Episode 3 Under Offer: Estate Agents on the Job

Selling houses is not easy. You're dealing with the most expensive thing people ever buy.

There are more of them than ever before.

A square foot can be worth £3,000.

Many of us say they are our least favourite professionals.

The customer's always right, aren't they? No!

Yet we turn to them at some of life's most stressful moments.

I can't control it, you can't control it.

Yes, we're off!

They are the estate agents.

You'd get a better response if you say you're a mass murderer.

What inane comments do you want to make now, Alan?

HE LAUGHS

This series goes behind closed doors across the UK, with the agents...

It needs everything doing to it.

..and their clients.

We're moving!

Gary takes us to the streets of London's super-rich.

My firm has recently sold four houses of, let's say,

£40 million to £60 million.

It's knock-down prices with Lynne in County Durham.

It went to auction with a starting bid of £1.

There's straight-talking Dave in Birmingham.

So when I tell you you're not getting it,

don't come crying back to me saying "I'd have gone another 500 quid."

Rookie Lewis in Devon.

These surveyors are dangerous, dangerous people.

And in London's cheapest borough - Dagenham...

Please stop shouting!

..Caroline, Andy and Darren.

They had a bonfire in the front room here. This is ridiculous.

With unique access we'll learn the tricks of the trade.

As an estate agent I could class it as a wet room.

And find out what's really going on in the UK's crazy property market.

I'm rather hoping that bankers might have

taken our place at the bottom of the pile by now.

Welcome to estate agency. HE HOWLS

Exeter, a picturesque university city near the Devon coast,

home to some of the UK's most desirable properties.

And fertile hunting ground for estate agent

and country music fan Lewis Rossiter.

# Don't my baby look good in them blue jeans?

# Tight on the top with a belly button ring. #

Lewis's patch, Exeter St Thomas,

is full of highly sought after Victorian property.

At under £200,000, typical terraced houses are being snapped up.

What goes like hot cakes in St Thomas, in particular,

are the Victorian terraces because they're just

so popular in the sense of the most period features.

People love the wooden floors, the fireplaces, but at the same time,

you know, you can mount a 47-inch television on the wall.

Rachel, hi, it's Lewis. We've just had the deposit cleared to the bottom of the chain.

In just two years, branch manager Lewis has gone from novice

estate agent to big fish in the Exeter property scene.

Speak to you later, bye.

On his staff are sales negotiators Sally and former hairdresser, Kate.

I left a message to say, "WTF - what is going on?"

-WTF?

-Yeah.

I think people walk past here when I'm doing this, and actually

it's business, but sometimes I think people walk past and think...

-All we do is text.

-All we do is text.

-I know, I always think that.

-Although, Kate, with you I think you are.

-Sometimes.

What? Disciplinary.

Lewis would probably say I'm, you know, close to disciplinary

and maybe looking to get fired, because he says that. He just,

he likes to say that, he likes to feel that he's the boss.

They're out of control, you can't discipline them.

They're free spirits, so I let them do what they want.

Master of his patch,

local lad Lewis thinks he has the edge as an estate agent.

I live in this area so I'm able to relate.

People remember you and I think to buyers as well, it gives them confidence.

If they agent's telling me how great the area is

and he doesn't live here, you know,

he's not preaching what he...preaches.

Today, Lewis is at his latest instruction,

a three-bed terraced house, priced at just under £170,000.

-Hello.

-Hiya!

Right, let's get the really boring paperwork out the way,

because it's my least favourite thing.

I think one of my skills is being able to relate to people in different walks of life.

-What did you want, driving licence?

-Yeah, driving licence will be cool.

Something with your address on.

We have to do this just to make sure you guys aren't

running a drug cartel.

You don't need, you know, years and years and years of experience.

Well, that I'll tell you about after.

People buy from people they like, full stop.

-And in terms of price and everything, happy to go in at 169,950.

-Yes.

Yeah, that's the plan.

We're moving because, obviously, we've had a third child,

so we're having to think about more bedroom space,

which I crave more than anything.

With an ever-growing family, vendor Naomi

has her eye on a four-bed new build,

and she's hoping Lewis will calm her nerves and sell her place fast.

You're always afraid of estate agents not being honest.

Crikey.

You're also nervous thinking that you're hoping somebody will

like your house enough to buy it, so fingers crossed he'll sell it.

I wouldn't mind access to that shed.

That has got man cave written all over it.

There's definitely an underlying feeling from

some people that estate agents aren't necessary.

-Bathroom, a couple of shots.

-OK.

-You can see the shower.

-That looks a nice one.

The way I see it, we market a property, get interest,

find a suitable buyer.

-There we go.

-Yeah.

-So that gives you an idea.

-OK.

-All right.

-Thanks, Lewis.

-I'll see you later.

I've been involved in sales that, had I not been immersed in the sale,

it would have fallen through and people would have lost money.

Lewis is but a novice in the estate agency game

compared to veteran Dave Simms in Birmingham.

I'm 48. I'm born and bred Hodge Hill.

Used to be a paperboy, in fact,

on this street as a knobbly-kneed 13-year-old.

Having served the streets of Brum for over 30 years,

Dave has witnessed a dramatic transformation.

I see an area that has changed more in the last ten years

than any other part of Birmingham.

With building work off the scale,

the houses in Hodge Hill are getting bigger and bigger.

David Attenborough will be doing his next series actually from Hodge Hill

about how the skip breeds, because every day there are more skips.

Britain's second city gives you more bang for your buck.

At half the national average,

a three-bed semi here goes for £160,000.

