The main reason.

Myself and Claire are so happy to have started up Meyers Estate Agents for many, many reasons, but what was the MAIN reason?

This was the main reason:

Giving as we go.....

Strangely for some that we feel this but we find no better feeling than to pass on part of our profits toward people who help others for nothing in return. Some help others for very little in return, or towards people who have nothing to give but valid reasons for not being able to help themselves but we are not all able to contribute all the time, sometime in our lives we will all need help.

In respevct to this we donated significant sums to all the charities beneath inth efirst year or so of trading and many more...

Rethink, Helping those with mental illness and their families live better lives

Air Ambulance, Risking lives for others daily

Bridport TLC, Incorporating volunteers to keep the environment clean for the next generation, setting an example to others not to be disposable, greedy and wasteful.

Weldmar Hospice, Delivering end of life support to dying people

Julia's House, Supporting unwell children and their familes through gentle care

Lifeboats, saving lives daily at sea

 

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We have not greatly publicised what we have done because that's not WHY we do it. We give to others in need because we are able and we want to. These donations pictured exceed well over £10,000 worth of our profits for our new start up but it is what makes us want to be bigger, better and do more and more to lift us into a position where we are always able to help.

For each sale we donate a section of our proceeds every time. There is still much, much more to give. We must thank all our Dorchester, Weymouth, Wareham, Sherborne and Bridport clients for having faith that we are also very capable at what we do and often sell property through our expertise that other corporate or high street estate agents have failed to. Complete attention and high service levels core reasons for our stream of recommendations we are lucky to have.

As well as donating to our core Dorset causes through the first full year of trading we have added extra funds towards other needs including towards the Purbeck Isle Memorial Fund through sponsoring the Wessex Food Festival last year, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Crisis UK, IIH UK, and several other causes close to our heart. We aim to use 2013 to set up Meyers Community Foundation which will reach further around Dorset with bigger budgets, to positively affect more people you might know who really benefit from unselfish help.

Meyers Estate Agents was created as a vehicle to increase our personal ability to contribute, not just to our childrens lives and our own, but to others too and why not? We live in a world where no one has enough time for anyone. We had no time for our own children when we lived a conventional life, not enough money left to help others when we worked in conventional jobs, no time to see or really catch up with eachother or our children, just running from one month to the next. Now we work together...now things have changed. We made our own job.

We are now Tom, Simon, Helen, Mark and Claire with two further staff close to start date. A fully experienced and motivated friendly team to help people move forward.

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If you use Meyers Estate Agents, you are not using an estate agent, you are using your head.

Olympics Are Here, Where Are We?

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Ok, so the Olympics are here and the phone's gone from being red hot for months to stone dead all day today, allowing time for a quick bit of script for the blog. I expect the property market nationally will suffer slightly as people turn on to the sport and turn off to moving for a couple of weeks.

After watching the open ceremony last night, clearly that the UK means business hosting these games and I was mighty impressed. Weymouth appears prepared for the games and with all the flags fluttering away and lots of foreign cars buzzing about, its unclear quite what to expect from the town over the next few weeks in terms of traffic, fun and brilliant events but lets hope the sun shines for everyone and they see the best of what we have here.

This brief moment for reflection, half way through the year and approximately nine months after Claire and I launched Meyers Estate Agents, I think that we must have donated about £5000 to charity so far, as well as presently preparing the next set of donations to Weldmar, RNLI and Air Ambulance which are now set for another cash boost from Meyers Estates.

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It makes me really proud to be able to run a business that is not lusting for as much money as possible for ourselves but only the best for the people that come into contact with our services. That in turn, has simply created a bustling and rewarding work for us while doing what we do best and making money for good causes.

 

We have recently doubled our company car numbers adding a red scripted Fiat 500 to our fleet, and doubled our staff as well as incorporating two further contracted staff members that take the tally to six within less than a year after setting off on our journey with Simon 'Beano' Jeanes and Helen Harding joining the business, both with brilliant experience to offer the brand and the customers. Welcome to both.

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We have also managed to hit the next Meyers Estate Agents target of 125 properties. Actually on the property portfolio we have over 130 properties for sale and about 30% of our stock sold stc. Our first £1,000,000 plus property was added in July, a beautiful barn conversion near Shaftesbury with reasonable acreage. An excellent milestone. If you like houses then have a look online.

