‘Providing a bespoke service’ - Mark Carter

Mark Carter Estate Agents is an independent business set up in May, which focuses on Maidenhead, Cookham and the surrounding villages and hamlets.

It is owned by Mark Carter, a Maidenhead resident with 26 years experience in the business after many years working for agents in Maidenhead and Wargrave.

The business is dedicated to sales, which Mark said has been his main focus for most of his career, describing it as ‘my background and my interest’.

It mainly attracts clients through its website, online property sites and advertising.

Mark said his decision to go independent has given him more power to make his own decisions and follow them through, providing him with ‘complete autonomy’ to provide a personal, adaptable service to clients.

As a new start with a lower turnover, the new system has also allowed the agent to introduce VAT-free selling fees to its service.

Mark, who lives in Hungerford Drive, Maidenhead, said he offers a ‘very traditional service’ and takes a personal approach to his work.

He said: “In terms of the approach to marketing it’s very much bespoke. It’s very much a case of sitting down with the prospective client and seeing what they want to do with the property.”

He added: “It’s about whether there’s a connection with the individual. It’s very much a personality-based choice.”

He once scored a 92 per cent positive rating in a client satisfaction survey carried out by the Property Ombudsman.

As part of the valuation process, Mark can offer ‘home staging’ advice to make the property more attractive to potential buyers, using his experience to show how a lick of paint or putting a few items into storage can make the difference.

Mark said the business covers everything ‘from the council maisonette to the riverside home’, taking a broad approach to the properties it sells.

He said he keeps the volume of properties he works with small ‘so

I have the time to dedicate more resources and attention to the sale and marketing of the property’.

The business has already started to become involved in the community, including sponsoring a fundraiser for Rosie’s Rainbow Fund at the Wycombe Swan in May.

Mark, who went to St Edmund Campion Primary and Cox Green schools, is positive about what the future holds for the property market.

He said: “Obviously Crossrail will change the property market in Maidenhead. It will provide a stream of fresh demand for housing and obviously it’s going to bring in more new business as well. If nothing else it will hold Maidenhead values.

“Even if there was a blip in prices it’s likely to keep Maidenhead’s head above water.”

He added: “The announcement made by the Bank of England that we are coming out of this recession is very encouraging. It will give people confidence to start new business in Maidenhead.

“Hopefully first-time buyers will start to think now’s the time to get into the market. It’s what Maidenhead needs to see.”

Mark Carter Estate Agents

markcarterea.co.uk

sales@markcarterea.co.uk

01628 638068