Hodge Hill is a residential area increasingly popular with the local

Pakistani community, and they make up the majority of Dave's clients.

And keen to modernise,

families are moving in and calling out the builders.

Houses in Hodge Hill are very appealing.

They're the right type of accommodation,

they have the right number of rooms and, most importantly,

they have the ability to extend.

And after Dubai, Hodge Hill is the building capital of the world.

Right, let's measure up.

In the middle of his area is Dave's latest instruction

on Beaufort Avenue, and it's ripe for redevelopment.

Two receptions, four bedrooms, a loft extension

and spacious garden,

all for £172,950.

What we've got here is how loft conversions were 30 years ago.

You built within the confines of the loft,

put a little Velux in to give a little bit of light.

Hold that thought till we get outside.

The 1975 loft conversion, the 2013 loft conversion.

They just put another floor on a house.

The houses are completely different to what they were 20 years ago.

Semidetached houses are becoming terraced houses

because the purchasers extend right up to each other,

so now there isn't a gap between the semis. It's bang smack there.

We're all going back to all-terraced housing again.

The houses may be growing, but not everyone loves living here.

Owners Peter and Mary Edgecox have had enough

and are selling up after 32 years.

Too much building work going round the area. Dusty, dirty.

Dirty, noisy. You just call it Skip City.

There's been as many as six up to last week,

there were six skips in the road.

I'll be sad to go to leave my house, not the area.

Despite the rise of online property websites,

when it comes to shifting houses, Dave prefers to go old school.

Do you think that piece of paper sells it?

The thing we're emphasising here is reduced.

That number catches the eye and the price.

You don't have to do night-school English literature to write

a set of sales particulars or to do a window card.

Especially around here,

how many different languages get spoken outside that front door?

Everybody speaks photograph.

People with half a billion to splash don't expect to peer into

estate agent's windows.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

-I would confirm the agreement in the first paragraph of the letter.

-No.

David, you cannot take back... David...

In central London, elite buyers can afford some of the most

expensive properties in the world.

Circa 40,000 sq ft. OK?

And it's estate agent Gary Hersham's job to give it to them.

I regularly deal with high net worth individuals, somebody who's

capable many times over of buying the property he wants to buy.

If somebody wants to buy a £20 million property, you have to

assume he's worth half a billion pounds.

Marketing properties to the super-rich means Gary spends

most of his day glued to the phone.

Today, a sales rep is hoping to persuade Gary to consider

an alternative method - virtual home tours.

But he's struggling to hook him in.

So, say we've got a client and their requirement is...

-Shall I wait?

-No, carry on.

So the client can walk around as if they are actually there.

So this is something we did for Jackson-Stops,

Frank Harris. This is near Bankside.

Attention to detail is my strong point and my weak point.

I understand that. So it's a three dimensional proper video of flats.

-So the annual charge works out about £4,000 a year...

-PHONE RINGS

..and that's to run the media on your website.

I'll phone you back in five minutes.

-You get

-e-mail... One second,

plain English, plain English. Your top level is 550 quid.

-So I've got 30,000 square foot house, 550 quid?

-No.

I'm not interested in anything unless I understand the figures correctly.

I'm not entering into any open ended contract.

-I need to understand clearly what your costs are.

-Variable.

I want a flat rate.

'If I'm honest, I'm very demanding.'

I don't know how to deal with people in an ordinary way.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

From the hustle of central London, to the serenity of rural Scotland,

scenery to take your breath away, and property prices to match.

This is semirural, new build.

For less than a one-bed flat in Mayfair,

a brand-new four-bed costs around £350,000.

On a nice day, when the sun's shining, it's a very light house.

Through here we have the living room.

Alternatively, there's a three-bed cottage with land for around the same price.

The kitchen's got an Aga, which is everybody's dream these days.

And the window has a bonny view, to the hills, to the Sidlaw Hills.

But since the downturn in 2008,

selling these houses has been tricky,

says estate agent Archie Melville.

There's no doubt that the market is very difficult compared to

how it used to be.

In the old days we would know the properties that would sell well,

now there's no guarantee.

It tends to take twice the effort and maybe twice the amount of time.

Serving the area of Perth for the last seven years,

Archie is as refined as his surroundings.

It's got a nice big bay window and it's got views out on to

the river, but sadly today it's raining a bit,

so it's not quite so nice.

Anyway, this is where Sue and I work.

Sue's sat there and I'm over there.

And we've had a clean up especially for you.

'Most people seem to have a very poor view of estate agents,'

and they probably call us dishonest, I should think.

But I'm rather hoping that bankers might have

taken our place at the bottom of the pile by now.

Life behind the wheel comes with the territory for most

estate agents, but since his patch covers four counties,

Archie clocks up more miles than most.

Being with a rural agency I want to deal with rural properties

and I'm very happy travelling distances to go and see them,

and that's part of the joy of it.

The privacy, the views, the brief moments of solitude,

I'm that sort of person.

On Archie's books today,

a four-bedroom loch-side home with stunning views.

The unusual aspect is an elevated position up here,

looking up Loch Tummel.

But getting interested buyers out to the middle of nowhere can be tricky.

The house here is a detached modern house,

and it's on the market for 465.

It's been on the market for about two months.

So we're in the sitting room here.

Double doors with those wonderful views down to the loch.

And we've got a large open fire, and it's really open plan here between

the sitting room, dining area, office and study around the corner.

And we've got the kitchen here,

a nice utility room and larder off it here.

And that majestic view from the sink. What more could you want?

Retired couple Liz and Michael Marsden

had this house built ten years ago.

