North West’s Largest Independent Estate Agent
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Explore a Day in the Life of a Venmore's Valuer with Joanna Hudson 

Working for one of the leading estate agents in Liverpool is one of the best jobs in the world, if we do say so ourselves, who wouldn't want to work for a company as wonderful as ours (The Venmore Group family is second-to-none) or in a city as incredibly beautiful as ours?! Here, the housing market is super hot property and so, we thought that we'd interview one of our lovely team members so you can take a sneak peek into the exciting world of a Liverpool estate agent...

Hi Jo, 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m married, with a daughter of 22 and a son of nearly 21.  Worked in Estate Agency for 35 years, initially starting as a Sales Negotiator with an old Liverpool firm, H.H. & J. Robinson, who were around probably at the same time as when Venmores originally started, they were subsequently bought by the Halifax Building Society in 1988 and I worked through the ranks, eventually becoming an Area Manager.

How long have you been working with the company?

I’ve been with Venmores for 18 years – this is only my fourth employer since leaving school!

What does your day-to-day role involve?

Every day is varied but typically starts in the office, checking and preparing for the day’s appointments by doing market research, responding to the avalanche of emails we receive and telephoning clients before going out on my appointments. In between all of that I will also be inputting the relevant details onto the computer system of the new properties which are coming on to the market, downloading photographs and creating floorplans, updating the sales team on the new instructions and prompting them regarding the unique selling points of a particular property and who its target market is likely to be.

What factors do you look at to determine the value of a home?

Thorough research is important, particularly if the property is a bit unusual. I first look to see what other properties are currently on the market in the immediate vicinity to the property I am going to value, by checking various websites as well as our own database, then I look at the Land Registry database to see actual sold prices within that locality. 

If there is nothing immediately around, then I will spread the search area to try and find as many properties as possible which having matching criteria to the subject property and likewise check the Land registry for their sale prices. When at the property, I then have to take into account the actual condition, has it been extended, does it need work carrying out, how much is that likely to cost, what could its potential improved sale value be and then work back from there to arrive at the current condition value. 

What is the best part of your job?

The variety – meeting different people every day and seeing so many different properties – some people think estate agency is a glamorous job, but believe me, there are some aspects which are definitely not glamorous – like trying not to breathe when going around some properties which have been empty for a long time! Over the years I have come across so many varied situations and different stories. If I wrote them down, people simply wouldn’t believe me.

What area of Liverpool has the most interesting properties to visit?

The obvious ones are the likes of Woolton Village or Calderstones, around the parks or the waterfront, but all areas have little interesting spots hidden away, whether it's historical or the architecture or just local legend, particularly within the city centre.  You think you know an area well until you start doing a job like this and then realise you hardly know it at all.

What is the best part of working for Venmores? 

That’s an easy question to answer, it’s the lovely people I work with, they can turn a dismal day into a happy day!