Property in Surrey, Estate Agents, Letting Agents

May
16

Chelsea’s Di Matteo joins stars for the BMW PGA Pro-Am

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Chelsea FC head coach Roberto Di Matteo, the man hoping to create history by leading the club to its first Champions League title, will be reunited with his former Blues team-mate Gianfranco Zola when the pair compete alongside Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday May 23.

Four days after what he hopes will be a historic night in the Allianz Arena, where Chelsea will face Bayern Munich for the right to be crowned kings of Europe, the recent FA Cup-winning manager Di Matteo will be joined at Wentworth Club, in Surrey, by Zola and former AC Milan striker Daniele Massaro, a member of the Italian squad which won the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

The trio will be partnered by the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup winner Edoardo Molinari for the traditional curtain-raiser to The European Tour’s Flagship Event, where World Number One Luke Donald of England will defend the title he won in dramatic fashion last year.Other sporting stars scheduled to tee up on the iconic West Course include Harry Redknapp, the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur; his son Jamie, the former Liverpool midfielder and current Sky Sports pundit; former England and Arsenal forward Ian Wright; Olympic silver medal-winning athlete Kriss Akabusi; and former tennis player Tim Henman, a winner of 15 ATP titles.

Current Liverpool FC manager Kenny Dalglish and BBC TV’s ‘Match of the Day’ pundit Alan Hansen, both leading members of the Liverpool side which dominated English football during the 1980s, will also be taking part in the Pro-Am.The rowing knights Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave – who between them won a total of nine Olympic gold medals – will also be in attendance along with another knight of the realm, Sir Clive Woodward, and Matt Dawson, a member of the England team which Woodward coached to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003.

Dawson, who finished runner-up in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2006, will play alongside one of the show’s judges, Len Goodman; while host Sir Bruce Forsyth, who lives on the Wentworth Estate, will not have far to travel to tee up in the Pro-Am.The 2009 ‘Strictly’ champion Chris Hollins, formerly of BBC Breakfast, has been confirmed and Anton Du Beke, one of the programme’s professional dancers, will also be ditching his sequined trousers in favour of Plus Fours.

Chris Evans and Vernon Kay will also play along with their fellow TV and radio presenters Andrew Cotter and Steve Ryder, while Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton will be swapping the confines of the kitchen for the wide fairways of Wentworth Club.Jamie Birkmyre, Director of Championship Management for the BMW PGA Championship, said: “We are delighted that so many stars from the worlds of sport and television will be competing alongside some of the world’s best golfers in the Pro-Am, which is always a great day for the celebrities and also for the people who come along to watch them play in a relaxed, informal environment.

“We are particularly pleased that two Chelsea legends in Roberto and Gianfranco will be joining us on May 23, and we very much hope to welcome Roberto as the first man to guide the club to Champions League glory.”

The Pro-Am, which will feature the top three in the Official World Golf Ranking in Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, gets underway at 8am on Wednesday May 23, with the afternoon groups set to tee off at 1pm.

Advance tickets for the Pro-Am cost £8 – a £2 saving on the gate price – and can be bought at www.europeantourtickets.com

Advance tickets for the tournament days can also be bought online, with Adult One Day Tickets priced at £30 (a saving of £5), Weekend Tickets at £45 and Season Tickets at £60 (a saving of £10).

It’s yout last chance to enter our competition this week…

To win2 tickets to the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday 26th May plus £100 towards a champagne lunch, simply LIKE US on Facebook.

Become a Fan of the dedicated Barton Wyatt Facebook page before Friday 18th May 2012 to be in with a chance of winning.

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May
15

Waterford House

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Waterford House is superbly situated within the Wentworth Estate on arguably one of the most prestigious roads within Wentworth, situated equidistant between The Wentworth Golf Club and the picturesque shopping parades of Virginia Water, with its excellent shops for day to day needs, restaurants and mainline railway station with a fast service of trains to Waterloo in 42 minutes. Both the clubhouse and the village are within easy walking distance.

For the weekly household shop there is an excellent Waitrose in Sunningdale and for more extensive shopping facilities, the towns of Windsor, Guildford and Kingston are all close at hand. Junction 13 of the M25 is just 3.5 miles away giving access to London, Heathrow and the motorway network. Other than the world renowned Wentworth Club, country clubs abound the area such as Foxhills, Queenwood, Sunningdale and the Royal Berkshire. Delightful walks can be enjoyed around Virginia Water Lake which leads up to the Polo at Smiths Lawn, adjacent to Savill Gardens and Windsor Great Park beyond for riding. The area is also very well catered for by a huge choice of private prep schools, as well as two international schools, ACS in Egham and TASIS in Thorpe.