-What are we going to do?

-Scones.

-Scones.

We came up from Sussex, really, for a different style of life

and just a complete change.

And then Simon, our son, sadly died

and we wanted a project to really try and focus on something.

And we thought because we had this little bit of land

that we would build a house.

Sadly, it's a little too much for us to run now,

and we'd like to live nearer the family.

Spring signals the busy period for Archie.

Selling the Marsdens' home while the sun shines is vital.

Once winter draws in, the rural Scottish property business freezes.

We really need to be drawing people in at a time of year

that's good for viewing, and there's no simple solution.

What we will do is we will just persevere, because I think with

properties in this market if you persevere you get there in the end.

People will pop up, you'll get the odd viewing

and we'll get lucky at some stage.

What we want is somebody who just sees that

and thinks they can't live anywhere else.

And if we'd had 15 viewers by now,

I'm sure we would have had one of those.

Relying on luck to sell a house isn't all that matters.

Nice and light.

Having the gift of the gab is also crucial.

That's what's so great about these properties - the sizes.

In Exeter, Lewis has his patter down to a T.

This is really cool what they did.

Master bedroom. Cast-iron fireplaces.

She's not going to make her money back, because she's over-spent.

You don't just want to tie up with the first person who comes along, we want the best person.

I mean obviously we want to go away and have a...

Yeah. Guys, you'll get zero pressure from me.

Houses get the best price when there's more than one buyer.

You guys are viewing number... only three at the moment.

'And what's good from an estate agent point of view'

and for the vendor is that as one leaves they see another one

come forward, so it shows they're not the only ones.

She's opened this up, so this was actually blocked up two years ago.

It's definitely opened it up!

In the cut-throat property market...

When would you like to view?

..Lewis has to keep on his toes.

I might be able to squeeze in 5.30.

-Why does he stand up?

-Because he feels that it gives him more energy.

He once said he was going to take our chairs away.

So it's half past five today. Speak to you soon, bye.

-That's why you stand up, isn't it, Lewis?

-What?

Because you feel it gives you better energy.

Yeah, you're more articulate on the phone as well.

I tell you all the time, you don't do it.

You need to be like this.

-I like my chair, though.

-Yeah, well...

If I came in and my chair was gone...

Do you want to come on in, guys?

At £169,950,

the three-bed on Redvers Road is proving popular with the punters.

-Lots of space out here.

-So I see.

And negotiator Kate is in charge of viewings.

Awkward when you're waiting for people sometimes,

because so many times I've approached people,

"Hello," and it's not them.

One interested party is widow and grandmother, Teresa Mears.

Well, basically, I want to downsize.

Unfortunately, I lost my husband this year,

but originally we were going to do it a couple of years ago anyway.

Look at the size of that fridge freezer. Mine would look lost there.

My husband would be kicking me up the backside and saying to get on with it.

Do you want to go out there and have a look?

-They're on about me having a hot-tub again now.

-I said that.

That was my first reaction when Jess said the out-house is big,

I was thinking potential hot-tub area.

With estate agency you are dealing with human beings.

Sometimes you're seeing them in huge stressful periods of their lives,

it could be a divorce, they could have lost a partner.

It's a number of things.

Bye.

'Property isn't just bricks and mortar, it's people's lives,'

it can be quite emotional.

But Mrs Mears's fresh start won't be at Redvers Road

unless she matches Lewis's valuation of the property.

Are you going to go and get Ellie?

They really liked it. She has come in with an offer today which is really low.

We've got viewings already lined up for it.

We've got the power, we want what we want for it,

we want the asking price for it.

Wheee! Yes, darling, are you all right?

You can't lie down for buyers.

It's a game of poker, it's who gives in first, ultimately.

One thing that I always say is that we'll fight to

get the best deal for the vendor - that's our client.

And sometimes you hold out for what it's worth

rather than go with the first person that comes along.

Across the UK, 66,000 people a month are now getting mortgages,

more than at any time since the financial crash.

Only just come on sale, first viewing.

Good news for the buyers, and even better news for the agents,

especially when the fees start coming in.

The competition for fees is fierce.

On average, our minimum fee is £2,000 plus VAT.

You don't get rich out of estate agency.

Well, you certainly don't on the east side of Birmingham.

And on Beaufort Avenue, Dave's instruction has attracted

a lot of interest.

So just mooch and wander. Any questions just let us know.

You know the extension, it's quite up, isn't it?

Well, you'll see that downstairs.

But this is a 1970s version of a loft conversion.

OK, yeah.

The extension might not be keeping up with the neighbours,

but first viewer Hussain Siddique seems keen.

This one just catches the eye.

It's like everything, you have ten houses you can't sell,

then you have one house that six people want to buy.

I thought money could buy you everything.

Yeah, yeah, money doesn't buy you everything.

'Our frustration is, you like a property'

and then someone else is quite keen on that property as well,

and even if you were to offer the asking price, they would

increase the asking price because they've had so much interest.

Take care. See you, girls.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

The best chance you've got of selling your house

is the first four weeks it's up for sale.

If your wife wants a dress in M&S, she doesn't wait

for the sales lady at Marks to ring her and say they've got lovely dress.

Your wife goes in and grabs the dress and she buys it, doesn't she?

Exactly the same thing there.

-Dave Simms. Are you OK?

-I've got an appointment.

-Are you the half past or the quarter to?

-The quarter to.

The final viewing of the day, Dilwar Hussain.

-Have a wander, have a mooch.

-Cheers.

So this is where the extensions are, obviously.

OK, sure. Sure.

