First In The Door

When we launched First In The Door a little over a year ago, our mission was simple: To provide professional representation to home buyers everywhere… by connecting them with a trusted local buying agent.  We would do this by: ✅ Meeting and vetting the agents ✅ Tailoring personalised recommendations to specific briefs ✅ Allowing consumers to read unbiased reviews from other home buyers ✅ Providing independent and impartial support to guide home buyers through the norms and nuances of using a buying agent, what to expect and how to successfully choose the right one ✅ And we would make this 100% free for home buyers The only problem: We didn’t have any buying agents! However, the numbers very quickly started to grow... We were delighted, in March earlier this year, when Middleton Advisors joined our platform as one of the most highly respected names in the industry.  We will always be grateful to Mark Parkinson, Tom Hudson, Ben Hudson and Ben Horne and the team for believing in us and the trust they placed in us. ❤️ We were even more delighted to receive this glowing testimonial from them recently and very much enjoy working with the team!  😊 For the home buyer we referred, we are confident we've helped them to find the very best buying agent for their particular brief... as well as a great chemistry fit... and we know they are in fantastic hands! #cotswoldsproperty #cotswolds #countrylife #buyingagent #ukhousehunting #searchagent #propertyexpert #buyingagency

With the Autumn Budget out of the way, MoneyWeek asked property advisor platform First In The Door, alongside MoneySavingExpert.com, Zoopla and Rightmove if now is a good time to buy and looks at what is happening to mortgage rates and house prices. Buyers may have been deterred from the property market due to the high cost of borrowing last year. But falling mortgage rates are now bringing buyers back, Rightmove suggests. Research by Zoopla suggests falling mortgage rates have made buying cheaper than renting in most parts of the UK. "It may even be worth using a buying agent to help find a suitable property, especially if there is a lack of supply." says Claire Whisker of First In The Door Research by property advisor platform First In The Door - which helps purchasers find a buying agent - found 35% of people find buying a home more stressful, compared with 28% of sellers. In London, that figure is further pronounced, with 44% finding buying a home more stressful, compared with 22% of sellers. Additionally, half of UK adults mistakenly believe estate agents act for both buyers and sellers. Claire Whisker says a buying agent can provide "early access to off-market homes and advice on where to buy, to negotiating prices with estate agents and presenting offers in the best light." Ultimately, Karen Noye (DipFA, CeMAP) Noye at Quilter says to "apply your own judgement depending on your personal circumstances" as failure to do so can lead to lost returns. Thanks to Ruth Emery and Marc Shoffman for approaching us for comment.   You can read the article in full here... https://lnkd.in/e-qS9-gZ

We're pleased to have featured in The Telegraph over the weekend in the piece "How Labour accidentally unlocked the downsizing market". In the UK, downsizing has been stuck at a 10-year low, but the mood among homeowners is changing. "Not only do downsizers typically feel an emotional attachment to their home, but they also face additional barriers of a lack of suitable stock to move to, the stress and complexity of moving and the financial burden of stamp duty.” Claire Whisker, of the property advisory platform First In The Door, says: “Moving after such a long time – and after the housing market has changed so much – can feel overwhelming, particularly when transitioning to a smaller space. They will likely need to sell some belongings, which can lead to additional feelings of anxiety and sadness as they let go of memories.” However, experts say Labour’s policies on private schools and inheritance tax could force more to downsize, with the motive of freeing up capital.  Insightful commentary too from James Law of Stacks Property Search who says to take care as "swapping a remote family house for a semi-detached village house can leave little in the way of equity, especially once fees have been taken into consideration”. When you are looking to downsize, a trusted buying agent can add value to the process - from advising on the current local market and those locations offering you best value for money, to helping eke out off-market and private sales when facing a shortage of suitable stock. Thanks to Alexandra Goss for her research and approaching for us for commentary. Read the article in full here... https://lnkd.in/eAw83mJ6 #downsizing #inheritancetax #UKproperty #BuyingAgent #UKproperty #londonproperty #UKrealestate

