An agent has told of his horror when some 60 placard-waving protesters barged unannounced into his office to hand him an award for allegedly being the “worst” agency in his town.
Neil Ewen, a director of Central Estate Agents, said the atmosphere was very unpleasant.
“If this had been 100 years ago, they’d have had pitchforks,” he said.
The firm, in Walthamstow, east London, found itself at the receiving end of Labour MP Stella Creasy’s controversial “awards”.
Creasy, who had been inviting public nominations over a six-month period for the “best” and “worst” property businesses, said that some 200 people had taken part in the survey.
Ewen said that at the demonstration, Creasy had tackled him about subjects including tenants’ fees, but seemed disinclined to listen.
He said that he felt that his firm, established in 1992 and the largest agent in Walthamstow, had been picked on unfairly.
He said: “We have 32% market share because we work hard and we are good at what we do.
“We have built this business over years of hard work, and that is why people come back to us.
“Two hundred votes over six months is not reflective of what is happening in Walthamstow.
“How many of those 200 voted for us? We have asked for that figure and it has not been provided.
“It is highly unfair.”
Stow Brothers, a new business in the town run by brothers Kenny and Andrew Goad, was voted best agent.
At Stow Brothers, Andrew Goad told Eye: “We are very proud to have won this award, which people voted for. We are in our ninth month, and we might be new but we are trying to be the very best that we possibly can.
“Of course our market share is small, as you would expect with a new business.”
According to Ewen, Central Estate Agents currently has 110 homes for sale and Stow Brothers has eight.
Creasy told the local paper that the awards “ceremony” was “a very powerful event”.
She went on: “There were people in tears after hearing the stories from people who are in the most awful situations.
“A common theme which I noticed was people being afraid to complain, because they are scared they will be evicted.
“We were given complaints about people who were played off against each other, double-charging and being pressured or told to up offers.
“People don’t want to pay for a service which is ripping them off.
“We had around 200 people take part in the process and their nominations were verified by people in my office.”
She added: “The campaigners hope to do this again next year. If people don’t make improvements, they will be held to account.”
The affair raises the issue of the role of MPs and whether they should be supporting or trying to damage businesses in their constituencies.
Comments (64)
At the end of the day Central is a business that supports the local community. I am not sure that handing out awards would have been my first port of call. Also putting 20 people outside the business would not have been my idea for a getting that business on side. Read about the story from the local paper and you get a behttp://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/11773290.Creasy_hands_out_awards_for_best_and_worst_housing_market_operators/tter idea of what is happening.
Apologies the link seems to have got messed up.
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/11773290.Creasy_hands_out_awards_for_best_and_worst_housing_market_operators/
When you charge people twice and are unscrupulous you are going to get a bad name for yourself.
What Central need to do is stop over charging. I realise in this day and age we all need to make a profit. There are good businesses and bad ones. I think Central need to step back and look at how they can make the customer feel more included in the process. Otherwise I feel the Stow Brothers will be taking a large chunk of that 32 percent market share.
And what Happychappy makes you qualified to decide what is “over charging”. Were it your property would you not want tenants thoroughly referenced?, as the landlord when you have a choice of tenants, would you not want some of the administration in seeing a tenant into the property passed on to the tenant? So I ask again Happychappy, WHO are you to decide what that charge should be?
Real agent. I am just sharing my views about over charging. You are getting a bit tetchy there. You either charge the tenants or your charge the landlords. If you do them both it smacks of profiteering.
I’m not at all tetchy but I don’t value uneducated opinions and I feel thats what you were offing. I was challenging you to define what you feel is too much. Then perhaps you can explain why is it profiteering to split the cost of moving a tenant in between landlord and tenant? In my opinion it would only be profiteering to charge the tenants a finders fee and then the landlord a commission and that isn’t whats happening unless you know otherwise?!
If you charge one person twenty quid, that’s what you get. If you charge two people a tenner each – you get the same income for more time and effort expended.
Sorry – exactly what is your point?
I know nothing about Central Estate agents. For all I know they might be **** – although it seems unlikely if they’ve been around 20-odd years and established themselves as the market leader.
What I do know is that an MP taking a 60 strong mob into a legitimate business is outrageous. Even the most tacky TV and tabloid journalists don’t do that.
And this is the woman who is Shadow Minister for Business Innovation and Skills according to http://www.parliament.uk . I used to be a die-hard Labour supporter but God help us if the current lot get in
That’s interesting. I’ve just discovered that if you type a slightly rude word which rhymes with wrap into the comments box it automatically turns it to asterisks.