Are you into your cars?

If cars are your thing then you've got the working piece, haven't you?

Electrics. Somewhere to hide from the wife.

Always a good thing, I think.

-Yeah, cos I keep her in the cellar at the moment.

-Exactly, exactly.

Sky dish, snooker table, happy days, isn't it,

Are you into gardening?

No.

'It's not first come, first served. It's who's in the best position.'

Nothing. No.

We want a genuine buyer to buy the house who's going to give us

no hassle, it's just going to be a straightforward transaction.

Yeah. Help yourself.

I think he's serious. I think he's a serious chap.

-There's a bit of work.

-Downstairs is ahead of upstairs, isn't it?

All the doors need to go for sure.

Electrics need to be updated.

Did you notice the first stages of negotiation there?

Which was radiators need changing,

this needs changing, that needs changing.

That's how purchasers in general will try

and sow the seeds for putting a lower offer in by just telling me

everything needs doing.

I don't need to know what needs doing, I know what needs doing.

You just give me a figure and tell me how you can afford to pay it.

Back in Exeter, widow Mrs Mears has upped her offer on Redvers Road

to £169,950,

bang on the asking price, and it's been accepted.

-Hi, Naomi.

-Hiya!

But the sale needs to go through pronto,

so that the vendor, Naomi, can bag her new build.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah.

-Good news, isn't it?

-Thank you for your text, by the way.

-That's all right.

-I'm extremely elated that it's taken less than two weeks.

-Elated.

-Yes.

-And relieved too.

We're really pleased we got asking. It's nice to..

-Yes. I didn't think we'd get asking.

-You didn't. I knew it.

-I knew it would.

-But that is extremely lucky to have that within two weeks.

Yeah, that's market, though, to be honest.

I'd say half the job's done, so in this job...

This is the horrible half now?

It can be, yeah, it can be.

-OK.

-But to put you at ease I've got certain things

in my pipeline that I know this is going to be a challenge,

I've got to get this sorted. This isn't one of them.

All I need to do is get a solicitor?

Yes, and keep chasing them because if you don't you just get put to the bottom of the pile.

The most stressful part of our job is part two, and that's

when you get conveyancers and surveyors involved and mortgages.

Everything should go according to plan, straightforward.

Any issue we'll deal with, but there's nothing that's going to...

The skill of the agent really comes to light and I think that's

where ultimately the agent - a good agent - earns their fee.

For the go-getting branch manager every second of the day is valuable.

We've got to think style.

Are we going along on the top, short sides and back?

Cut it like the one not last time but the one before,

because last time you took a little bit too much off.

And just remember, keep the fringe.

It takes me months to grow that fringe.

It's a buoyant market, but luckily Kate can multi-task.

How did yesterday's buyer review go?

-Well...

-Oh, OK, well, this doesn't sound good.

When I walked in she said I haven't told her dad that she's offered.

So it's probably worth giving her a call. He's actually..

-Agh!

-Argh, what happened?

You moved and I cut myself. Dude, look.

'Lewis is a scaredy cat. In mine and Lewis's work relationship'

I'm probably the guy, as in not so scared, and he's the woman.

It's quite bad, Kate, a lot of blood.

You're the worst first-aider in the world.

-How am I going to cut your hair if I've got that?

-I'm sorry, Kate.

I don't think he's like a rugged "Grrrr!" guy, man.

Don't retaliate by taking my fringe off.

-I'm going to need a bit of fringe.

-Let me move you.

I'm still bleeding, dude.

In central London, estate agent to the super rich, Gary Hersham,

is also too busy to leave his office

when he needs to... tend to his appearance.

Queste cos'e, la giacca d'estate?

The solution - fly in Roberto, his Italian tailor,

direct from Milan instead.

If he had a figure like mine it would look really smart.

Do your belt up and your flies up.

You've also got another jacket of mine that you have to fix.

I do plan to reduce more but I don't know if I'm going to succeed.

I come from Italy monthly.

He likes to wear simple things, blue and grey.

He's a very traditional man.

It's wasting time. Do not do that.

They're not going to rent that flat upstairs

or those first floor flats.

His body type is a little bit complicated.

Sometimes the weight goes up and down.

Tighter.

More.

What are you talking about? That's better.

I like them higher on the waist.

100% sure it's not too tight.

-Like this?

-Yes. Better.

Have you got anybody for Park House?

Can't you bring anybody in to Park House?

Well, we've got our extra planning there. We've now got...

Shall I send you a brochure round by hand?

OK, I'll speak to you later on.

Leave it to me, Speak to you later, Louise. Bye.

I haven't got time today, I don't have patience.

INTERVIEWER: What extent does dealing with high net worth individuals

rub off on you personally?

I think confidence and being able to deal with the very rich

when they want to buy exclusive homes must go hand-in-hand.

Having done so for many years, maybe some of it does rub off on me.

Yeah, but when you put my suits away please can you colour code them?

I specifically put them in greys and blues.

OK. You took my tie with you, did you? OK, lovely.

Speak to you later.

Among estate agents,

Gary doesn't have the monopoly on exclusive properties.

In Scotland, Archie is on his way to measure up an unusual instruction,

a 970 acre private island off the Outer Hebrides.

We're thinking this way.

In fact, it's so exclusive even he is struggling to locate it.

Right, Haklett, it's a mystery.

Oh, now if that's Uisgebhagh, one should be able to work this out.

No, I can't see anything of that name.

So are we at that crossroads there?

I mean, with two signs like that we should be able to

work out where we are, but for the life of me I can't.