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At the end of June we hit the top with a sales result of 19 properties sold in the month its been a great spring for the property market with good quality business for those who have tried hard enough to find it!

 

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Quick congratulations to Paul Wash and Leila on the birth of Lennon recently. Paul who is a director of Sands Associates Poundbury has been a massive influence on our success and reputation since we started up and his constant support for our clients has been brilliant. Thanks Washy we owe you a salmon salad or two...!

 

In short, business has been brilliant since we opened and we have kept our 24/7, 0.75% promise through the whole, amazing start up period and now we are settling into a good routine. The Olympics will take the wind out of the sails for a week or two but with high sales volumes, its clear that the market, underneath the surface is keen as ever as long as pricing is sensible.

 

It helps that we live in such a beautiful place, countryside and sea all here and London just a short train ride away should you need it. Who wouldn't want to live here after all.

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Be back blogging soon, enjoy the Olympics folks :D

 

 

 

 

Something Fast, 100 up.

Dear Blog Readers,

It has become a brilliant business to run here at Meyers Estates. After my little three year old son Oliver fed the ducks and then went to the library today before nursery, I was at home to give him a kiss and a cuddle and send him on his way.

Earlier, at 7.00am, I left the house to put up two sold boards, one in James Road in Dorchester, sold in less than a week for just about the asking price and one on Preston Road in Weymouth that sold for above the asking price. Not a bad start to the day, that along with three for sale boards too. I did four sold boards last Sunday too!

On the drive through the countryside, the Dorset mist, creeping through the Wintry trees and the sullen faces waiting at bus stops for their trip to work, it is clear that I am very, very lucky to have control of my own world and my own business with Claire. No forcing myself up to work, no long commute, no boss!

It helps we do not charge high fees, no reason to feel guilty as only the purest advice is always given, extra money is left for for our clients in their own hands as we are about £2000 cheaper at least than average estate agency once all the costs are configured. No massive Audi in our drive, just two low cost Fiat 500's.

We give £100 per sale to good causes. £3500 raised so far just in the last few months alone for Julias House, Weldmar, RNLI and Bridport TLC who are our nominated charities, all of hich we hope to have credited much more to by the end of 2012.

Meyers Estate Agents have 100 properties on our books and with 37% of stock sold at this moment, all remotely, this internet agency has a definite future through Dorset, and for our community.

I see the old Estate Agency model as 'Fuedal Esate Agency' where each state agent aggressively defends a small 'patch' or town, sticking leaflets in each opposing agents clients letter boxes, knocking on their doors, aggressive and inconsiderate tactics. Not great if you are a customer all that over valuing, pestering and junk mail.

I am glad to say that nearly all the past instrcutions have come purely from our reputation as a high quality low cost, hard working 24/7 alternative.

There's time for the kids, time for the business, time for the customer, time for us and time to look for some more staff!

We're expanding. There will be no stopping Meyers Estate Agents now!

We will be seeing you around soon!

 

Mark & Claire Meyer

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MEYERS ESTATES PROPERTY MARKETING ORDER

It's true, there is no doubt that the mighty facebook has an excellent effect on business. After only a few weeks tinkering wih Facebook and Twitter it is clear that for Weymouth, Dorchester, if you want to find a house that comes onto the market before anyone else beats you to it, Meyers Estate Agents facebook feed is now offering that exact opportunity.

We have instructed nine new houses to the market in January so far in our area, soon to be thread onto Rightmove in the coming few days but first they will hit in order:

MEYERS ESTATES PROPERTY MARKETING ORDER- Of when the public see our new properties:

Facebook/ Twitter-

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Our Website

Meyers

Rightmove, Other Portals- such as Find A Property, Primelocation, Mouseprice, Globrix, Google, Nethouseprices and several more sub portals that flip the property data far and wide through cyberspace I have never heard of!

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Local Newspaper Property Section

 

 

Dorset Magazine

 

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And by the time it gets to the paper the best properties often sell, this week we have sold four houses and two of them were Facebook intros.

Times are a changing!

 

 

 

 

Australian Inspiration for the New Year

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Happy New Year fellows and ladies,

I feel refreshed and organised, ready to start a brilliant New Year. 2012 year will be the best yet. 

How do I know this?

Simple. Goal setting creates outcomes.

Over the past five years I have made it my aim to start a family, move house, get married, rebuild half a house, gain promotion, run the London marathon and save the finance needed to start Meyers Estate Agents with Claire by October 2011. We now have over 54 properties on our books already with almost 30% of available stock sold.

