Company News

Second Award in as many years

April 2013

Redbrick Properties have once again won a Silver trophy in the ESTAS 2013 Letting Awards for Best Letting Agent in Yorkshire & Humber, making us the only Leeds letting agent to finish in the top 3 twice in the last 2 Awards.

The sell-out national awards, attended by some 650 agents from around the country, held at the Hilton in Park Lane, London, was once again hosted by Phil Spencer who reminded the audience that the awards are “very difficult to win. A well written submission and some nice glossy photos of the office will not get you on the shortlist”. The ESTAS are, he said, decided “by your harshest critic - the public”.

Improving on our ESTAS 2012 Landlord feedback score of 97%, we managed to achieve a 2013 Landlord feedback score of 98.6%, putting this largely down to improvements we have made since the 2012 awards, as well as taking on more staff allowing extra attention to our landlords when needed.

Of course, as commendable as winning two awards in as many years of entering the ESTAS is, we will not be resting on our laurels, as we shall be going for the hat trick in 2014!

Redbrick Celebrates 10th Anniversary

November 2012

Redbrick Properties have reached a noticeable milestone as we are celebrating our 10th anniversary.

We formed Redbrick Properties a decade ago by a handshake in the Blues Bar in Harrogate after a motivating conference held by Yorkshire Forward for new businesses.

Our early formative meetings were usually held in local bars or clubs, and the pinnacle meeting with our accountant in the Stone Trough, Rawdon, where we formulated the company with the signing of the Companies House papers.

Even the name was inspired by the interior of the Hi-Fi club in Leeds!

It was nearing deadline day to decide a company name, and at the time our provisional name was Urban Edge, but this was missing something.

This was our last day to decide, the ambience in the club was perfect for putting forward suggestions, and names were banded about from a Dulux colour chart including Magnolia! Matt, in a moment of genius mentioned the name was right in front of us? Where? The walls of the club were exposed red-brick.

With the name as the focus of increased vigour, we signed a lease on a first floor office above our good friends in Headingley, Castlehill Estate Agents.

With limited funds we made our way to IKEA to furnish the office, we even made a trip down to London to pick up a donated computer! From Carl Phillipson.

With everything in place we opened up the office on the 15th November 2002 to the public. Working unpaid for the first few months, the hard work paid off and within 18 months we were VAT registered. The hours were long but we had fun establishing ourselves. Our office cordless phone range was around 100 metres and in our first Summer we took advantage, grabbed a note book and pen and sat in the Original Oak Beer Garden for a pint!

From the start we wanted to be different, this was perhaps highlighted best in one of our early marketing endeavours. An advertisement we commissioned on the sides of the number 96 bus through the City Centre displaying the slogan “Wake up with a Big Semi every Morning” during the summer of 2005 was a particular favourite.

Not happy to sit back we decided to move to a more prominent commercial property, a ground floor shop in Headingley in 2005. The move was almost seamless, apart from a decision to remove the plaster in the front office to uncover what we thought would be red-brick, this was not the case! There was a brief discussion to re-name to Yorkshire Stone Properties!

Fast forward to our 2012 rebrand, we turned to our graphic designer Alex Dale with the remit, “take Redbrick out of its comfort zone, surprise us”. He certainly did, new logo, new brand colours, even down to a new company font. The 20th April 2012 was a pivotal day for Redbrick, it was the launch of our website - version three and a memorable visit to London to attend the ESTA awards. The awards are industry recognized and based on questionnaires returned by our landlords. After a brief presentation by Phil Spencer in the Park Lane Hilton, we walked away with a Silver Award for excellence in customer service in Yorkshire & Humberside.

We now look forward with excitement to challenges the industry brings, whilst we can safely say we are established and knowledgeable, yet still have the energy and audacity of a young contender.

Quality Student Accommodation in Leeds

November 2012

Although student accommodation in Leeds is moving fast here at Redbrick Properties we still have a large selection of student accommodation to let in the popular locations of Leeds including Burley, Hyde Park, Headingley and Kirkstall. We are taking quality new properties on a daily basis. Please contact our office on 0113 230 5552 or click here to contact us with your requirements where our helpful dedicated team will be able to assist you in your quest for your student accommodation in Leeds.

House hunting is a daunting experience for anyone, it may be your first time renting a property or perhaps even choosing housemates and deciding numbers. At Redbrick Properties we are here to make this process a whole lot easier for you, assisting you in finding you the perfect property!

At Redbrick Properties we cater to all students in terms of budget and location with all our student properties situated within close proximity to all neighbouring universities and many local amenities.

We hold a diverse range of fully furnished properties; from one bed flats to eight bed houses covering areas such as Headingley, Hyde Park, Kirkstall and Burley. We cater for the groups of students who perhaps want bills included or maybe a large flat screen T.V. in the lounge.