It's not going to be easy for potential buyers to visit

this instruction, but Archie's finally found his way.

I see it as an advantage.

A property like this, if it was easily accessible you'd have

everybody and their dog, and you don't want that.

Advertising an uninhabited island forces agents to think

out of the box.

These are service station wellington boots. There is our sale sign.

Looking pristine.

That's me ready for the expedition.

It's the island of Wiay, just off the east coast of Benbecula.

And anything we're selling we need to be familiar with the property.

So we're going over today to measure up, as it were.

I've never been personally in charge of selling an island before.

Hi, there.

Once the hiding place of Bonnie Prince Charlie, any modern commuters

will have to conquer air, road and finally water to reach the island.

Oh, there's the eagle, how lovely. That's fantastic.

That is a lovely sight, the eagle being mobbed by probably ravens,

it's difficult to tell by this distance, but mobbing the eagle.

With stags and fishing galore,

Archie will market the island to Scottish game sports enthusiasts.

The attraction to people is to be able to get away from everything

and simply be able to look out from here

and see none of the scourges of modern life.

And in estate agent speak the only building is a real doer-upper,

which has planning permission to be transformed into a holiday home.

It's small, isn't it? It's small, but they were in those days.

This'll be the front door, yes, away from the prevailing wind.

The current owners paid £20,000 for the island in the 1980s.

Archie must price it for today's market.

It needs everything doing to it. But it's very doable.

My gut feeling is it's worth

somewhere between £300,000 and £500,000.

I would probably do this for nothing.

I would definitely do this for nothing,

but I'm told in the company that we have to be commercial about things.

So it's very boring,

but I wouldn't choose to do anything else in the world right now.

# What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're OK? #

# I'm falling to pieces. #

In Devon, it's a big day for branch manager

and soft rock enthusiast Lewis.

We're off to Exmouth area manager's meeting.

It only happens twelve times a year, once a month,

and I actually really enjoy them.

And I love to sing, my wife doesn't like me singing.

But when it's me on my own in the car I can let go.

It gives me energy.

So before a manager's meeting I'll spend 30 minutes

going down here singing, so by the time I get to the meeting,

much to a lot of people's annoyance, I'm quite ready for it.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Is there friendly internal competition?

Yes. Definitely friendly internal competition.

They have what is called Office of the Year, it's pretty prestigious.

Last year was my first year and we finished around about 6th.

But this year we currently lie second, which is nuts.

Last year I won Employee of the Year,

but then I got caught up in it and I had too much to drink.

It's never a good thing to drink to the extent where you vomit

in front of the company chairman on the office sofas

that then had to be cleaned.

So not the best impression. Highs and lows, really.

One afternoon each month,

an unassuming former Exmouth hotel becomes a gladiatorial arena...

..double figures on the sixth of the month.

..as bright young property bucks do battle with their sales figures.

We've had six sales.

Well done.

July was the best month of the year for us.

August has started a little bit quieter. So it's busy.

Rentals a bit quiet, just the 15 move-ins this month,

which is double more than we've ever done.

Sales, like everyone else, really good July month,

six instructions so far.

Booked one on yesterday. Got another one to book.

Negotiating on two,

we're hoping they're going to be making offers today we can't refuse.

And we had a fall-through Saturday, which I took pretty hard,

and drunk a bit of gin on Saturday to try and get through it.

But I took that quite personally so that's been quite hard.

So yeah, I forgot what it was like.

Back at the office and the gin is on stand-by.

The sale of Redvers Road has hit a snag - neither vendor Naomi

nor buyer Mrs Mears can agree on a completion date.

She's still got to pack everything,

she's getting rid of all of her husband's stuff.

I've tried. I can't push it because it's a touchy subject.

All right. Thanks, bye.

Naomi's buying a new build, so they need the end of September.

You like it, don't you?

But Mrs Mears specified mid-October.

Why does this stuff never go right when you want it to?

'It can be hard if there's a chain

'and there's one specific date that one lot of buyers will only do.'

Is being an estate agent a bit like being a negotiator?

Yeah, that's my job title, a negotiator. And it is tough.

You can end up feeling sorry for everybody,

but you do have to be realistic. You'll never keep everybody happy.

Recently widowed Mrs Mears is struggling to deal with

the thought of leaving the family home of 30 years.

To be quite honest, the girls have done a lot of the packing

of the sentimental things, because I would just hang on to everything.

There's a lovely photo that I've got here of Derek now

and that was taken a year ago.

And that was one that we had at his funeral and that.

So I've only just been able to start looking at them, to be quite honest.

On average, we move up to eight times in our lifetime,

but it seldom gets any easier.

I can remember turning up at the registry office,

with my mother-in-law telling me that it weren't too late

to change my mind, because her son would never be no good to anybody.

But it's things like this that you've got memories, you know,

and you can look back on it.

He was my soul-mate for 32 years.

In Birmingham, by using his own unique charms...

Dave Simms has received three offers on the four-bed house

on Beaufort Avenue, but they're all under the £172,950 asking price.

-How much has he offered?

-165.

-Cheeky sod.

-I said to him I thought that was a bit low.

Yes, Mr Akter.

Well, yeah, tax is something we all have to pay, unfortunately, though.

Of course you can, yeah, go and have a word with the wife

and come back to me. But don't come... Listen...

Yes, I know, I know.

Bye-bye.

That was Mr Akter. He's one of the three people who've made an offer.

In all fairness, he doesn't fulfil me with any great confidence.

So I think it's going to end up being a two-horse race.