I may have started Meyers Estate Agents from the 'shed in the garden', but now after several revamps we have a fully operational Administration Centre here together with top class digital phone system which has just been upgraded to 4 lines and 6 phones to cope with increased business levels. We are now fully capable of being able to cope with our next business goal, to move up to 100 properties for sale and to launch two more tiers of the business in 2012.

How is this possible?

Planning and execution.

Will it work?

Yes.

I am a huge believer in goal setting. When I first devoted time to a five year plan which ended last year, I wrote down all the things that I wanted to achieve and set about HOW to acheive them.

I put my goals up in my shower, they got wet and soggy, so I lamenated my goals and put them up again, so that at the start of each day I could remember what I will use that day for, to improve my drive and focus.

Some of my goals drifted and changed and some goals were added. When goals were achieved I crossed them off and comtemplated how to acheive the next ones. I also wrote a diary on a regular basis to help me understand what lessons I just did not learn, time after time. One read of that and I realise from hindsight what further change was needed.

On reflecting endlessly how I would start my own community powered estate agency rather than a corporate monster, churning money out of our pockets and blasting it profits into share options and dividends, I wanted to create a business that profited well but cost less and I could give £100 back to local charities per each transaction achived to support our local towns.

The inspiration for this was accidental. I was looking at business models in Australia and came across McGrath. John McGrath is a huge believer in presentation, service and community as well as property. His understanding of correct business models and customer focus is second to none. I liked what I was reading and then ordered his book 'You Inc' about his beliefs and how to start up the same for yourself and Meyers Estate Agents was born. He started from his front room over a decade ago and I thought, if he could do I can do it. This was the start of a long road of reading.

Goal setting is imperitive, there are so many reasons NOT to do things, not to spend time with the kids, not to make that phone call, not to start your own business, not to try and do a better job than others. My goal is to be the best, not the biggest. Small steps are the only way.

This year each day has been broken into small steps and instead of just writing a diary I am looking forward to keeping my blog updated frequently and seeing how 2012 unfolds.

 

One of our latest testimonials:

      I am writing to say thank you to your wife Claire and yourself, at Meyers Estate Agents for the superbly professional way in which you dealt with the sale of our current property and the purchase of our new one. My wife, Jan and I were really pleased with the way you guys maintained full interaction with us at all stages of the proceedings / negotiations, we were at no stage left in the dark, wondering what was happening. I truly believe that your approach to your business, both professional and personal will hold you in good stead for a very successful future. I would also like to say that charges for your service were refreshingly inexpensive, which leaves that little bit extra for your clients (like us) to spend in their new homes. To anyone who may read this “thank you / testimony” let them be under no illusions, Meyer are inexpensive, THEY ARE NOT CHEAP, THEY ARE QUALITY. Jan and I wish you all the very best for what we believe will be a very successful future.

 Again with thanks

  Alf and Jan Sawkins


 

Our Brilliant Car:

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Happy New Year Everyone

Mark and Claire Meyer


 

 

 

League of their own?

It has been a very interesting and brilliant last week or so here at Meyers Estate Agents.

I have been out every day and late into several evenings on appointments in Weymouth and Dorchester as Meyers Estate Agents opens up into our local market place. It seems that everyone thinks that there is a place for us, a lower price, high quality on line estate agency in our local area.

The big vision, Meyers Estate Agents as one whole Dorset applicant base and property base, all the applicants looking in Dorset, slowly gathers an early pace as we have taken a record number of applicants this week and our proeprty portfolio gains momentum.

We have instructed eight properties in the last seven days. Not a bad week for a business with barely any marketing at all.

Although we have now 23 proeprties instructed into Meyers Estate Agents, there are quite a few that are waiting for the previous estate agency contract to expire and so they are not showing on our site yet. We have now more property in Weymouth than anywhere else, other areas we have property, Wool, Poole and last week four new properties in Dorchester. Today (Sunday) we were working over in Wareham direction and for the latter part of the day towards Bridport.

Sunday, no rest for the wicked, several applicants registered, one new instruction. All other estate agents CLOSED, and us, yes just 0.75% and NO VAT and still working hard at 20.32pm with Claire typing up three properties as I speak now the children have gone to bed.

