Assembling your buying team

When buying a property, the team you have working for you is critical, so make sure you assemble your team of professionals wisely.

The type of property you’re buying dictates the best team to put in place, so whilst you may have used a solicitor or mortgage broker for a previous purchase, they may not be the most appropriate for what you’re buying now. This can be the difference in securing a property (at the best price or terms), or missing out. We assemble and coordinate teams for our clients as part of our buying service and it makes a huge difference to the whole purchase.

I recently purchased my own house, which was quite complex for various reasons, including being up against a rival buyer who had been given a head start.

Having advised on 136 property purchases in the past 7 years, I made sure I surrounded myself with the best professionals. My trusty solicitor was invaluable throughout the whole process – from discussing negotiation tactics based on her knowledge of the other solicitor, to exchanging contracts within one hour of her receiving the paperwork – I was already sitting in her office ready to sign.

Our mortgage lender was also amazing. Knowing that we were looking to buy, my husband and I made sure we got to know our relationship manager in person which was a hugely beneficial move. He made sure we were his top priority for the two weeks leading to exchange, making sure we were looked after by the mortgage adviser whom he considered the best in the team, and dropping everything to help us provide whatever documents were required. Not to mention my surveyor who agreed to visit the property within 24 hours of me asking, and called me while he was still in the property to run me through the main points so I didn’t have to wait for him to write up his report.

Without the team I chose, I couldn’t have pulled off my purchase which, as clichéd as it sounds, really is my dream house. If you’re buying, surround yourself with the best team you possibly can – or use a good buying agent who will do it for you.

If you have a question you’d like Jo or our team at Eccord to answer please email enquire@eccord.com or tweet her @joeccles.