Estate Agents and their cars

[seanmlow]

What do we think of all the estate agent cars around East Dulwich?

[jimbo1964]

Pickwick's Pistachio Fiat 500s are very nice.

[snorky]

Sadly , if you subscribe to the property porn in the media of late, then you cant really say much about the presence of these peoples cars in the area - ditto if you like the changing demographic of ED & the rich shopping experiences, then EA are part of the mix - not one without the other - a symbiotic relationship

Its only Foxys that get my undivided attention I must admit.

the slimy ubiquity of their vulgar little minis does irk me for an irrational reason.

[seanmlow]

how about the Ludlow beetle?

[BJL]

I'm not really bothered by them.

Does your agency have branded cars, seanmlow?

[seanmlow]

It does! They are very nice...

[SeanMacGabhann]

I WANT to believe this thread is ironic.... I do...

[*Bob*]

It's a good thing that Estate Agents cars are branded - We know where they are and we can keep an eye on them.

Perhaps we could roll-out a similar scheme for burglars etc?

[Brendan]

Right I think in principle Estate Agents are unnecessary but that doesn?t mean I haven?t? had cause to use them and yes I suppose they do need cars but fleets of branded cars are vulgar.

These crass things parked around the place with paint jobs only an estate agent could love are nauseating to look at and just unnecessarily abrasive to the locals (ie your potential clients).

I mean seriously those minis and the beetles could only be thought of as nice by the type of person who when they first walked into an All Bar One thought, ?Hmmm.. this is nice and swish.?

EDIT: for spelling

[seanmlow]

Wow what a lot of snobs we are!

I have never set foot in an all bar one and never plan to!

Would it be better to use unbranded cars then? At least we don't shy away from our presence in ED.

SeanMG - why ironic?

[Brendan]

I suppose if I wasn?t ranting (it is worthwhile never to take me too seriously) what I would be saying is yes use unbranded cars because branded are ones cheesy and tasteless. In my opinion they conjure up images of a sales person in B&Q or the like all got up in a branded uniform rather than the competent professional one would hope is dealing with the sale of their house.

EDITED coz I carnt spill

[lozzyloz]

Is it just estate agents cars being branded that winds people up because the drivers are assumed to be odious, or does it apply to other tradesmen, telecom engineers, council vehicles and branded black taxi's, etc?

[SeanMacGabhann]

seanmlow - because the subject of estate agents and cars has been talked to death on here before

here's one

and you were part of it back then too mr low! so why start a new thread?

[Brendan]

With tradesmen they usually have a description of what they do and their phone number, websites etc on their vans so it is useful information pertinent to a small business.

The cock on estate agents cars is just ?marketing? slogans and logos and the like. Thought up by people who have silver widescreen televisions on laminate floors to watch Chelsea matches on. plegh gak eerg.

And to be honest we don?t need to know their phone numbers they have dirty great offices on the high street and widely recognised corporate identities already. I get enough of it stuffed through my letterbox I don?t need it fowling up my line of vision when I?m having a stroll too.

Pardon my tourettes folks. Friday afternoon and all that.

[seanmlow]

'Thought up by people who have silver widescreen televisions on laminate floors to watch Chelsea matches on. plegh gak eerg. '

I can ensure you I do not have lamintate floors, do not watch Chelsea matcs either.

I have found in my line of work the ones who are angry are the ones who can't afford a nice house - or get a decent mortage.

The ones have all this in place are lovely...

[lozzyloz]

From a purely aesthetic point of view I think the Pickwicks Fiat 500's are quite pleasing on the eye but will probably be extremely un-cool within a year. The ugliest looking are the Ludlow Beetles. There were 4 parked on LL yesterday adding a touch of clone to the street. If it's illegal to drop a cigar butt on the pavement then surely that comes close to defecating in the gutter.

[Brendan]

I wasn't having a go at estate agents there actually* but rather the marketing and advertising industries. Stop getting so defensive.

You wanted to know what type of feelings branded cars evoked in people and I am using every stereotype in the book to tell you. The aesthetics of the things bugger up the scenery.

Now if an estate agent rocked up in a car that displayed some good taste I would be more likely to be pleasant with them.

*Although I still consider them fair, albeit easy game.

[Mark]

In a bored moment of mine back in November I wrote to Mini about this:

Hi Mini

After reading through a discussion on this website http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,64619 I thought I would ask you, has Mini's reputation been badly damaged by Foxtons using them as company cars? Do you get much feedback from people saying that each time they see a Mini they think of estate agents? Was there a deal brokered between Mini and Foxtons originally and if so are there now regrets?

I'm just curious on a personal level as personally I think it's a shame. I liked the look of the new Clubman but I can't shake the estate agent (the third most hated profession in the uk after Traffic wardens and bouncers) image out of my head.

regards etc

they replied:

Dear Mark

Thank you for contacting MINI Customer Information.

Firstly thank you for directing us to what appeared to be a very heated thread initially regarding parking.

Further to your enquiry as to any relationship between MINI UK and Foxtons Estate Agents, all we can say is that no such relationship exists, other than the relationship we have between ourselves and all our customers who drive MINI vehicles here in the United Kingdom. As always it is nice to see large successful companies choosing MINI's to represent their brand and as the commotion on that particular thread displays, the marketing employed by Foxtons seems to be working, as the expression goes, 'All publicity is good publicity'.

We trust some of what has been said helps to expunge the bad images from your head, hopefully you will look into the new MINI Clubman and be reminded that the bad image some people feel may not be down to the liveried vehicle, but instead the liveried individual piloting it.

We trust this will be helpful to you.

Yours sincerely

MINI UK

So basically saying I should remember it's the nob inside the car, not the car, that I have an issue with.

[Brendan]

seanmlow Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have found in my line of work the ones who are

> angry are the ones who can't afford a nice house -

> or get a decent mortage.

>

> The ones have all this in place are lovely...

Hmm I just read this sentence.

I don?t see what someone?s ability to provide you with a good commission has to do with them having good taste or not.

Are you suggesting that not liking branded cars has got something to do with sour grapes over having to pay more of ones money for a home than is strictly necessary?

Mate there is a whole bag of justification for them grapes but the cars don?t come into it. The cars are just ugly.

[BJL]

seanmlow (the estate agent) wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have found in my line of work the ones who are

> angry are the ones who can't afford a nice house -

> or get a decent mortage.

Nice...

[seanmlow]

I just hate us getting some much stick when we are just trying to do our jobs!

[*Bob*]

seanmlow Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I just hate us getting some much stick when we are

> just trying to do our jobs!

What was it Ken said to that Standard journalist again..?

[BJL]

seanmlow Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I just hate us getting some much stick when we are

> just trying to do our jobs!

Like traffic/litter wardens.

[lozzyloz]

Kerplunkkkk!!!

[seanmlow]

No 'kerplunk'!

We are providing a SERVICE - trying to sell houses for people.

Litter wardens/traffic wardens (as exposed by numerous TV documentaries), actually abuse their positions all the time.

I saw one traffic warden today swoop on a lorry trying to unload by Barclays. He does it each day. I actually saw him taly up the ticket before waiting 5 mins (they legally have to do it). When I mentioned this to him, he mumbled in a foreign language and walked off.

How can trying to sell your house be put on the same level?