Steve perhaps you should come and live in London then see if you agree that the business is legit. I understand the property values are stagnant in Leicester rather like the football team. London is very expensive for property. Also London has some great football teams. Come on you Irons.
WTF have property values go to do with whether Central or any other business is “legit”?
This is the exact reason why this is a joke! – Public / MP’s getting involved in something they do not understand.
Sorry I was just having a bit of a laugh at the your expense since I saw you were from Leicester who are bottom of the football league just now and my team is eighth. My apologies.
Your ‘bit of a laugh at the your expense” is probably the bottom of the very deep barrel you have been scraping with every post on this subject.
Just type “rap – with a silent C”
Happychappy, You sound like you might be in direct competition with Central or maybe a friend / family member of Stow’s? – How do you know the complaints were about fees???
Even if they were about fees, tenants don’t need to use that agency they can go elsewhere. as they have a 32% market share i would suggest maybe their fees were not too high as they obviously let property!
Typical Labour tactics – but how much of this was actually aimed at the lettings industry as this article only mentions the number of properties each agent had for sale. Perhaps this is reflective of Labour’s current attitude to business. If it’s wrong don’t fix it just get the mob to raise a stink about it then claim the credit. How much ‘fixing’ did Labour actually do during its 13 years in power: none as they were too busy sucking up to business. Now that there’s an election round the corner they organise a few cheap publicity stunts like this and try to benefit from the supposed kudos. Absolute disgrace. This MP is obviously a hypocrite given the comments made about her past behaviour as a landlord. Deserves to lose her seat.
So, should Liebour gain power at the next election can we expect to see more of this type of agent bashing? Should they then go on to ban tenant fees as they have promised, who will replace the lost revenue to those businesses? “Oh”, say Liebour, “that will be the Landlord via increased agent fees”. When my local MP was quizzed about this and asked where the Landlord would then look to recoup his increased expenditure the MP stated “it would be by increased rents, which the tenant would rather pay instead of excessive upfront fees”. I wonder if they have been asked, or if this is an assumption…? As let’s face it, if given the option of no fees or £200 to move into a property we would all say, no fees – However, if the consequences were also tabled, would the answer still be the same…? Maybe the 3 million or so landlord votes should also be counted in this election campaign….
Hubba hubba Trev, loving your inner dude but you have to figure her survey was sincere right? Dam, even as I said it I didn’t believe it because at the expense of dancing to her own theme tune [smack my b*tch up] Creasy’s spoon full of whoop *ss fell way short with this cheap shot.
Dude, in the spirit of full disclosure we’re not perfect and its ok to be reminded of that [sh*t even reprimanded] but quit the girl with dragon tattoo act and ditch the rhetoric. Sure she’s maverick and I’m kind of into that but she needs to sling on a coat and go look for her grip on reality because this aint the way to handle your business.
Jeez its not easy for me to express my feelings, plus I’m high all the time so there is that but Creasy needs to join me in some military grade therapy because I swear if you look real close at her picture you can see her soul mouthing “help me.”
This reminds me of when Mary Portis did her agency “demos” saying that customers demanded more transparency in property details……she didn’t do enough research and didn’t even recognise the fact that purchasers weren’t actually our clients. I think that this was also a cheap stunt based on one sided information which mrs Creasy believes will win votes. I’m not sure that her party leadership would want her party to be portrayed as an aggressive group that try and make a stand for a cause by intimidation, whover is right or wrong.
And that’s why we shouldn’t vote Labour
I let & managed Stella’s now sold Brighton flat for two years (’10-’12) and it is interesting to read about her continued rage against the lettings industry when her Tenant’s requirements were not always her priority.
I always got the impression she didn’t like me/letting agents so she is at least consistent there.
So Bishop you do not think there is such a thing as client confidentiality? You need to put the name of your estate agents up so you speak for your firm. Your attitude is very unprofessional.
And this vile woman is not unprofessional?
Well she is looking after her constituents, how can you say that is unprofessional? Plus she does not mention names when talking about people who have complained unlike Bishop.
I would urge Bishop to give an expose to this fine online site. Stating which firm he is from and how much he did not want Stella Creasy’s business. Also I would like to know which EA she is now using in Brighton.
