December 2008 / January 2009

Thanks for the lift!

Sir,

MAY I congratulate you on running a positive story on just about every page of your November publication.

We are all acutely aware of the problems in the banking/finance sector, however, a huge influence on the current state of the housing market is clearly the lack of confidence amongst buyers and sellers and, understandably, estate agents.

This has, of course, been largely fuelled by negative media and this is why reading November's EAN was such a lift as it emphasised to me that, despite everything, there are still plenty of reasons to stay positive.

Indeed, in successive phone calls the very day I write this, I have heard of a newly-opened office reporting more than GBP 40,000 net new business for October and another confidently predicting over GBP 100,000 in exchanges.

In last month's EAN, from the front page onwards, there is optimism, reports of more buyers entering the market, news of new office openings and expansion, agents being creative, anticipation of portals reducing charges and expectation of much improved trading conditions soon.

There is no value in blind optimism. However, given that, unfortunately, none of us is going to individually change the current economic outlook, we can all influence the mindset of those we communicate ?wth by what we say and how we say it.

So let us all start accentuating the positives and make sure that we create our own self-fulfilling prophecy!

MIKE BIDWELL,
Chief Operating Officer,
Fine & Country,
Park Lane, Mayfair, London.