Buying a property is one of the most expensive purchases most people make in their lifetime – so having someone on your side can make the process simpler, less stressful, more efficient and give you more options to choose from – including properties which haven't even hit the open market.
Cotswold Property Finder, Hannah Edge, has extensive experience helping people find their dream home in the Cotswolds. SoGlos sits down with Hannah to discover more about her unique service.
What does Cotswold Property Finder do?
Cotswold Property Finder offers a bespoke property finding service in the Cotswolds and surrounding areas tailored to each individual clients’ needs and requirements. I act purely for the buyer and my searches range from holiday cottages to family homes, townhouses to farms and development opportunities to equestrian set-ups. I act for a variety of clients locally, nationally and internationally.
My inbuilt tenacity means I leave no stone unturned, whilst at the same time being affable, approachable and understanding of my client’s particular needs and circumstances. I always try to get my clients one step ahead of the competition.
Having worked as an estate agent, what are the differences between that and a property finder?
A property finder acts purely for a buyer, whereas an estate agent acts for a seller.
An estate agent’s role is to promote their properties for sale in the best possible light. A property finder (aka a buying agent) must look at the whole package on behalf their clients – the warts and all! Although I am a naturally positive person, as a property finder I also investigate the negatives of each property to ensure every client is going into a purchase with their eyes open and aware of any potential issues or compromises.
I would say to be a good property finder, you ideally need to have been a selling agent first. To have experienced both sides of property transactions and the associated negotiations is hugely beneficial. It is also so important to know as much about the eccentricities and quirks you may be faced with in a transaction to be able to properly advise clients with their purchase.
Buying agents are quite common in the US – is this a growing service in the UK?
In the US, buying agents are an important part of the property system – they're called realtors out there and very few people buy without someone acting on their behalf.
Buying agents have been in the UK for some time, but I think Covid-19 increased the need and interest with prospective purchasers becoming more aware they do exist in the UK!
During lockdowns, people had more time to evaluate what they wanted to do with their life, it brought about the ability to work from home, therefore people could push the boundaries further of where they could live. They didn't necessarily need to be around the corner from work and access to fresh air and open space became priorities for many.
So yes, I'd say it's a growing trade – and there are a number of us in the Cotswolds who are proactively offering the service.
When you buy a house, it's quite often one of the most expensive things that you will ever buy, so people want advice, they want independent opinions – and they also want access to properties they may not have heard of otherwise.
My key advice for those considering appointing a buying agent is to do your research. Local knowledge is key, so you want a property finder who lives in the area – and they also need to have considerable experience in the property world.
Try to meet up before instructing a property finder, it is a very personal and bespoke journey and you therefore need to feel sure you can work well with them.
You also need to ensure your property finder has the capacity to look after your search and the time to do all they can to find ‘the one’ for you. I take time to get to know every client and this ultimately makes the search more efficient moving forward.
What benefits are there to buyers of having an independent buying agent?
I think the first point is being independent, that's key. I am not linked directly to any estate agents, so I am able to offer truly independent advice whilst also maintaining fantastic relationships with the local and national agents.
I can introduce my clients to a range of properties, including off-market properties.
Some of these off-market properties may come from estate agents before they formally hit the open market; they may come directly via sellers; they may also come from other professionals, such as solicitors or architects. I have strong local connections and three children at different schools, so I am lucky to have a range of contacts across the region. I leave no stone unturned to find my clients properties which fit their brief!
People are much busier nowadays, so I can save my clients time and wasted trips especially if they are based outside the area. Having someone on the ground to do that first recce and report back through independent eyes is important.
I'm an experienced negotiator, so I can negotiate on my clients' behalf. Ultimately, I'm there to get the property at the best possible price for my clients, make them aware of comparable sales and make sure they feel well-guided into the purchase they're going to make.
I'm a rural surveyor as well, so this background allows me to point my clients in the right direction of those able to help further with aspects such as planning, flood checks and more.
I have extensive local knowledge with numerous contacts allowing my clients to have access to an all-encompassing black book of professionals such as solicitors, surveyors, architects and tradespeople.
Having a professional, friendly person who's on your side helps make the process as enjoyable, stress-free and productive as possible.
