manage our client relationships.

What does your agency specialise in?

We provide a complete property service covering every type of home from high-end to country properties and new builds and everything in between. Our central location in the heart of Paignton town centre meansthat our knowledge of the local area is second to none. Our team has worked together for many years with over 100 years experience in estate agency combined.

What type of properties are you currently seeing the highest demand for?

Right now the demand is largely coming from buyers looking for three-four bedroom semi-detached properties mainly from first and second buyers or older homeowners looking to downsize. This is a reflection of the market and the economic instability we have had, but things are starting to feel much more positive with demand for other types of properties coming through.

Have you noticed a difference in activity since the recent interest rate drops? Along with a push to complete transactions before the new SDT rules come into play?

That’s a big yes! We are definitely seeing a lot of buyers trying to complete prior to end of March when the charges will go up. Its still a buyers market and we find that those who won’t complete before the SDLT changes come into play are now asking for an even higher reduction in the selling/purchase price to compensate for the increase. Proceedable people are putting in cheeky offers.

What is your view on auction as a method of sale?

We have been trialling Bamboo Auction’s online platform for a while now and have had some really good results. Now we have seen how it works, we are pushing forward with new auction properties off the back of those successes, using them as case studies to show the vendor how it could work. For the right property it can often mean the vendor gets more money, not to mention the speed of transaction which in todays market is a highly attractive benefit for everyone involved.

What do you think will be the biggest trend for the first half of 2025?

Over the next few months generating sales is our key focus, rebuilding the confidence in the market. I expect to see fewer transactions, but with higher-end properties.