Waterford House was built in 2005 for the current owners, a house of considerable charm and character and individuality. No expense was spared in the construction of the house using the finest materials and construction methods. Of particular note is the amount of technology within the house with Crestron and Lutron systems controlling the audio visual, curtains, blinds and even the running of the bath via IPhone technology. Throughout the house there is a feel of sophisticated luxury with attention to detail and design.

The property is approached through wrought iron gates on brick piers over a resin bonded driveway providing ample parking for many cars. The gardens were designed and created by Urban Red Landscape Architects who have managed to achieve a wonderful variety of changing colour throughout the seasons. An extensive terrace spans across the rear of the property to a slightly raised dining area off the concertina doors from the kitchen. A pathway leads around the perimeter of the rear garden to a sun terrace in the north west corner of the garden with an attractive pond and water feature. In the centre of the garden is a very attractive Rill which can be seen as you come through the front door of the property. The gardens are really quite a feature of the property and should be viewed to be appreciated.

Wentworth Estate
Price Guide £4,350,000

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May
14

Europe’s woes hit global demand for luxury homes

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Demand for the world’s priciest houses is likely to cool this year after two years of strong growth, as concerns over Europe’s debt crisis, the health of the global economy and governments price cooling measures in Asia dissuade buyers, research showed. Data from property consultancy Knight Frank showed the average price of luxury homes across 23 key world cities fell for the first time since 2009 by 0.4 percent in the first quarter of 2012, reflecting slowing demand.

Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms, family bathroom, bedroom five/games room with en-suite bathroom and walk in wardrobe, drawing room, dining room, large kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, utility room, garage, south west facing rear gardens. Knowle Grove is a popular residential road located to the west of Virginia Water and Wentworth yet within a short car drive of the local shopping parades, Virginia Water station and Windsor Great Park. Heathrow is a short distance further on as is the M25, M3 and M4 motorway networks. This luxurious contemporary home has been built by a local building Company who are known for building quality homes with good specifications. They have taken great pride in producing a house which is of a contemporary design with luxury features such as an Italian bespoke kitchen, under floor heating, quality double glazing, sound system etc. The property has approximately 3,300 square feet of accommodation with good proportions and includes a magnificent kitchen/breakfast room which is open plan to a conservatory overlooking the lawned rear garden. The drawing room has French doors opening onto the rear patio and is complimented by a large dining room to the front leading off the welcoming hall. On the first floor, there are four double bedrooms with two being en-suite and there is a luxury tiled modern family bathroom suite. On the top floor there is the master bedroom with walk in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom together with a large walk in storage cupboard. The house is approached over a shingle driveway with electric wrought iron gates on brick piers. There is ample parking for a number of vehicles and there are side accesses to the rear garden which is fenced and lawned and has a lovely westerly aspect to catch the evening sun, ideal for BBQ's or alfresco dining subject to weather !

This was also sharply down from the same period in 2011, during which global luxury house prices had risen 6.6 percent, Knight Frank said.

“There’s an element of nervousness among investors as to where the economy is going. In the last two-to-three years you’ve seen quite a big rebound in repricing, and the slowdown really comes down to the euro zone crisis and a much slower global economic recovery than was anticipated,” Knight Frank’s Head of Residential Research, Liam Bailey told Reuters.

Europe’s debt crisis hit a new hurdle last week after the Greek public rejected the bailout at voting polls, while economists are predicting another year of slow growth for the U.S. In Asia, the Chinese and Singaporean governments have introduced measures to cool their red-hot property markets.

Knight Frank said the fall in luxury house prices in the first three months of the year was led by Tel Aviv, where prices fell 6.6 percent, and Kiev, where values slid 6.4 percent.

Luxury home values in the U.S. cities of Manhattan, New York and Miami fell 4.3 percent and 1.9 percent respectively in the first quarter, reversing a trend of double digit growth registered in the past year.

Knight Frank said that there was however still strong safe haven demand from international investors for cities like London and Singapore, where prices rose 2.7 percent and 1.9 percent respectively despite new property taxes introduced over the period.

Global luxury house prices surged in the past two years as safe haven-seeking foreign millionaires snapped up houses in New York, Paris and London, while strong economic growth and a rising middle class fuelled local demand for luxury homes in emerging cities like Nairobi and Jakarta.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)

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May
11

Royal Ascot Tips Its Hat to Afternoon Tea in Celebration of Stephen Jones and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

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Celebrated milliner Stephen Jones has a long standing affiliation with Ascot, and this year they have created an exceptional afternoon tea inspired by his stunning designs. Throughout the week of Royal Ascot, afternoon tea will be served in the Royal Enclosure on a chocolate top hat developed by Executive Head Chef, Steve Golding.