She is not looking after her constituents she is looking after herself and praying on the week and needy for votes. Do not forget the owner and his staff are in the constituency. They still do not know what the complaints are, how many and if they are even real complaints!
If this agent has provided a poor service which is proven and the complaints can be qualified and justified then maybe i could accept an MP speaking out. I still would not condon an MP leading a mob of 60 to the place of business.
Happychappy, every couple of weeks we get a new poster on here who has no idea about the industry or has an “agenda” well done you have managed to speak out out look foolish in front of industry experts.
As previously stated i bet you are associated in one way or another with the “Winners” or you are competition. Possibly even a tenant who does not understand why you need to pay a couple of hundred quid for referencing!
Can we expect similair from the Labour Justice minister at the ‘worst’ solicitors office, or the nobody in charge of Health to carry out same at the ‘worst’ Gp office. No, thought not.
Maybe just round up a posse and knock on her front door with banners saying she is the most vile MP in Walthamstow. See how she likes it!
Beano. GPS are a public service and at the present time are regulated by the NHS. If someone performs badly questions will be asked. Similarly the Law Society makes sure that solicitors behave correctly.
Funnily enough estate agents are completely unregulated. Perhaps then we need legislation for that they need to stick to a fair code of practice.
That way there will be accountability.
The ispa were introduced in 2010 to regulate MP’s expense accounts and salaries, because, well, they were a little crooked huh!
Unfortunately there is nothing to regulate their mouths or actions, and unless you can show otherwise, there is nothing to regulate our views, actions or indeed our mouths on a forum either.
So how about you get off your high horse
So the public can hold one sector to account in a medieval fashion but absolutely no other service, public or otherwise. Your rules apply only, typical lefty.
I’m surprised Henry Pryor is such a fan of Stella Creasy.
Full marks to @stellacreasy
https://twitter.com/OxfordConsumer/status/563358869167296512
Though to be fair his comments are about pay day loans.
It is an odd citation Letting Stats as it has nothing to do with property. Though I am sure that is perfectly okay when working in the property industry.
I love the car industry. A car does 60 miles to the gallon but fuel is sold in litres. It is the same type of misinformation.
WHAT?? WHERE is the “misinformation” in your ridiculous example?
Divide 60 by 4.54 and you will be able to ascertain the MPL. Multiply THAT figure by 1.6 and you will have the Km/L, if you want to be uber-metric.
In the meantimne – you live in a nation that uses MILES, GALLONS and OUNCES as its’ standard measurements.
You can always move to France – much easier and you will be a Happierchappy. You can then right the wrongs of the French Estate Agency industry.
Probably make us smile a bit more as a result, added bonus…
What a joke and a disgrace. A long established company (obviously many previous clients) gets worse agent and then led by a member of parliament 60 people besiege his office doing irreprable damage through no investigation just hear say of a few disgruntled tenants, who i am guessing did not get their deposits back as they did not leave the property in the state it was received in.
Then a firm trading less then 12 months (probably only a handful of properties) wins best agent! Of course i bet they did not ring round family and friends to promote them.
You cant blame the winning agent but disgusting what the “Worse” agent has been put through.
Love the outrage from other users here, a bit worried about Labour MPs coming knocking perhaps?
Dear Pirate, I can only speak for myself, however I would not be in the least bit concerned about Labour MP’s coming knocking. In fact, we would happily challenge any simplistic, self -serving PR stunt funded by local taxpayers.
What a stupid comment to make Pirate, of course there is outrage as there would be regarding any stunt like this. I haven’t read that this was a firm with a string of fines, complaints upheld by the ombudsman or county court actions against them, all of which are the methods with which people complain, not storming an office inciting mob justice!! You should be ashamed of yourself that you even posted to justify this!
Perhaps if other agents improved their customer service then this story wouldn’t make them so nervous or cause them to get so upset at someone supporting it.
I hardly call a gathering of people to present an award “mob justice”. Not until they start building the gallows at least.
Ah ok Pirate you must be that person that has never had a single complaint that was either justified or unjustified. Well done you.
200 people is hardly a single unjustified complaint.
Read the article Pirate. In total 200 people took part in the “survey”. How many of those:
a) Specifically had a grievance against this agent?
b) Had taken their grievance through a complaints procedure and had a complaint upheld?
My guess is that the answer to a) is a few dozen and the answer to b) is none at all.
Mob rule at its worst and shame on a democratically elected MP for resorting to it instead of using the democratic process to propose legislation supporting her views.
