NEWSbeat
PROFESSIONAL BODIES
RICS is a ‘business superbrand’
RICS has been acknowledged as one of the UK’s leading business-to- business brands
in the annual Business Superbrand listings. RICS achieved top 100 status for the first time, climbing over 20 places to position 91 in the table.
The UK’s Business Superbrands are chosen by a panel of experts and business professionals from across the UK. Brands do not apply or pay to be considered and only
PORTALS Zoopla is named best property portal in Europe
Zoopla has been crowned the ‘Best Property Portal, Western Europe’ in the inaugural Property Portal Watch Awards, which recognises companies for their “innovative approach to running a successful property portal.”
Zoopla.co.uk beat stiff competition from over 50 portals considered across Western Europe, one of the most mature markets for property websites, which includes many established players who have been in the market for well over 10 years. The judges said, “In just
three years,
Zoopla.co.uk has managed to carve out a place among the top three portals in a market dominated by Rightmove. What stands out as particularly innovative about the portal is its aim to engage with homeowners on a continuous basis. By listing every home in the UK, Zoopla can connect owners to local agents when they consider moving and provide targeted appraisal leads via its AskAnAgent tool, as well as provide applicant leads for existing inventory.” Alex Chesterman, CEO of
Zoopla said, “We are delighted to have won this award and be
6 APRIL 2011 PROPERTYdrum
Zoopla founders, Alex Chesterman (front) and Simon Kain
recognised for our innovative approach and proposition. We continue to invest in making Zoopla the UK’s leading online destination for both property search and research and, given the quality of competition in this space, we are constantly striving to offer the best possible service to our members and experience for our users.”
Zoopla is also reporting
a significant increase of over 25 per cent in the number of estate agents and developers coming onto its website during the last 12 months, having secured contracts in the last few months with key agents including Arun Estates,
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward and Badger Holdings
(Townends/Regents) as well as leading developers including Barratt, Miller and Redrow.
the top 500 are deemed to be Business Superbrands. The business professionals’ vote is the culmination of an independent selection process, which considers thousands of brands from over 50 sectors. The voting panel took into
consideration the status of each brand within its individual field. By achieving the status of a ‘Superbrand’, RICS is considered to have established the finest reputation in its field. Sean Tompkins, RICS Chief
Executive, said, “I am delighted to
announce that RICS has been recognised as one of the top 100 leading brands in the UK. We are always striving to raise our profile, influence and credibility and to gain such recognition ahead of many leading household names shows how far the organisation has evolved. “This accolade is outstanding recognition for both the profession itself and RICS’ ongoing work to advance and enforce standards in land, property and the built environment in the UK and throughout rest of the world.”
CONVEYANCING
Speedy sales with Hunters’ Faster Legals
Hunters estate agency has made the process of buying and selling much
easier and faster with a new Faster Legal service which gets much of the paperwork for a sale prepared before a potential buyer comes forward.
The service has been devised
by Hunters and is being rolled out through a partnership with The Live Organisation; it is a first for a UK estate agency. It does just what the name suggests by simplifying and stream lining the legal process of buying and selling property. Hunters Faster Legals
Conveyancing method enables |the sellers, at no additional cost, |to provide all the legal information the buyers solicitor will need, at the point the property is put onto the market. This means the seller is in a position to exchange contracts as soon as a buyer is found. The Faster Legals service
includes solicitors instructed at point of marketing, a Pre-sale pack, Fixtures, Fittings and Contents and Property Information forms, Draft contract, Official copies of Title and associated documentation and Leasehold information The pack issued to the
purchaser’s solicitor immediately an offer is accepted and searches are ordered at the outset of the agreed sale. Hunters’ believes that their new
system means that all the due diligence that solicitors normally do after an offer is accepted has already been done. The legal work starts the first day the property comes to market. Faster Legals’ solicitors are on a
pre-approved panel, independent and local but are handpicked by Hunters and communicate with their clients, online, by email, SMS and telephone. MD Kevin Hollinrake, pictured above, added, “Sellers using the service have their properties marked with the ‘Faster Legals’ badge, which means they are more attractive to buyers who largely want the purchase to be as quick and stress free as possible.”
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