Furthermore, Jones has collaborated with top pastry chef, Simon Jenkins, to create a Diamond Jubilee and Royal Ascot inspired afternoon tea to be served throughout the month of June at Coworth Park, the Dorchester Collection’s luxury country house hotel and spa that is perfectly positioned within 15 minutes of Ascot Racecourse.

Sweet treats illustrating British associated icons – such as the Queen’s Crown, a top hat, jockey’s cap and a ladies’ floral hat in Jubilee colours – will be served alongside a glass of champagne and the new, Coworth Park Royal Blend of tea that combines lavender picked from the grounds and a delicate blend of Ceylon, Assam and Darjeeling.

Stephen Jones will also be hosting the annual Coworth Park Hat Salon on Monday 14 May 2012. Bringing his boutique to Coworth Park he will be on hand to offer advice on the best way to choose and wear a hat and the latest 2012 millinery trends.

COWORTH PARK HAT SALON WITH MILLINER STEPHEN JONES
MONDAY, 14 MAY 2012 2PM – 5PM

Stephen Jones OBE, internationally acclaimed master milliner will return to Coworth Park on Monday 14th May offering advice on the best way to choose and wear a hat, the history of Ascot and the latest 2012 millinery trends. The ‘Coworth Park Hat Salon’ will feature a selection of Jones’s latest creations as well as his exclusive Coworth Park Couture Millinery Collection and will be followed by the ‘Coworth Park Royal Tea’ in the Drawing Room served with champagne.

£60 per person or £100 for two

To make a reservation, please contact Restaurant Reservations at Coworth Park on +44 (0) 1344 876600 or email restaurants.CPA@dorchestercollection.com

To book tickets for Royal Ascot, call 0844 346 3000 or visit ascot.co.uk.
For more information on rooms and events at Coworth Park, call 01344 630544 or visit www.coworthpark.com

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May
11

House price rises ‘expected by 35%’

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Home movers have delivered their most upbeat house price forecast in more than a year and a half, according to a study. A third (35%) of movers expect house prices to be higher in 12 months, the highest proportion since autumn 2010, the Rightmove Consumer Confidence Survey found.

Wentworth Estate Price Guide £5,750,000 Detached House

A fifth of the 40,000 people surveyed predicted prices will be lower in a year’s time, the lowest percentage since autumn 2010, the report said.

The study follows a report from property website Zoopla this week which suggested that house sellers are now less likely to drop their asking prices than they were three months ago and are offering smaller discounts.

Zoopla suggested that buyer demand is remaining strong enough for sellers to hold firm with their prices, despite recent changes to some stamp duty rules which increased costs for buyers, such as the recent removal of a concession for first-time buyers.

Lenders are also tightening their credit criteria, making it harder for borrowers to get a mortgage in the coming months, while more than a million homeowners saw their mortgage payments rise this month due to a string of lenders putting up their rates.

However, among those who believe prices will rise in the Rightmove survey, 35% put their belief down to improvements in the mortgage market, while 14% say record-low interest rates have helped.

Miles Shipside, director at Rightmove, said: “Confidence plays an important role in motivating those who can afford to buy to actually go ahead.

“Many of them are hunting in the same better-heeled locations, which in turn builds greater momentum and price rise expectation in these more affluent areas. Conversely, lower levels of activity in less well-off areas spreads negative sentiment, fuelling falling price confidence.”

Among those who believe prices will go down in the next year, nearly two-thirds believe this will happen due to a lack of mortgage availability, high deposits required by lenders or a fear of interest rates rising.

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May
10

Cheaper to rent prime UK property

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In London the average rent for a prime property in the capital is £3,943 compared to an average mortgage cost of £4,339. But PrimeLocation said that it was likely that prime property was going to become more affordable to rent in the coming months. Figures reveal it costs £1,238 per month to rent the average prime property, some £369 less than monthly mortgage repayments.

6 Bedroom Detached House for rent £8,000 pcm. The Chase is a small exclusive gated community of just 9 houses not far from Ascot and ideal for ACS or TASIS schools. The property is in truly immaculate condition having been owned by the same owner since new. The spacious accommodation is very versatile and currently one of the top floor bedrooms is used as a playroom

The post-recession prime market has remained comparatively strong as house/rental? prices have risen by 9.3% since January 2008 when the downturn began.

Nigel Lewis, property analyst at PrimeLocation, said: “It’s clear that across the UK the more expensive a home is, the better value you get by renting rather than owning it despite the low cost of borrowing at the moment.

