Meet the people behind Berrys – An interview with Philip Robinson

In this series we are interviewing the people behind Berrys, we will find out their

expertise and what drives them to succeed in such a competitive industry. We will

also share tips from the experts themselves.

This week we are interviewing Residential Agency Manager, Philip Robinson. Philip

grew up in rural Shropshire and studied Estate Management and Valuation at

Nottingham Trent University. More recently he passed the National Federation of

Property Professionals exam and is now a Member of the National Association of

Estate Agents.

What does a normal day at Berrys look like?

No two days are the same. That’s what makes being a Property Agent so exciting! Things do

not always go to plan, so we have to think on our feet, come up with solutions swiftly and

make things happen.

My plan for tomorrow is an agency team meeting first thing to catch up on everything and

agree who is doing what. Immediately afterwards, I have meetings with both one of our

planning consultants and one of our architectural technicians; we need to investigate how a

client may perhaps be able to maximise the value of their house on sale by converting some

traditional buildings into residential. I should then be in a position to go back to this client

with our recommendations in between receiving calls from new and existing clients, as well

as following up on the previous day’s viewings.

Mid-morning I have an appraisal of a country home approximately 30 minutes’ drive from the

office. It is a 5 bedroom house with a large garden, outbuildings and a pony paddock, so it’s

just the sort of property that we have cash buyers looking for. Hopefully, I will get back to the

office before lunch. I have to review our professional photographer’s work and help prepare

sales brochures on two other fantastic properties that we have just been instructed to market

as sole agents.

I will be out of the office most of the afternoon conducting viewings and, if things go to plan, I

should see home by 7.30pm – hopefully having been able to report some offers to our

clients, or better still have agreed some sales; that’s the goal!

What makes Berrys different in your opinion?

Its people. You can be sure that you are dealing with an experienced professional in their

field… and that they genuinely want to do their best for you. Nobody is pompous or aloof and

all clients are treated as individuals. Whatever challenges our clients may have, there is

somebody in the company who can help guide them in the right direction and (almost

always) provide a solution.

Traditional values, honesty and integrity are important to everyone working here. And what is

really great is that the company is not stuck in the past. The way that property needs to be

marketed and sold has changed radically in recent years and it is still changing. We intend to

continue to lead the way, embracing change and creating innovative marketing campaigns

that deliver exceptional results for our clients.

And I cannot think of many Estate Agents (other than large corporates) that have a full time

Marketing Manager to assist on all marketing initiatives. But unlike corporates, we can offer

a more tailored service to each client, rather than the one approach suits all – which it

doesn’t!

What aspect of your work do you enjoy most?

That’s a difficult question to answer. There are so many aspects that are enjoyable, I don’t

think that I can identify one single thing that I enjoy most. Meeting so many interesting

people, working with such a fun team, using hard earned skills and experience to the benefit

of clients, seeing so many stunning homes, driving around the incredible Shropshire

countryside, helping provide a stress free sale for clients... I could go on!

Have you got any funny/unusual stories that you have come across in your career at Berrys?

There are more than a few that I could not possibly share with you!

However, Coco the tree climbing Cockerpoo does make me smile whenever I think of her.

You could never find a more adorable dog and she was always absolutely overjoyed when

we showed people around her owners’ home. Her antics would bring tears of laughter and

joy to all as she danced around, trying to get her visitors to play, or performed her hilarious

act of climbing the tree in the garden. However, one day she did unfortunately bring tears to

the eyes of a gentleman by other means; no sooner had he entered the lounge, than I saw a

little brown projectile of fur streak across the room like a rocket, striking its target, head first.

If only I had thought to warn him to wear a cricket box on this viewing!

What is your biggest achievement?

Again, it is hard to single out any one achievement. But I do believe that impossible is just a

word – we can achieve whatever we think we can. What is particularly rewarding is to help

families sell houses that have been marketed by other agents without success. And one of

the loveliest testimonials that I received from a client was that I had restored her faith in

estate agents.

What do you need to look out for when buying a house?

That is a good question. How long have you got? Isn’t it strange that with the purchase of

what is often our most important asset, very few people take advice from a property

professional? We do provide a buying service to a limited number of clients, but this has

always been on high value properties. Maybe as the property industry continues to change,

more buyers will see the benefit in paying a professional Property Agent to advise and act on

their behalf in the buying process.

My property has been on the market for a long time any tips that you can give to make it

more desirable?

There are three P’s to be aware of; price, presentation and promotion. If a house is not

selling, you can be pretty sure that one of these is wrong. It just goes to show that there is

far more to selling a property than taking a few photos, writing a quick description and

putting it on the internet. I would be happy to have a chat with anyone who is struggling to

sell their property.

Have you got any unique properties in your portfolio?

Every single one. That’s the point. All our properties are unique and so are our clients.

Any other tips you can give to our clients?

Yes, there are plenty. And to make things easier, I have written an eBook; Go for Gold –

Winning Strategies to Sell Your Home. And the good news is, it can be downloaded for

FREE

http://www.berrys.uk.com/gold