Worrying trend, many of our vendors are moving out of the market or down in the market, so are the banks going to relax the mortgage qualification rules? They better do or they may be trouble.There are not enough first time buyers out there and although we have only one sold property we are in that tricky state of having at least 2 other sales which are dependant on our potential buyers selling their own and its all systems slow at their end.

We have expended our marketing to a constantly updating Meyers Estates stream through Twitter and Facebook to enlarge our audience and publish our new properties and updates.

 Our latest testimonial

"Meyers Estates has been a breath of fresh air, they are in a league of their own" Vendor 12/10/11

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Off to bed in a bit as there's a busy day ahead. More interesting blog to come later in the week! Thanks for reading and come again soon and see how we are doing.

 

 

 

 

Up up and away .. . ..

Busy week. I really love this job, I love working for myself and being able to influence and add to my business in the evenings and in the mornings when the kids are in bed and I am able to tackle the e mails and update the details when the time is right for me and my family.

This week has been a great week, week 3 - 4 . We have a booked up diary, plenty of new appointments booked in and a fast growing portfolio of new brilliant property and an early barrage of recommendations already. Brilliant.

Claire and I have been lucky enough to have a great friend Gary Flooks, who created our website, back from Canada and able to tell me how to update all our web type things on my own, ON MY OWN, good but scary, bit worried i'll press the wrong button and wipe myself off the internet in one hit. If you need some work done, drop him a line through the link.

Here's a nice pic I found lurking in a new house on the market this week, can you guess which house? The surboard might give it away, http://meyersestates.com/property

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Today I was honoured to be nominated onto the Rethink South West Regional Board which influences and lobbies the goverment for mental health sufferers. Eddie Godfrey is also on the board and has just been awarded an OBE for his work and another member, Victoria, is meeting Nick Clegg next week and was a pure inspiration, amazing people indeed. This was down to my marathon run, fundraising effort this year, support work and the general interest I have in breaking up the prejudice that revolves about this health service which I am very vocal about.

We had little more publicity by making a difference to the way people see our business differently from the rest of the crowd last week too:

http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/13671/15/1/dorchester-boost-for-borough-gardens-rethink#.Tozim4qA74k.facebook

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...although i'm sure Mike Myers is another guy who doubles as Austin Powers and not me!

Also the local paper, the Evening Echo set up our launch page for www.meyersestates.com offically and myself and Claire were totally overwhelmed at the amazing support of our friends and associates who advertised and wished us good luck in our venture. AMAZING STUFF GUYS, thank you all so very much. I'll try and scan and post the page up n the next week or so when I have time. Nearly every day is booked out from now until next weekend in the diary.

Also, to top off a great week, here is a quick pic of our first happy vendor who sold through Meyers Estate Agents. Don't forget, our first 40 properties instructed JUST 0.75% and NO VAT.

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I am off to bed now, 24/7 estate agency snooze coming up. Naannite.

Busy Up There?

The internet is a busy place. In just one week Meyers Estate Agents have received well over 30 new applicants looking for property in Dorset, had five offers on our very modest property register, several viewings, two on Sunday, followed by three offers and one sale that was finally agreed on Monday night at nearly 8.30pm. That property had been on the market since February with another High Street estate agency and it took just 6 days of advertising to agree the sale and help that vendor on the way.

It is clear that the 24/7 estate agency has a home and a need here in Dorset.

And word is definitely spreading....

Our first testimonial!

"Over the many years and of all the very many estate agents I have experienced throughout the South of England over the years, I have never experienced such very good service as I have from Meyers Estate Agents"  

Ms J Edgely, Vendor, Puddletown, Dorset, September 27th 2011

With NO marketing yet in any newspaper Meyers Estate Agents as www.meyersestates.com has had an enormous barrage of hits on the web and is nearing the 1000 mark in just a few days.

With NO marketing Meyers Estate Agents have booked four new instructions this week so far with four more booked in for the coming few days which is a fantastic start for our sleek new brand and I am so proud. Back from the Bestival we are ready for a long term business that will really benefit you, our community and us where we all come out winners. Hurry, only the first 40 properties will be at our introduction rate of 0.75% and NO VAT.

Now Meyers Estate Agents is ready to launch, through the Dorset magazine in October, The Echo in the first week of October and the local paper 'The View' who have sneaked a story about our family business and snapped a shot of Claire and myself passing the remainder of a £3000 fundraiser to Rethink that between us and some AMAZING generous friends we managed to raise, part of Meyers Estate Agents starting as we mean to go on, supporting our local people.