“London is still comfortably the most expensive market for prime renters as demand for property in the capital continues to grow. The prime rental market is very healthy so for those who are looking to rent a property at the higher end of the market, now is an excellent time to be shopping around.”

Average mortgage costs based on an 80% LTV rate and an interest rate of 1.99% over a 25 year term.

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May
09

Recession, what recession? Award-winning Surrey estate agent announces 650% increase in sales transactions in Q1 2012

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The UK may have officially slipped into a double-dip recession but evidence of this is hard to find in Surrey’s golden commuter belt where award-winning estate agent, Barton Wyatt, reports a 650% increase in the total value of property sold in Q1 2012 compared to the same period only a year ago. Selling luxury family homes and apartments in affluent North Surrey and Berkshire, home to the exclusive Wentworth Estate, Virginia Water, Weybridge, Sunningdale and Ascot, Barton Wyatt has experienced uplift not only in the volume of property being sold in 2012 but also the value.

Barton Wyatt’s sales records show that back in Q1 2011, the average sales price was £1.75 million whilst just 12 months on, the average sales price has more than tripled to £5.8 million.

Commenting on this substantial growth, Partner James Wyatt, says,

“In contrast to much of the UK and indeed many global property markets, we have experienced marked growth over the last 12 months. Despite a brief lull in interest after the recent Budget announcement and hike in stamp duty, sales have picked up once again, especially to overseas buyers. This corner of the south east remains as internationally desirable as ever with 55% of all buyers in Q1 2012 being foreign nationals, mostly from Eastern Europe, Russia and the US, keen to purchase new or nearly new homes.”

Indeed this growing demand for larger, more expensive prime country homes has also been echoed by Knight Frank in their Prime Country House Index Q1 2012. According to the data, sales volumes overall were up on the year with a 13% rise in the number of exchanges; properties worth £5 million or more also continued to rise, up 2.1% compared to Q4 2011 and 2.8% compared to Q1 2011.

James Wyatt goes on to comment,

“With over 165,000 homes in Britain worth at least £1 million, there has been a definite shift in what we mean by the ‘high end market’. £2 million properties have become the old £1 million but the super wealthy, especially those from overseas who are often more liquid and hold larger equity, don’t think twice of spending in excess of £5 million on a home in the UK.”

In fact recent data reveals that there has been a 22% increase in the number of properties selling for £5 million or more in 2011 compared to 2010, so what can you get for Barton Wyatt’s average sales price in Surrey’s golden commuter belt?

Park House on the Wentworth Estate is one such highly desirable detached property on the market for £5.75 million. Hand crafted by Citigate Homes, Park House will be finished to the highest specification with exacting attention to details. The house extends to approx 8,500 sq feet and has been designed for the contemporary family lifestyle.

Comprising 5 grand reception rooms, 5 bedrooms suites and a dedicated cinema and games room, there is a separate self-contained staff flat with its own entrance situated over the three car garage. The mature gardens overlook greenbelt meadows to the rear with a mini putting green for the extra wow factor. For more information contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.

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May
04

Strong line up for Wentworth

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With the European Tour having expanded to new international horizons, the schedule is such that the BMW PGA Championship now signals the arrival every year of championship golf in mainland Britain, and with it comes that buzz of anticipation and excitement. Ah yes, Wentworth in the spring is indeed a splendid place to be. A total of 14 major champions, plus world number one Luke Donald and third-ranked Lee Westwood, are in the field for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 24-27 – one of only two European Tour events on English soil all year.

Defending champion Donald and last year’s runner-up Westwood – it needed a play-off to decide the outcome – will be joined by Northern Irish trio Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, Scot Paul Lawrie, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, German Martin Kaymer, South Africans Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, New Zealander Michael Campbell, Canadian Mike Weir and Americans Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem.

For Weir, Micheel and Beem it will be a debut in the Tour’s flagship event, although 2003 USPGA winner Micheel played in the World Match Play Championship three years later, beating Tiger Woods before suffering a record 10&8 defeat to Paul Casey in the final.

To win2 tickets to the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday 26th May plus £100 towards a champagne lunch, simply LIKE US on Facebook.

Become a Fan of the dedicated Barton Wyatt Facebook page before Friday 18th May 2012 to be in with a chance of winning.

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May
03

Clarke looking for the perfect anniversary

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Finding the perfect gift for any occasion can be problematical, but Darren Clarke knows exactly what he wants to be given to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first appearance at Wentworth Club this year – namely the BMW PGA Championship trophy itself. It was in May 1992 that the then 23 year old Northern Irishman – a fledgling professional on The European Tour having just completed his rookie season in 1991 – lined up at Wentworth Club for the first time.