Great piece in The Times' Bricks & Mortar this morning, titled 'The big autumn property market bounce back'.  First In The Door was pleased to contribute with Tips on how to navigate the market. 'Price, price, price: It isn’t 2021 — so price realistically. “Sellers need to recognise that the market has shifted since the Covid boom,” Claire Whisker of First In The Door, a property platform, says.' Bristol buying agent Lili Oliver of Oliver Roth provides excellent commentary as that city tops the leader board once again for being the most in demand city by property buyers, with data from PropCast Gavin Brazg. 'There are lots of interesting nuances affecting these figures. Schools, for one. Lili Oliver, who works for clients buying properties in Bristol, says there has been a surge in parents looking for excellent state secondary schools around the city — a factor likely to have been accelerated by the government’s plans to put VAT on private school fees. “Families want a high-quality state secondary school as opposed to facing the VAT on private schools,” she says.' Consistently falling mortgage rates are encouraging families to move. A host of lenders are offering loans with rates below 4 per cent — in the past week alone, Barclays and Nationwide Building Society launched five-year fixes at 3.71 and 3.74 per cent respectively. Analysts expect this autumn to be the time when upsizers re-enter the market, to find those extra bedrooms they desperately need. Statisticians at TwentyCi's research shows that larger homes — the type targeted by upsizers — are disproportionately now being put on the market. With bigger homes on the market, TwentyCi Vikki Bennett believes we’re looking at an autumn dominated by richer buyers and sellers. Savills estate agents agrees with TwentyCi that second and third-stepping families are likely to dominate the autumn market. “This cohort will be at the forefront of growth,” Lucian Cook, the director of residential research, says. Of course, there’s the approaching October 30 budget, in which Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has promised to raise taxes — potentially reversing this fragile recovery. As Nina Harrison, of the property advisory company Haringtons UK, admits “the UK property market is in a bit of a muddle right now”. Thanks to David Byers for putting together this informative piece and let's see what comes on 30 October! Read the full article here... https://lnkd.in/eic6VmFr #buyingagency #buyingagents #propertydata #upsizers #bristolproperty #propertyprofessionals

'Call my buying agent!' says the Financial Times.

As a property advisor platform for home buyers, First In The Door is excited this week to feature alongside MoneySavingExpert.com, Zoopla (part of Houseful) and Rightmove with some market commentary for MoneyWeek! Ruth Emery asks 'Is now a good time to buy a house?' Read the full article here... https://lnkd.in/eYG9Shiw #propertysearchagent #propertysearch #buyingagency #buyingagent #propertysearch #propertyadvisor #mortgagerates #propertyprices #interestrates

Wonderful to receive this testimonial from Nicholas Ayre of Home Fusion following their recent instruction! Glad to hear you're out and about in the sunshine for your client's search in North London... and best of luck!

Great to be featured in The Telegraph yesterday and thanks to Liz Rowlinson for the chat and quote!

Thank you Lisa Saxena for the testimonial received this morning. Another 2 searches to add to your already busy list! Moving home? Get yourself First-In-The-Door with top buying agents around the UK on www.firstinthedoor.com #brighton #brightonproperty #hove #hoveproperty #eastbourne #SeasideTowns #BuyingAgent #southcoast #buyingagents #propertypurchases #offmarkethomes

Super to receive this testimonial from Robert Bruce and thank you for the update on your East Anglia and Hertfordshire search! That's a job well done in finding your clients their dream home so quickly! 🔑 Find your dream property in Hertfordshire, across East Anglia and throughout the UK with the country's top buying agents... across different price points... on First In The Door! #hertfordshire #hertfordshireproperty #norfolk #norfolkproperty #suffolk #suffolkproperty #cambridge #cambridgeproperty #eastanglia #eastofengland #buyingagents #rightmove #rightmoveuk #propertypurchases #offmarkethomes