Anyone out and about in Rye may have noticed that some new estate agency boards have appeared. A new business called Nested is making a mark on a competitive industry facing many challenges. Selling homes in today’s market is vastly different from even ten years ago. The face behind this new agency is Barnaby Osborne, a local lad who has found a niche in the market.
You really are a Ryer aren’t you?
Yes, I’ve always lived in either Rye, Playden or Udimore. My family has always been in and around Rye, too. I went to Thomas Peacocke and have played local football since I was ten, so it’s safe to say I’m a “proper Ryer”.
Did you go into the estate agency world straight from school?
I finished college and decided I’d better get myself a job! I thought I liked property, sales and money so I made a CV and walked into every estate agency and bank within twenty miles of Rye to try to get a job. I got a lucky break in Hastings with someone who had not lasted their first week. I was hooked from the moment I started: I used to do a six-day week if I had to work a Saturday because I just loved the job and was hungry to do well and prove myself.
What was it about this industry that appealed to you?
My family are builders so I’d always had an interest in property. However the teenage years of lugging stuff around, making teas and repeatedly smashing my thumb with a hammer were enough to make me realise I didn’t want to be on site! I’d also studied business at GCSE and A Level and had a passion for sales, so the sales and property came together to say, “estate agency”.
What made you decide to go solo?
I’m 33 and I want to be doing this for a long time. I have always liked doing the 360 degree aspect of the job, from day one through to completion. I found that managing offices ironically gave me less time to do what I was good at, which was selling houses. In addition, I would be dealing typically with only a couple of aspects of the process. I realised that the vast majority of people I deal with are either buying or selling what will be, or has been, their biggest asset. With that in mind, people would consistently ask me if they could deal with “just me” rather than dealing with different people at different stages, so I saw a gap in the local market to offer a fully personalised, bespoke service which no one else had been offering: a USP really. It also took me away from a lot of corporate nonsense, which was an added bonus!
Has it been tough and, although a challenge, rewarding?
It’s been really tough. I started on 3 March with no phone numbers, no addresses and no salary, which is the moment that you realise that if you don’t make it work, you could be in a lot of trouble! So yes, it has been a huge challenge, but I’ve loved it. I’ve never enjoyed what I do as much as I do now and that’s showing. It’s been eight months now and I have 21 properties available, nine running sales and have had five completions which is better than I’d have expected at this stage. I’ve finally been able to pay myself which is a great feeling.
What are the highlights of your job?
Every single day is different and everyone’s circumstances are different. You will deal with people at a really exciting time of their life, buying their first home perhaps; then the next call you’ll deal with the other side, people who are selling because of a death in the family or real hardship. Either way, these people need your help, so doing that and then seeing the end result, of someone getting the keys to their new home, or being able to close a tough chapter in their life is my biggest highlight.
What is the quirkiest property you have ever had to sell?
An old Grade 2 listed World War 2 radar station: that was mad. It had no doors, barely a roof, everything was falling down and it was one where you worried about it falling in on you. On one occasion I went there and a stray dog chased me out! But it had planning permission to be turned into a contemporary Grand Designs style house and that was something special.
What is the housing market doing at the moment: is it easy to sell property?
The market is difficult. It’s extremely price-sensitive. There are certain areas which are selling quicker than others but no area of the market is easy right now. “Different” properties are getting a good level of interest, because they are just that. If we were having this conversation four years ago, it would have been a question of how many offers you would get over the asking price in the first two weeks: now it’s the polar opposite. Some clients I have dealt with over the years have decided to stay put and upgrade their current homes, but I’m finding fewer people are doing this now because of the cost of building materials.
What are the problems facing those who want to move and those who want to sell?
As a seller, there is a lot of competition out there. This means that if you have a three- bed semi, for argument’s sake, four years ago there would probably have only been three or four others available; now it’ll be more like fifteen. Buyers have more to choose from and are therefore pickier. There are more properties on the market now than there have been for a long time which has, in my opinion, been caused by second home stamp duty limiting second property buyers, and the double council tax for second properties.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Martin Bruce .