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Sales Guide for Neilson & Bauer

Neilson & Bauer is a local independent estate agency formed by James Neilson and Graham Bauer. James and Graham have more than 50 years’ estate agency experience between them, over 30 years of which have been spent in Islington, Highbury and Clerkenwell.

We have helped sell many of Islington’s most prestigious, expensive and interesting residential properties, including hundreds of the area’s fine Georgian and Victorian homes. Don Lacovara is the office manager and has gained a wealth of experience in the prime lettings market and subsequently helped thousands of landlords and tenants during his careers in the Islington property market.

Selecting the right local independent Islington estate agent is essential. When selling your property, you want to be confident that you have the best team working for you. When we meet you, we will ask you what you are looking to achieve and listen to your requirements so that we can put together the best marketing plan for your property. We know from experience that professional, hands-on and thoughtful advice backed up by a well-executed marketing plan can save you tens of thousands of pounds and speed up your sale.
 
It tells you a lot if a client comes back and uses the same agent more than once. James Neilson and Graham Bauer have sold several properties repeatedly over the decades in Islington and surrounding areas. They are lucky enough to have acted for wonderful clients who come back time and again for the professional advice, caring service and good results we offer. For example, James has acted on the sale of one property in Canonbury no less than four times over the past 20 years.
 
Neilson & Bauer are proud to have attained several industry accreditations, which help us ensure that our service is the best it can possibly be. We are members of NAEA and ARLA Propertymark, which means we meet higher industry standards than the law demands. We adhere strictly to their regulations, ensuring that we provide a first-class service and offer you the best possible advice. We are also members of The Property Ombudsman, who provide an impartial ruling on complaints.
 
We promise to guide you through the moving journey and take the stress out of the moving process.

What We Do

Neilson & Bauer provides accurate valuations using vast experience and market knowledge, supported by facts and figures. More than anything, we have our finger on the pulse of the local and wider property market.
 
When you book a free, no obligation, appointment with us, we will chat through all these issues and find out what you are looking to achieve. We will discuss current market conditions, what is likely to happen around the corner, the timing of any sale, and what your options are. It may be that now is not quite the right time for you to move, and we will be open and honest about this.
 
We will prepare a plan of action for your sale (avoiding typical estate agency jargon) and explain what we would do in your position.

Personal Service

A successful sale relies on personal trust and rapport. Our dedicated, friendly staff will go the extra mile on your behalf to ensure a successful sale. As a client of Neilson & Bauer, you will be given the owners mobile numbers so that you can speak directly to us and we are available whenever suits you.
 
In such a fast paced world, you only have a few seconds to really engage and make an impression to not only encourage a potential purchaser to view your property, but get them excited to do so. They are not just purchasing a property, but buying into a lifestyle.
 
All sales staff will visit and get to know your home before we start viewings. This allows us to show with confidence.

PR and Editorial

We have used many marketing options over the years, and PR and editorial sit firmly among our war chest of marketing options. Where possible, we will secure local and national press coverage for your property. James and Graham have been quoted extensively in national newspapers, property journals and magazines including the Sunday Times, The Times, Evening Standard, Metro, Country Life and other print and online publications. Effective PR and editorial rely on having a personal angle or a property having some special characteristic or history. We would be happy to discuss this further with you.

antique camera

Website

Once you instruct us, we will update our website with details of your property. We also have the option to offer a 360° degree/virtual tour of your property, to help promote it to potential buyers.

Online Portals

We advertise all properties on our website and on online portals Rightmove, Zoopla, On The Market and Primelocation.com.
 
Within seconds of being uploaded, your property will be available to be seen throughout the world via these portals.

For Sale boards

Around 30% of sales result from having a ‘for sale’ board up outside the property. This isn’t always appropriate, though, and there may be occasions when we advise against this. The decision will depend on what is right for you and the sale of your property.

Office and Window Display

We aim to have an attractive, inviting and interesting window display, located on Upper Street that stands out from the crowd. As well as a selection of our available properties, you may also see the display props from The Little Angel Theatre’s latest production, for example, or something else featuring the local community that will appeal to the high volume of foot and road traffic that passes our window.

