Tom Petrides

Who really knows what a property is worth? 🤔 Legally, only a RICS surveyor can provide a "formal valuation" in situations like lending or tax disputes. Estate agents? We're only allowed to give a "market appraisal" – even though most of us know the local market inside out. But here’s the thing… For probate, HMRC is happy with an estate agent’s valuation. Why? Because in most cases, it’s bang on. The truth is: A good estate agent will often know far more about what a property will actually sell for than many RICS surveyors. We’re on the ground, every day: Talking to buyers Tracking enquiry levels Seeing real offers, real sales, and real-time market shifts Many RICS surveyors don’t even know the area they’re valuing in – and end up calling us for local insight anyway. 👉 And forget the agents who overvalue to win the instruction. Some sellers ignore facts and just chase the biggest number. An agent says £500k, the seller says “let’s try £600k,” and the weak agent nods. That helps no one. We need real reform in this industry – not lip service. Imagine a home moving system with: ·      Digital property logbooks for every home ·      Legally binding reservation agreements to prevent gazumping ·      Open banking for instant, secure property payments ·      A national digital ID system for buyers and sellers ·      Pre-listing legal packs with all documents and enquiries answered upfront ·      Fully digitised, standardised local authority data ·      A unified platform connecting agents, conveyancers, and lenders ·      Automated chain tracking and fraud prevention tools ·      Mandatory licensing and training for estate agents ·      A standardised national property valuation system That’s the future the public deserves. We’re ready for it. Are they? Until then, we’ll keep giving honest, grounded advice based on what’s actually happening – not guesswork and glossy brochures.

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🔧 New Markup Feature – Keen to hear your thoughts We’ve just added the ability to drop markups directly onto your site maps in Propeller — comments, callouts, questions, warnings, you name it. No more back-and-forth screenshots or chasing WhatsApp threads. Everything in one place, right on the map. Here’s a quick look at it in action 👇 🧐 Would this be useful on your sites? 📌 Is this the kind of thing that would make site handovers, updates, or remote reviews easier? Genuinely keen to get your feedback — what would make this better for your team? #constructiontech #surveying #dronedata #PropellerAero #sitecollaboration

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"Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work." — Stephen King In recent weeks, I’ve had several property developers reach out asking for advice on using social media to grow their businesses. The biggest challenge they all seem to face? Inspiration. “What should I post? What will get people interested?” It’s a common struggle, but here’s the good news: the best content is often right in front of you. Property is a fascinating industry—it’s full of twists and turns, challenges, and triumphs. From sourcing a deal to overcoming unexpected delays, every day brings new stories. And those stories? They’re exactly what people are searching for when they’re scrolling through their feeds. The key is to turn your unique experiences into valuable, engaging content. But how? Let’s start with the framework I use: E.A.T. Google introduced this acronym years ago to shape how content is ranked on its search engine. Now, it’s just as relevant for social media. Here’s how you can use it: Education: Teach your audience something new. Share insights into the property process—how you source deals, manage budgets, or handle unexpected challenges. People love to learn from real-world experiences. Authority: Show you know your stuff. Post case studies, highlight successes, or offer commentary on industry trends. Demonstrate why you’re a trusted voice in property. Trust: Be relatable and transparent. Share behind-the-scenes moments, lessons from mistakes, or the human side of your work. Authenticity builds trust like nothing else. Social media success isn’t about reinventing the wheel—it’s about sharing the journey. Your day-to-day work, challenges, and victories are a goldmine for content. So don’t wait for the “perfect” idea. Just start. Your audience is out there, ready to learn, engage, and be inspired by your journey.

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