When people are saying they’re scared of their agent then there’s a problem with the agent irregardless of how many votes there were in some survey.
It said they were scared of being evicted, an eviction is a decision made by the landlord not the Agent.
May I ask what you do for a living?
He’s a pirate obviously.
@Pirate, you seem to know a bit about what happened here. What was the process that lead to the demonstration as I am really interested in the research process that clearly took place prior to the demonstration/presentation?
“Perhaps if other agents improved their customer service then this story wouldn’t make them so nervous or cause them to get so upset at someone supporting it.”
I get the distinct feeling in my water that you are not an “other agent”, ‘Pirate’…
I would welcome the opportunity of discussing the PRS properly with Stella Creasy or Clive Betts. Stella Creasy is too busy to reply to emails. Clive Betts, Chair of the CLG inquiry into the PRS is nearly the most, rude, ignorant and arrogant person I have ever had to misfortune of trying to have an intelligent meeting with. There is genuine deep seated naivety rooted with the civil service support of CLG and those lobbying Government. There is simply negligence by HMRC to monitor those in PRS. I have no fear of a visit. I have a solid and documented understanding of the failings of all those who are attempting to manipulate private housing provision to cater for the social housing need government is failing to address.
The pity about all this is that those who could be helped by agents and private provision are those most likely to suffer. I and others are simply ceasing letting property. Letting is becoming a mugs game, the yield gap between PRS and investment is narrowed so much it no longer justifies the aggravation.
Sorry all/ Nick forgot to Notepad it!
So I see! I will edit it as soon as poss.
I think this stunt orchestrated by Stella Creasy is frankly a disgrace, I am certain that if you went around her constituency you could easily find 200 people that thinks she does a bad job too. I hope Central make a formal complaint to the Labour party because Neil Ewans decryption of a medieval witch-hunt was exactly what this was. There are formal channels if someone wished to complain about a business and hearsay is not one one them!
“Neil Ewans decryption of a medieval witch-hunt was exactly what this was”
I must’ve missed the part of the article where he was chucked in a lake to see if he floated.
This is a Labour MP glory hunting and trying to get herself in the papers just in case they win the election so she can have the job of restructuring the tenant fees. Better start looking for another job Ms Creasy! This Labour government is looking more extremist every day erring on the side of Communism!
How does it go? No publicity is bad publicity. While it is an awful situationI don’t think she has done herself or her party any favours. Should have had someone taking photos or better still video – they would have made interesting viewing in respect of who was doing the protesting!
Look on the bright side it’s still an award. Seriously though sound horrendous, she sound like a right beeatch.
She is actually a lovely woman. You need to watch PMQs or Question time. I find a lot of chaps are threatened by a strong woman with strong views. That is a shame perhaps instead of name calling you could focus on the issues brought up by Stella’s awards.
@happychappy, “if we could focus on the issues brought up by this” perhaps you could let me know what research was carried out prior to the award “presentation” because a strong woman with strong views , in isolation, isn’t acceptable. I don’t see any detailed research in the article…..just the views of disaffected tenants/applicants. Today I received 3 offers on 1 property…..that means I will have one really happy applicant and 2 unhappy ones……But I will always look out for my clients best interests….remember they are the SELLERS or LANDLORDS……NOT the tenants or buyers.
Well said Wilko, Nothing to do with a “Strong” woman. If this was a bloke we would all be saying the same. She is a idiot, who does not understand the industry and is all about self promotion. What good can these awards really do? A company open 9 months with probably no landlords or tenants so get no complaints vs an established market leader. And only 200 took part the poor agent probably only got 10/15 complaints Walthamstow is a big patch!
Smile please and wilco. So you think calling a woman a beeatch is fair? Really that is uncouth behaviour. I have not seen you condemn this boorish behaviour.
Actually, the OP didn’t call the woman “a beeatch”.
He said “she sound like a right beeatch.”
And SP and wilko were responding to your unsubstantiated and frankly worthless comments – not to that of the OP.
BIIIG difference.
Clearly not THE ‘Happychappy’ from another place: another time then…
Please quantify your remark as to me it makes no sense.
The username you have posted under was previously used by another poster, and on another similar web news site.
But don’t worry – the similarities end with the name. You’re on a completely different planet to him.
Dear Happychappy, The issue is not whether Stella Creasy is a strong woman, or even a lovely woman. The issue is that if you want to challenge business integrity, then you need to start from a point of strong integrity yourself.