We have Siddique who keeps ringing us up saying, "I want to pay 170,"

and we've got Hussain who's saying, "I want to pay you 170.5."

I'm a great one for best and finals.

I'm not messing around with you here. Best and final.

And by best and final I mean best and final.

So when I tell you you're not getting it,

don't come crying back to me saying "I'd have gone another 500 quid."

Hello, Mr Siddique. There's two very good offers...

Best and final is the last chance for buyers to show how much

they can or are willing to pay for a property.

I can say to them Mr Siddique is at that figure.

OK, that's very good. Puts you in a good position.

OK, so he's gone to £171,000, so he now becomes the highest offer.

PHONE RINGS This is Mr Hussain.

Yeah, hello, Mr Hussain.

The simple reality is that your offer is not the highest offer

at the moment, so I've got to ask you for your best and final offer.

OK, I'll present... No, it's OK,

I'll present that offer to my client.

No, I understand that. As I speak right now that is the highest figure.

OK, I'll put that offer. I'll speak to you after 2.30.

It's awkward, because he's asking me

exactly the same question as Siddique, and in fairness you don't

want to tell Siddique anything different than you tell Hussain.

So OK, he's gone up £1,000, they've both gone up 1,000 quid.

Best and final offers in, Dave must relay the news to his clients.

Today we've asked them for best and finals,

they've both gone up £1,000.

Siddique, who was the first chappie who came,

he has gone to 171,000, and then Hussain,

who was the guy who came in the party of three, and then who

came back with his wife on Saturday, Hussain has gone to 171,500.

-I did like the young couple.

-The Hussains, yeah.

-I did like them, yeah.

-I'm seeing Hussain later tonight.

If we're saying yes to Hussain I will tell him yes,

I will also tell Siddique I'm ever so sorry

but on this occasion you've been unsuccessful.

Now, whilst he has made his best and final offer to me,

experience tells me he'll get a bit shirky, he'll get a bit uppity

and he'll probably come back with another offer.

If he does, I'll let you know and then it's your decision

whether you go with that or not.

Hello, Mr Siddique.

I've just got back from Beaufort Avenue. Bad news, I'm afraid.

So why didn't you make me that offer an hour ago?

But best and final means best and final.

Not best and final, but if I lose this I might go a bit more.

As you know, I'm duty bound to make that offer to my client.

We were right. We knew he would do that.

I don't want him to have it now.

You explained to him what best and final was, so his best

and final is "Well, I'll be able to find a bit more if I don't get it."

Have you finished that vacuuming, Mrs Edgecox?

We phoned Mr Siddique, he's offered £172,000.

Your call.

That's a novelty, the wife is asking the husband.

OK.

No.

Yeah, exactly.

-'OK, then.'

-Take care. Bye-bye.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Did he play his cards well?

No, he didn't, he played them badly.

His best and final should have been exactly that, his best and final.

If he'd have offered £172,000, I think

when we went to see the Edgecox, I think they'd have taken his offer.

Rather than negotiating over a grand or two, the super rich

are more likely to quibble over a million here or there.

Estate agent Gary Hersham

buys and sells property wherever the jet-set congregate.

So today he and his wife Olga have flown to Cannes on the Cote D'Azur.

This part of the French Riviera may be a playground of the rich

and famous, but Gary's not here for jollies.

Yes, what inane comments do you want to make now, Alan?

Please let me laugh my head off.

OK, chuffed, chuffed. Bye-bye.

We're here purely for the day.

We are looking at various houses on behalf of clients,

who are clients of ours in England.

A lot of Russians, a lot of Ukrainians, a lot of Kazakhs,

but also a lot of English people buying in the South of France.

Je peux mettre les bagages dedans...

With no time to waste, Gary soon gets his French office shipshape.

Evening all. Why is this down on the floor?

We have to put this up somewhere. It cost me 2,000 quid.

-Have you got a nail? I'll put it up now.

-No, I don't.

There must be a hammer and nail somewhere.

How are you, Darcey?

Very well, thanks. Did you manage to speak to Michael?

Well, you'd better find some rentals.

He and his brother are phenomenally rich,

you need to do something there, please.

Beecham Estates has offices in three different countries.

So, for example, we have an office in Cannes.

Our second office is in Florence,

our other office is in Mykonos, in Greece.

Nice to speak to you, Darcey, give him a ring tomorrow.

'But, generally speaking,

'in each of those countries it's in an area where people who buy

'expensive homes in London go for their summer vacations.

'As long as one is dealing with the same type of property'

and the same profile of buyer it is a very good symbiotic relationship.

Have you seen the house?

He wants 40 million or 38 million for it.

We tend to deal with very rich people who are internationally

based and who might have three,

four or five homes scattered around the world.

He's having his dinner with some very, very rich Iraqis.

He mentioned they want to sell a house for 180 or 200 million euros

somewhere else in Monte Carlo.

They are very well aware of quality,

very well aware of what they like, their taste, and very well aware

that they don't have very much time in which to refurbish a property.

This afternoon, Gary's here to inspect his latest instruction,

a mansion with notable neighbours.

Now we're going to look at a house that's going to come to the market,

surrounded by houses of the rich and famous,

people in the pop star arena.

One is Bono's house.

It's estimated that half a million UK residents own homes abroad,

with France the most popular destination.

But if you want to join the ex-pats here you will need

pretty deep pockets to buy this house.

If you look downwards you'll see the tennis court to my right.

Further afield you see the helipad.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Is a helipad essential, then?

Nothing's essential in life, but people like what money can buy them.

The man-made lake, phenomenally sizeable.