In-house Interior Design Specialist

Once you instruct Neilson & Bauer, we will offer you a free one-hour interior styling consultation with our trusted property dressing partner. They will advise you on the best way to present your property in order to show it to its best advantage.

Neilson & Bauer will also go through a list of what is needed to prepare your property for market. This will include:

  • Helping to arrange an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for your property (which is a legal requirement)
  • Arranging professional photography
  • Appointing a planner to prepare floor plans in accordance with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) guidance
  • Asking you for information about your property’s history for forthcoming viewings

We will only show applicants your home at times suitable to you. We will not release keys to your property without your express authority and only then once we have put the correct checks in place. We will lock up as we find and make sure your home is secure when we leave.

Alternative Marketing Options

We will use alternative marketing options where it is prudent to think outside the box in order to get results. We promise to never treat you like a number – you will always be treated as an individual.

Discreet Marketing

If you would prefer to keep your sale private, we can provide a discreet marketing service, targeting serious buyers without putting your property on the open market.

Updating you on your sale

Neilson & Bauer will update you at least weekly with an overview of the progress of your sale, although you can contact us at any time for an update. We aim to give you immediate feedback after each appointment and in any event within 24 hours of each viewing. We will provide you with ongoing proactive reports during the marketing.

Offers

We will put forward all offers to you as soon as possible, and in any event within 24 hours. Our team is highly experienced at sales negotiations and will keep lines of communication clear, concise, factual and helpful.
 
Furthermore, Neilson & Bauer will provide written correspondence of the offer, confirming the potential purchaser’s position along with financial details and any chain details, if applicable.

Sale Agreed

We will put forward all offers to you as soon as possible, and in any event within 24 hours. Our team is highly experienced at sales negotiations and will keep lines of communication clear, concise, factual and helpful.
 
Furthermore, Neilson & Bauer will provide written correspondence of the offer, confirming the potential purchaser’s position along with financial details and any chain details, if applicable.

Essential requirements when selling your property

PREPARING TO SELL AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
Preparing your property for sale is a relatively straightforward process, although there is certain legislation that landlords must adhere to. Neilson & Bauer has put together this guide below, to ensure vendors are aware of some of the essential requirements when marketing a property for sale.

CLIENT IDENTIFICATION / ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MEASURES
Under the provisions of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and subsequent related regulations, it is a legal requirement that estate agents must be able to identify their clients. All vendors must provide proof of ID and proof of current address. Therefore, we require a minimum of two documents to comply with HMRC regulations and this will be held on file in accordance with The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679.

Where there are joint vendors, a copy of the relevant identity is required for each owner. Where the vendor is a company, Neilson & Bauer requires a least two directors or a director and company secretary to provide us with the relevant identification.

Neilson & Bauer uses the services of Veriphy and other professional companies for anti-money laundering, international ID, PEP, and company checks.

BELOW IS A LIST OF ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTS (FOR INDIVIDUALS), AND WHERE AND HOW, THESE CAN BE CERTIFIED

  • Passport
  • Photocard driving licence – this can be used as photo- ID or proof of address but not both
  • National ID card
  • Council tax demand
  • Utility bill, no more than three months’ old
  • Current UK and EU bank statement or credit card statement can be accepted

BELOW IS A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO CAN CERTIFY YOUR DOCUMENTS

  • A bank or building society official
  • A councillor
  • A minister of religion
  • A dentist/doctor
  • A chartered accountant
  • A solicitor or notary
  • A teacher or lecturer
  • The Post Office

THE PERSON YOU ASK MUST NOT BE

  • Related to you
  • Living at the same address
  • In a relationship with you

THE CERTIFICATION SHOULD BE AS FOLLOWS

The third party must have seen the original and must write above their signature that the copy is a true replica of the original and (if applicable) that the photograph bears a true likeness. They must print their name, state their capacity, contact details and the date of signature. A company stamp is desirable, but not essential, unless from a solicitor’s or accountancy practice. A solicitor should also print their name and SRA number and phone number.
 
TERMS OF BUSINESS

Once you have decided which service to go for, we’ll go through our terms of business with you in full and answer any questions you may have. All the owners of the property (or their authorised attorney) will need to sign and date our terms. These can be sent in paper form or electronically, if easier.

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Sales Guide Cover