It was a PGA Championship littered with star names including Major Champions Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, and was won eventually by Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone, but Clarke held his own with rounds of 70-72-71-75 for a level par total of 288 and a share of 54th place.

Now, on the 20th anniversary of his first appearance, Clarke, himself now a Major winner having claimed The 140th Open Championship at Royal St George’s last July, is ready for another tilt at the BMW PGA Championship from May 24-27, a title he would dearly love to add to his already impressive golfing CV.

“I think if you ask any player on The European Tour to pick one event outside the Majors that they’d want to win one day it would be the BMW PGA Championship and I am no exception,” he said.

“Obviously to do it on the 20th anniversary of my first playing in the tournament would be extra sweet but I’m under no illusions about the task in hand because the field is always one of the strongest of the entire year.

“I can’t really believe it is 20 years since I played for the first time – time really does fly by when you are having fun. If I’m being honest though, I can’t really remember much about my debut in 1992 but what I do remember was thinking that if I’d qualified to play at Wentworth, I really must have arrived on The European Tour.

“What I do know now though is that the tournament has become bigger and better in every aspect over these 20 years and much more so of late with BMW on board as a title sponsor.

“They have taken everything about the championship to a higher level and it is fantastic that we have a sponsor such as BMW on The European Tour, not just for the championship at Wentworth, but for the other tournaments they do as well. They put on an awesome show.”

Clarke has come close to victory in The European Tour’s flagship event on a number of occasions over the seasons, finishing in the top ten on five occasions in the eight years between 1997 and 2004.

He finished second to Ian Woosnam in 1997 and second again to Colin Montgomerie in 2000 while he also picked up a fourth place in 2004 when Montgomerie’s fellow Scot Scott Drummond triumphed.

“I have come close a couple of times and it is a course I feel I can compete on,” he said. “I’ve always liked the golf course and it has always been demanding, but it is a really tough challenge nowadays after the changes Ernie made to it.

“In the past, on the odd occasion, you used to see people finish perhaps birdie, eagle, eagle to suddenly burst into contention, but with the changes that is a lot harder to do nowadays. It is a much tougher test than it used to be.”

Clarke will form part of a star-studded line-up for the tournament which includes the current top three players on the Official World Golf Ranking; Number Two Rory McIlroy and Numbers One and Three Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the men who contested the thrilling play-off for the title last May with Donald edging it on the first extra hole with a birdie four.

More than 93,000 people flocked to the tournament week in 2011 and once again demands for tickets will be high. Tickets are available at: www.europeantour.com/tickets or via the Ticket Hotline +44 (0)800 023 2557. A limited number of tables of corporate hospitality remain for Saturday 26 May. Please email: tickets@europeantour.com for further information.

Spectators who buy their tickets in advance of the Championship will be sent a Car Park pass to a designated Car Park. Please follow signs to ENTRANCE 2. Directional signage will then lead you to your Car Park.

 

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May
01

Property Portals under scrutiny by NAEA members

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A huge audience of NAEA members from the Surrey area met last week to discuss the rapidly rising cost of listing their properties on the major portals. Rightmove and DPG have increased their charges far in excess of the rate of inflation in the last year and with a flat housing market, some agents are feeling the heat.

NAEA Surrey Chairman James Wyatt welcomed nearly 100 delegates to a recent conference in Reigate. Shown here with key speakers - ARLA President Tim Hyatt, NAEA President Wendy Evans-Scott, NAVA Chairman Guy Charrison and NFoPP CEO Peter Bolton King

Chairman James Wyatt said: “This meeting was held at the members request as double digit price inflation from the portals is not sustainable in the long term. NAEA members are looking at the alternatives”.

Hot topic of the day was the merger between Zoopla and DPG. “We are watching closely” said Wyatt, “the merger is meant to be a big win for consumers and advertisers – the Estate Agents, but we see this as an opportunity for DPG to increase their prices to Rightmove’s levels and for those two portals to effectively create a duopoly. Historically, duopolies tend to lead to market manipulation and price fixing.”

The NAEA agents do have their own portal, PropertyLive.co.uk, which is free to their members. Surrey members have put a plan in place to market this portal much more aggressively, which comes just in time for the brand new propertylive website due out soon which has enhanced search engine optimisation.

 

For more information please contact:

James Wyatt, Chairman of NAEA The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) is a part of NFoPP.

James Wyatt is a Partner of Virginia Water Agents Barton Wyatt www.bartonwyatt.co.uk  01344 843000  surreynaea@gmail.com

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