Registering with us will automatically add you to our mailing list service which will update you regularly with our full property list - an interactive service in which you have the ability to amend as and when you like. Pick up the phone when you are ready to view and your own personal Letting Negotiator will chaffer you around your chosen properties.

We strive upon providing excellent student accommodation for our tenants coupled with delivering a first class service so from the start to finish. So, before move in day our properties are all fully cleaned and any requests made prior are followed through. Upon moving day once all paperwork is signed and monies are paid we carry out a personal assisted check-in service to ensure a smooth and easy move-in day.

All of our managed student properties deposits are registered with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and for your reassurance during your stay with Redbrick we are members of The Property Ombudsman and NALS.

Every effort is made to ensure your property is of the highest standard. However, unfortunately sometimes things can go wrong. We at Redbrick Properties guarantee all reported issues are dealt with in a quick and responsive manner! We have a committed team of contractors to deal with all repairs and maintenance professionally.

Top 3 Tips to securing your Dream Student Property

Decide Numbers, every year viewer's loose out because at the last minute one of the group drops out. Make sure all that hard work and time consuming viewing is not undone, otherwise you will be back to square one.

Looking early will give you the first and best pick of the lot, it will make sure you bag a property which has at least two bathrooms & hopefully where all of the bedrooms are of a good size and décor.

As a group decide your budget and organize your finances before you commence viewings, as with the vast majority of Letting Agents we ask for a Deposit and Arrangement fee to put down at the signing stage.

Redbrick Director Goes the Extra Mile

October 2012

A Massive Congratulations to Mark for completing his first ever marathon (Kielder, Northumberland) in early October. Not only did he complete it in 3hrs 51mins on an off-road course, but he came 209th out of 1487, leaving club runners in his wake! So far his efforts have raised more than £500 for the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Said Mark “It was my desire to raise some much needed extra funds for the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the staff are second to none who devote their time so passionately.”

“The hospital has some fantastic specialist departments including the Great Northern Children's hospital, the money will help to make sure everyone through their doors will continue to be treated with upmost care and expertize.”

If you would like to donate, please click HERE.

Redbrick Sponsorship Continues for a Second Season

September 2012

Wortleys U13 Football team sponsored by Redbrick Properties

Redbrick Properties have always taken a keen interest in the community and they feel sponsoring Wortley's U13's Football team for the last two seasons has been one of the most rewarding so far. Wortley Football Club are continually striving to develop both their girls and boys junior sections over the coming seasons by creating further teams in each of the age groups. Mark Phillipson said "We can see from meeting the management and the team what rewards can come about from people dedicating their free time so passionately under the umbrella of a well organized charity"

Low interest rates, booming rents and sliding house prices - a landlords dream

August 2012

A slew of cut-price mortgage deals is tempting many to take the plunge into the market. But further house price falls could hammer unwary investors unless they are prepared to invest for the long term.

Experts warn that if landlords fail to pick the right mortgage or choose the wrong part of the country to buy their property, they could find themselves severely out of pocket.

Peter Gettins, of broker London & Country, says: 'With first-time buyers struggling terribly, there's increasing demand for rental properties and, as a result, rents are increasing while mortgage rates are at historic lows.

'With such low costs and high demand, buy-to-let presents an attractive prospect.

'But prospective landlords need to go in with their eyes open and understand all the costs and risks. Even in a period of high demand, it's important to understand the local market.'

Falling house prices can eat into the return from a buy-to-let investment, especially if held for the shorter term, such as five to seven years.

While rent can provide an annual income stream, a fall in the capital value of the buy-to-let property can quickly turn your investment into a loss.

Aaron Strutt, an adviser at mortgage broker Trinity Financial, says: 'Building societies have been offering the lowest rates over the past few months, but some of the bigger banks are also starting to launch some best-buy mortgages.

'While it is a good time to get a buy-to-let, it's essential to do your research to unearth the right property.'

Where are the best buy-to-let mortgages?

Choosing the right mortgage is critical, as some banks charge fees of 3.5 per cent of the loan amount, but there are rates available with much lower costs.

NatWest offers a two-year, fixed-rate, buy-to-let deal at 3.49 per cent. Borrowers need a 40 per cent deposit and there is a £1,999 fee.

The monthly repayments on a £150,000 loan would be £750, with total borrowing costs of £19,999 over the two years.

The Mortgage Works is offering the lowest headline interest rate, with a two-year fixed-rate at 3.39 per cent and a 3.5 per cent arrangement fee. The borrower needs to have a 40 per cent deposit.