What kinds of properties are you most often asked to find?
It's quite broad. With my rural background and surveying qualification, I can help clients find a wide range of properties.
At the moment I've got clients looking for holiday rental investments that they're going to use a bit themselves, but want to get a good return; I've got a family from out of the area looking for a home in the Cotswolds close to good schools; I've got people looking for equestrian properties and farms; I've got clients looking to build up a portfolio of properties they can renovate and then let out; as well as an international buyer looking for a base in the Cotswolds.
It's a real cross section! Importantly, I only have a handful of clients at any one time, so they each get that one-to-one help and guidance and I am careful to avoid conflicts with client briefs.
Being based in the Cotswolds means you have extensive local knowledge – are there any up-and-coming areas that are rising in popularity?
Areas close to members clubs are always popular, so Daylesford, Soho Farmhouse, Estelle Manor – particularly with those from London and the Home Counties, as well as international buyers gravitating to these regions for their accessibility to Oxford and London and for their quintessential Cotswold charm.
Painswick and the surrounding valleys have always been popular, but I think people have realised they can get a bit more for their money in that patch. Hotspots such as The Painswick Hotel have helped to put this area on the map for out of area buyers who may not have come across it before.
Then the areas west of the M5 towards the Herefordshire and Monmouthshire borders offer that rural lifestyle, but again buyers can get more for their money there – and it's still accessible, with good schools nearby.
Your local contacts mean you can help buyers with properties requiring renovation. Is this something you're seeing more of in the market currently?
There's always an appetite for a project, it's a competitive part of the market, whether it's at the lower end flipping for buy-to-let, or the upper end where people are looking for their dream house and want to put their mark on it.
During Covid-19, lots of people were after Grand Designs-type projects, but I think reality is setting in a bit more recently. The cost of doing work has gone up. Properties can be listed or in Conservation Areas which can have a bearing on the associated planning permissions which may be required and the time it takes to get these consents and the work done.
I am seeing more people focusing on energy saving and efficiency, looking for properties that aren't going to cost the earth to heat, but I think there will always be an appetite from buyers to put their mark on properties, especially those in highly desirable areas or which do not come to market very often.
You've got extensive experience in the equine sector, too – does this factor into your work?
It's a bit of a niche for me because not all buying agents have that equine or rural background – having a qualification in rural surveying, as well as an equine business management degree and having worked in the industry really helps me.
There's always demand for equestrian and countryside properties because we're in a beautiful part of the world with good access to road networks. The polo industry is big in the Cotswolds as well – I've helped clients looking for polo properties, which are in quite short supply.
I love the range of searches. I love equestrian and farm searches just as much as the family and second home searches.
Have you faced any challenges in finding the right property?
What's important is getting to know each and every client closely, how they live and how their financial world is made up. I quite often go and meet people in their current home, if I can. People are a lot more relaxed in their own home so I can see what works and what doesn't work for them where they currently live.
Some people need me because they're busy and haven't got time to dedicate to a search, whilst other client searches are quite unique where they are literally looking for a needle in a haystack! It is not necessarily something they will find straight away on the property portals online.
I'm always honest at the outset. I spend time making sure that what they're looking for is possible and how much time it could take.
One of the really nice things about what I do is listening, considering the initial brief and thinking outside of the box. I once acted for clients who were looking for a plot to build a home. They ended up buying a period property with a barn they could rent out to generate an income!
This was completely off their initial brief, but when I heard about the property, which was being offered off market, I felt it could work for them. They fell in love with it immediately and I'm still in touch with them now, years after.
Clients' confidentiality is highly important to you – why is that?
Because a lot of what I do is off market, it's not in the public domain for a reason. I've worked for well-known people and high-net-worth individuals, so confidentiality is hugely important.
It's really important to respect that – and people come to me because they can trust me. I am very proud that most of my work comes through personal and professional recommendations and I do not want that to stop!
How can house hunters get in touch with you?
I'm always very happy to have a no obligation chat with anyone, whether that's buyers, sellers, or someone thinking about moving.
For more information about Cotswold Property Finder and to get in touch with Hannah, visit cotswoldpropertyfinder.co.uk.
