‘Purplebricks’ have featured in the business news rather a lot at the present time. From being the darlings of the markets with their shares reaching the dizzy heights of 500p a share a couple of years ago, they have now come crashing down to earth and are trading, at the time of writing, at just 129p a share alongside a withdrawal from the Australian market and a review of their US interests. Purplebricks cite over rapid expansion as being behind their problems. Some commentators, particularly in Australia, have different views on the root cause of their troubles.
There is nothing wrong with innovation! Progress follows the trail of those who dare to ‘disrupt’ existing markets and practices. At rhw we are always looking to introduce innovative new ideas such as ‘Law Extra’ and our ‘LAWyalty Card‘. Examining and providing what the market wants is vitally important to the success of a business.
What we at rhw are also rather keen on is the core threads of quality and service levels behind everything we do. We have been around long enough to see what the cul-de-sac of the race to the bottom on pricing ends up producing! That is an increasing pile of complaints from clients who are price sensitive but don’t understand that going for the cheapest option usually comes at a cost in terms of service and delivery.
One thing we know our clients like is continuity of contact with one person throughout their matter, particularly during the stressful weeks of moving house. If you have ever had to deal with call centres on a regular basis, you will know quite how frustrating it is to have to go through the same story every time you speak to someone new. That’s why we avoid operating like the ‘sausage machine’ conveyancing firms. Clients hate it!
Your house is usually your largest asset. You want to have confidence that the solicitor representing you is asking the right questions and examining the search results in detail, even if that means being identified as ‘awkward’ by the other side. You want to know your interests are being defended and protected. It is also important that you can be updated by the person who is actually doing the work. They’ll know exactly where the process is, what needs to be done and realistic timescales to completion!
We will be honest with you. We are very unlikely to provide the cheapest quote on the market when you need to buy or sell a property. That does not concern us so much, as we sleep well at night knowing we are giving a very high quality service to our clients. I wonder if the management of some other firms involved with residential property can claim the same? Or is it all about the numbers game? Think long and hard before you choose the Agent and the Solicitor to work with you when you enter the property market.