Its great fun too....

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Sold in 6 days of marketing with Meyers Estate Agents after being on market since the beginning of 2011 with a traditional Weymouth Estate Agent. Lovely house!

  • Full sales particulars with floorplans
  • Accompanied Viewings
  • Professional Market appraisal
  • Weekly property updates
  • Available to speak 24/7
  • A tailored service for each vendor
  • Full related services packages if necessary with accredited local professionals
  • Constant support and approachable, friendly attitude of our staff
  • Local newspaper coverage and top property portal coverage
  • £100 back to local community projects EVERY SALE

Time for bed, all the best,

 

Mark

Meyers

The next big thing?

Welcome back,

The last few days has been about recovery, no not the property market, a weekend away to the Isle of Wight Bestival.

 

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What an amazing weekend we had too. When Meyers Estate Agents was imagined, myself and my wife Claire wanted to create a business where we could work together, have fun together and enjoy ourselves more whilst spending a little more time with the children. It seemed a little strange that in this modern age, I was sat in a traffic jam waiting to arrive in at a New Forest Office and Claire was in Bridgewater stuck in a traffic jam trying to park during early rush hour and there was no-one at home and unless we used mobiles, no friends or family for 75 miles and we were about 150 miles apart just trying to earn a sufficient living. What on earth were we doing?

So we changed things. We changed the way we structured our days, our family cash flow, our accounts and our relationships improved and became stronger and stronger, we have more and more fun, support eachother and have found brilliant, rewarding jobs for us both, where we want to be, doing what we do best.

This culminated nicely last weekend in a massive weekend of celebration of our achievement of all these things at the Bestival. What a lovely weekend, happy people, brilliant music, lovely food and fun. Now this is more like it... The Cure were truly sublime and to be remembered in particular. Amazing!

Now, what will be the next big thing?

 

Mark M

www.meyersestates.com

 

  • Full sales particulars with floorplans
  • Accompanied Viewings
  • Professional Market appraisal
  • Weekly property updates
  • Available to speak 24/7
  • A tailored service for each vendor
  • Full related services packages if necessary with accredited local professionals
  • Constant support and approachable, friendly attitude of our staff
  • Local newspaper coverage and top property portal coverage

Meyers Estate Agents, Good Estate Agents?

Welcome to the Meyers Estate Agents blogspot.

Our new 24/7, on line Dorset estate agency business has started well pre launch, even better than we expected in fact. Now just over a week old, we have found real enjoyment and set up a really beneficial business to our local community though our little new venture.

The local press have also cottoned onto the idea that we have pre agreed to return £100 per sale to charity, they are expected today for a photo shoot. Eek, best polish my shoes!

To clarify, before Claire and I opened our business, we set up solid agreements with each of these important local community charities. Our aim, to replace our clients money back into their own Dorset societies where we do daily business whilst providing high quality marketing and sales solutions for our clients properties at 0.75% and NO VAT.

Here are our 2011/ 2012 nominated charities.

Click on their names to see more about the great work people are doing there, most of us do not realise that these organisations don't receive much governement funding, mostly nothing at all. It is down to our own communities, legacies, local fundraisers and volunteer groups to keep them open and supporting us.

I call them 5 good reasons to get up in the morning.

I believe estate agency is a great career. Done professionally, it creates a lot change for people, a job where you have been entrusted to help people restart their lives for the better.

While clients wait for a buyer, their lives are on hold until their property is sold, the estate agent creates the best quality photos, the best brochures, the best marketing plan and advertises the property in the best places, for the client. After this, if the property has not sold, the next skill is, what the next plan should be? That is best driven by constant feedback from applicants and viewers, we have tailored a unique feedback team at Meyers Estate Agents for that exact purpose.

Better business can be done for many estate agency customers.

Benefit from friendly, experienced, sales and marketing skill and pay less whilst paying back your community at the same time. Hurry as our 0.75% No VAT rate is only available for the first stream of property on our books.

Call us now for more information, to register looking for property or to sell your property.

Our core areas are Dorchester and 35 minutes radius for our maximium service at 0.75% and NO VAT

Freephone: 0800 8499256

Best Wishes,

Mark M

Meyers Estate Agents, 24/7 Estate Agency

Moving Beyond Expectations

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