Look, it goes all the way around the two islands.

Huge Koi carp in there. They're a pretty penny each.

And I can just imagine a little gondola being put on to that lake

and going round the lake in a gondola,

which I think will be quite fun.

This luxury mansion has 12 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms

and 6.5 acres of manicured gardens.

Designed by international developers, Cogemad,

it even offers concierge service,

personal assistance for the super rich.

What you might call a kitchen, but it's far more than a kitchen.

Wealthy buyers have a concept unknown to non-wealthy people.

If I were to wake up one morning and say I want to buy myself

a helicopter or a Picasso or a string of race-horses, I can think

about it, and when one looks at very wealthy buyers, their ability to

change their perception of what they want into reality is instantaneous.

They're only dependent on their own whims.

This is what's called bahia de bahia, blue marble.

It generally comes from Brazil.

Incredibly expensive

and even more incredible difficult to find in such large slabs.

So what's this on for, Gary?

The asking price of this house will only be disclosed to proper buyers,

but what I can tell you is the house next door

is owned by a very famous family in the mineral water business, and that

was on the market, unofficially, at 180 million euros.

And why are you not allowed to tell me the price of the house?

One often does not want to disclose house prices unless one

is in serious conversation with a potential purchaser.

It can get into the wrong hands.

Sellers generally prefer not to disclose price of the properties.

First, they're aware of the tax consequences for the buyer

should it come into the public domain.

Second of all, buyers themselves are quite often secretive.

It's quite risky.

It might be a target for burglary or theft.

But whether it's a 12-bed mansion with three swimming pools

or ordinary semidetached house,

some things are true for estate agents the world over.

The simple and general rule, kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.

But for super-rich fat cats, stairs don't.

Again, you don't normally see a lift that carries 13 passengers,

but it's not a joke,

because it's not necessarily to do with 13 passengers,

it's to do with the very big people who need to get into the lift.

And just when you think they've thought of everything...

What do you think this is?

Do you think this is a football field,

do you think this is an indoor play area, what do you think it is?

This is a garage.

You think to yourself, my God, a man who's prepared to spend 35 million

or a man who's prepared to spend 70 million, does he expect much more?

Moth cases, both sums are huge.

But the truth is, they do.

And that's what a good estate agent does.

He understands the value of property,

he understands the difference between the quality of

a £35 million property and the quality of a £50 million property.

That's what I'd like to have in my house, a rotisserie.

No skimping here.

The bit of wood here is a sale board,

and I quite often have a sale board in my car just in case it's needed.

Archie has found a buyer for the Marsdens' loch-side home,

a young family from London.

It took five months, pretty standard for the sluggish market,

but there's an issue.

We're going to see Michael and Liz.

The house went under offer and the solicitors have been doing

their bit, and just recently there's been a problem and a hold-up.

As I understand it, they've got a bit of ground in their garden

that actually legally doesn't belong to them.

The boundary of a property,

the official line dividing one person's land from the other,

can sometimes cause huge territorial disputes and delay sales.

It's really the boundary fence which is slightly different

to indicated here, you see.

So when the solicitor was checking your boundary plan against

the registry, land registry,

-he found a slight discrepancy, I suppose.

-Yes.

I don't know if I'm supposed to say, but he came with a Doogle...Google...

-A Google map.

-Is that it?

Maybe. I'm not sure.

'Typically, a client is selling the biggest asset they have,'

so they are at times going to be maybe quite pernickety

and very careful about how they go about things.

And, you know, we take that extremely seriously.

He came up with this Doogle Google thing

and so we could actually see the satellite thing.

But it's just ever so very, very slightly...

So when you put the fence in yourself to the garden

you thought, "I'll just take a few extra feet to do it."

No, no, no, it wasn't like that. It wasn't like that, Archie.

Survey problems are one of the top three reasons why house sales fall through.

In very simple terms, this little bit here actually belongs

to the lady who owns this field.

I'm not going to get worked up about it either.

No, you mustn't do. You mustn't do.

All is well, but things never happen very quickly.

You're there to give the client piece of mind.

You know, it's not a transaction they do every day and we have

much more experience in it and we can lay their minds at rest.

Do you think if you've got chance you could just ask her today

what sort of date in October she's thinking?

85% of house sales involve a chain of some kind.

For buyers, they are often a stressful experience.

-Yes.

-So around sort of like the 18th October.

But for estate agents, they are an everyday occurrence.

My beard, I'm a bit worried about the beard.

Salfords at the bottom of the chain are going to speak to Mrs Mears

and see if she's happy with the 18th for a completion.

Is that a Friday?

It is, I believe, let's have a look.

Fine. Get on to them.

Quicker, come on, you've got to be on your toes.

So I spoke to Naomi last night, I called her, because Naomi's

getting pressure from the top, from the new-build company,

but I've tried to explain to Naomi, that's what they do.

Everyone's under pressure, everyone's stressed.

There's no point pushing Mrs Mears, saying "You've got to do this day,"

and make it really unpleasant, because she's not going to do it.

So it's that balance, trying to liaise with the vendor,

you're still on her side, but not to think you're on the buyer's side.

We're not on the buyer's side, we're in that uncomfortable position in the middle.

An uneasy compromise is finally reached.

Hi, Naomi.

The sale is still on, but completion is delayed.

It's purely just frustrating knowing that we're still going to

have to wait until the middle of another month in which to move now.

This is one of the biggest problems with a chain,

-because it's not just your life.

-Never mind.

The most important thing is that you look back in four years' time

and go, "That was funny, wasn't it?"

