Property owners and industry professionals have become more pessimistic about the market, research claims.
A poll at the tenth annual Essex Property Conference, hosted by estate agents and chartered surveyors Fenn Wright, Ellisons Solicitors and accountants BDO, found 29% were positive about the sector, down from 63% when the same question was asked at last year’s event.
The event was chaired by Guy Longhurst, senior partner at Ellisons Solicitors, with expert speakers including Phil Eckersley from the Bank of England, Lewis Chambers, commercial partner at Fenn Wright; and Peter Harrup, partner at BDO.
Longhurst said: “We are immensely proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this annual conference. The event’s continued success is a testament to the reputation of Ellisons, Fenn Wright and BDO LLP as the firms that clients can trust for expert commentary and advice in respect of all property-related matters.”
Harrup added: “There are a few tax changes coming in next year which will impact companies across the region. These changes in legislation include Capital Gains tax threshold changes, inheritance tax and national insurance payments on termination packages. It is crucial that businesses keep up to date with these and remain alert to the opportunities and risks they present, while putting their tax plans in place effectively.”
Comments (5)
Or have you also developed a heavy and negative attitude because things have changed and are tough?
At a guess most will say they are positive but when confronted with MP’s build a Berlin wall, mine fields and armed guards only too willing to shoot you for stepping out of line ………. hard to see how they can be in control and do anything.
Woodentop you hit the most important nail right on the head when you said “most will say they are positive”
Most actually don’t realise their attitudes have slipped. Sadly in many cases (and this is business generally, not simply our industry) I believe the more senior the people, the less postive their attitude often is. Many had a “bad ass attitude” through seniority, arrogance,and no real understanding of the power they have to influence positively, before things got tough.
What does “turbo charged positive attitude actually looks like?
How many senior managers/ directors,honestly link their positive attitude (or not as the case may be) to the level of customer service on the shop floor and so the bottom line profits?
When I get lousy service from someone in a customer facing position, the first thing I always think of is how are they treated, trained, motivated and driven by their managment ? Are the managment responsible for some of what I am getting. I believe in many cases they are.
When things get tough, management get worried,serious and heavy and so starts the “blame culture” It’s not me its the staff!
Using “circumstances” as a licence to adpot a negative attitude is the pathway to failure. We make our own circumstances.
Good management is best defined by what the employees say about them. Any person in management who really cares about their employees is often worried sick and carries a heavy burden of responsibility. If they say they are never worried … they are like the soldier crossing Omaha beach who claimed they were never scared. My best mentor was a gentleman who one day said, “you knew a job was for life, not any morel”. This was at the time of targets, targets, targets, direct hard sales tactics and new styles of training imported from the US some decades back, that was only concerned with hire and fire for profit at all costs not longevity.
The “downer” we get the poorer (and unhappier) we will become.
We need to do something about it. The book “Who moved my cheese?” is a quick and good read. It depicts exactly where we are in the industry. Things have changed dramatically for us in how we do our business and how we make money.
Crying in our beer and complaining that “our cheese has moved” will get us nowhere.
It’s about refreshing what have become heavy, and so negative, attitudes, combined with looking at fresh ways of doing everything.
Customer Service is an Attitude, not a department or a marketing slogan
In the last 2 months, we have delivered some powerful positive attitude coaching to ALL (including those behind the scenes who never see a customer) of our staff with exceptional results.There is no doubt that it has contributed significantly to our results in this last year.
A company’s atmosphere is massively affected, good or bad, by collective attitudes, and it all starts at the top. Think Countrywide right now!
And here is a free tip for you. In the crazy world of business (any business not just estate agency) especially when things change or are tough, the people who need positive attitude coaching the most, are almost always those in the board rooms and senior positions.
So ask yourself this question and be BRUTALLY honest and TRANSPARENT with yourself;
Is your attitude right up there at the highest level and fit for purpose to motivate, inspire and lead your staff, through these changing and challenging times?
Or have you also developed a heavy and negative attitude because things have changed and are tough?
FFT (Food For thought)
Brilliant, thank you for the inspiration