Monthly repayments on a £150,000 loan would be £742. But the higher arrangement fee makes the overall cost a lot higher - £23,058 over two years.

Coventry Building Society has recently launched a two-year, fixed-rate deal at 3.75 per cent, with a 35 per cent deposit and £1,499 fee. Monthly repayments on a £150,000 loan would be £771, with total costs of £20,003. Figures from The Council Of Mortgage Lenders showed landlord mortgage borrowing rose by a third in the first three months of this year compared to 2011.

Source- This is Money

If you are a landlord looking to invest in the Leeds rental market, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to give you all the advice you need to ensure you make the correct decisions on property, area and rental value.

Professional landlords expect to buy more homes to rent.

Static house prices and more relaxed mortgage lenders loosening their grip on buy to let finance has helped professional landlords add more properties to their portfolios, according to a new study.

The average professional landlord has increased property holdings by one to 14 over the past three months, reports the research by landlord lender Paragon Mortgages.

Landlords are also buying properties at a faster rate - with the average portfolio taking nine months to shift up from 12.5 properties at the end of the second quarter of 2011 to 12.9 by the end of the first quarter this year, and then taking just three months to move up to an average 14.1 homes.

Property professional are also confident about the stability of the private rental market, with a fifth (21%) of landlords reporting that they want to add more property to their holdings by the end of September - up from 18% in the same quarter last year.

Just under half (49%) of landlords planning to buy favour terraced homes, a quarter (26%) opt for flats or maisonettes, while 23% prefer semi-detached homes.

Paragon Mortgages managing director John Heron said: "The fact that landlords are planning to make further investments in their property portfolios is positive news.

"It shows their appetite to grow their business to meet the on-going demands from tenants and demonstrates the viability of the UK’s private rented sector.

"The issues around housing supply in the UK are well documented and have been hotly debated over the past few months in particular.

"However, what our research shows is that landlords are investing further in private rental property and they look set to continue to buy over the coming quarters.

"While this will not solve the problems around supply it will make a valuable contribution."

Source: Landlord Zone

We Won Silver!

April 2012

Redbrick Properties have earned the status of No.1 Letting Agent in Leeds as well as Yorkshire & Humber No.1 Independent Letting Agent, at the ESTAS 2012, by winning the Silver award for the Best Letting Agent 2012 in the Yorkshire & Humberside area, only one podium place down from one of the country's largest national property letting chains.

The award was announced by Phil Spencer, the TV property expert at a lavish luncheon & ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane London attended by 550 of the UK's top estate and letting agents.

Phil Spencer said "The ESTAS are the most important and valuable awards in our industry. An ESTA is not an easy accolade to pick up, to win one requires a lot of hard work, over a very long period of time."

Simon Brown, owner of the awards added "Agents that take part in the ESTAS believe passionately in providing the highest quality customer service. They are prepared to go that extra mile, prepared to take criticism as well as praise and prepared to invest and develop their businesses accordingly."

The results of the competition were determined by research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent. Over 33,000 votes were received making it the biggest consumer survey of its kind in the property industry.

So, now time to look at areas of improvement, as we will be going for Gold next year!

Redbrick Properties have been shortlisted for the Estate & Letting Agent Awards 2012

April 2012

The Estate & Letting Agent Awards, better known as the ESTAS, have announced their shortlist for 2012, and guess what, WE'VE BEEN SHORTLISTED!!!

We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted for the ESTAS 2012. It means so much to us as we know it's our landlords who have put us on the list. We take our levels of customer service very seriously because we know clients have a choice. We have always been very proud of the personal service we provide and this is great way to demonstrate how good we really are.

The ESTAS determines the best letting agents in the country through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent. A record 33,000 questionnaires were completed by customers during the competition.

Agents have been shortlisted in 17 regions around the country. The regional and national winners will be announced by Phil Spencer, the TV Property expert at the 9th annual ESTAS ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane on 20th April. Phil says "I think it says a great deal about company who's prepared to stand up and announce to customers and competitors that they believe in providing the best possible service and they're happy to prove it. These awards help agencies to focus on customer service levels and that's why so many sign up each year."

"The ESTAS competition is about recognising the hard work agents put in every day, week and month of the year" says Simon Brown who runs the national scheme. "So to be shortlisted is a great accolade for any agent."

Alex Chesterman, Founder & CEO of Zoopla.co.uk "We are really excited to support and be part of this key industry event. Our business objectives are precisely aligned with those of the ESTAS, which are to help agents across the UK maximise their efficiency. The ESTAS focus on providing valuable customer feedback and we focus on providing valuable marketing services, both with a view to ensuring that agents win more business."

Fingers crossed! Just to be shortlisted is an absolute honour, but to actually win an award would be the icing on the cake.

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