I hope so, because right now I don't feel like that at all.

No, because you're right in the thick of it.

Two weeks later than Naomi wanted,

but Lewis has smoothed things with the new-build developers.

They're fine.

You're not going to get calls any more saying, "If you don't do this date,

"we're going to sell it to somebody else."

Yeah, OK, that's fine, then.

The Employee of the Year has put out another fire.

Perception of estate agents, I've got no doubt is dishonesty -

car salesmen, pushy sales tactics, and I think that comes down to people's experience of estate agents.

I try and be a man of my word.

I constantly get, "You've changed my opinion of estate agents," and that's what we set out to do.

There's good and bad estate agents, like any walk of life.

But a good estate agent is invaluable.

Give me the bad news.

Why does everybody think an estate agent gives bad news?

It's been quite a day, in fairness, it's been quite a day.

In Birmingham it's good news for the preferred bidder on Beaufort Avenue, Mr Hussain.

-Firstly, I'll give you that.

-Can I read it?

It tells you you've got the house. OK, well done. Good man.

Now we're pleased.

The reality is they liked your wife, and sometimes...

There was a reason you married her.

'This job's got very little to do with houses.'

It's more to do with people and their emotions.

And some of our clients will probably think of us,

or they'll certainly think of me, as being a little bit hard-nosed.

Sorry to drag it out all day, but it was...it's worth it

if it's good news at the end of the day.

-I'm just going to take my blood pressure tablets now.

-Exactly.

Don't have a heart attack until after exchange of contracts,

OK, yeah.

'The high at the end of the month is when everybody gets paid'

and you've got through another month.

In a market like this, seriously, that's a high.

You've got through another month, well done, staff, we're still here.

Can you believe it? Put it there.

Thanks, guys.

-OK. See you later.

-See ya.

People have bought thousands of houses from me

because I'm very good at what I do.

People trust you with their largest asset and there's not many people

in the world that get trusted with most normal folks' largest asset.

I'm one of them. Karen, I'm going to Brownfield now.

I got a kick out of the smile that we just saw on Hussain's face.

It's nice when you can put a smile on a bloke's face, isn't it?

Hello, Jan, it's Archie Melville speaking.

Five months on since putting the island on the market,

Archie's finally had some serious interest.

Right.

Things are definitely in motion.

Now I've got a formal offer on the table, and it's a family with

Scottish roots, and I suspect they know that area very well.

It's achieved a bit better than we thought we would do.

So that's a good development.

200 miles east, and fortunately for the Marsdens, the boundary issue

wasn't a deal breaker.

Who's that pretty lady? Gorgeous! WOMAN CHUCKLES

Now it's time for them to pack up their memories

and finally leave their home and Scotland behind for ever.

Now, this is funny, there was a fancy dress 25 years ago.

How about that?

I have a sneaking feeling we're taking more than we ought to be.

-Do the phones have to go, Michael?

-Eh?

Do the telephones go?

I can't hear a word.

Do the telephones go, or are they staying?

I don't know.

It makes me feel very old having all this help,

because it's also a thing I used to do myself.

Right. Off we go.

It's closing a chapter and starting a new one,

probably the last one, I don't know, in our lives.

End of a chapter, end of the year.

We designed the house, with the architect, of course.

We have a lot of fun designing it and building it.

It's a sad moment.

But it's been a lovely home and a happy home.

Liz and Michael Marsden are swapping the stunning views

of Loch Tummel to start again in Somerset.

-Good luck.

-I know. Come on, bye.

Bye-bye, Anna. Oh, little darling, can I come down to your level?

Hee-hee!

Lock up the house.

I don't want to look back on the house.

Oh, my dearest, come on.

Goodbye.

-VOICE BREAKS:

-I'm going to miss you terribly.

-Are you going to be all right?

-Yes.

Bye-bye, darling.

Oh, dear.

Bye.

In Exeter it's also moving day,

a momentous morning for both Naomi and Mrs Mears.

It's just a lot of memories and that, a lot of years.

Ah, shall we have one last look for my hamster?

LAUGHTER

Never did find that hamster, did we?

It's really weird to not have to come back to somewhere, knowing

it's our first ever home that we bought, but we know that, you know,

this is the best thing for us and we have to make memories elsewhere.

It just seems really weird that there's nothing in here

and...I don't know, it just seems like it's moved on already,

if that's a weird sort of thing, like, you know.

I think once we started packing up it didn't really feel

much like home then.

That's it now, it's the end of an era, beginning of a new one,

but I've always got my memories

and we did have some good times in this house.

For Lewis, satisfaction, as his client is finally smiling.

Hello!

Can you kindly give that to Mrs Mears for me?

Sure!

The best part of the job is when people are happy

and you've actually made a genuine difference to someone's life.

-This is from Naomi.

-Oh, that's really sweet of her,

and I've never even met her.

It sounds corny, but you become that emotional buffer.

It's a really emotive experience.

It just doesn't get any better than that.

Oh, I didn't open it enough.

-WOMAN:

-Hooray!

-Hooray.

What's that? It's nothing, Ava,

it's just an Employee of the Year award, it's nothing.

Yeah, Employee of the Year. First year in the company.

It's no big deal, seriously, Ava, no big deal.

Next time -

How big is your boat? 40 metres. I just came off a boat of 105 metres.

The agents contend with second-homers...

The asking price is £1.55 million.

..repossessions...

There will be infestation of some description in here.

..and those forced to sell.

It's more than bricks and mortar. You know.

And we find out if money really does make the world go round.

If you get a nice place, the price is only going to go one way.