Morning:
20°c
Johnny Depp has become, in his young middle age, like a star of the movies’ golden period
Secret deal hatched by News of the World to hush up details of phone-tapping was sealed in a tiny room at the Royal Courts of Justice
More...
It’s a Mini crisis... estate agents’ runarounds lay idle
Last updated at 14:13pm on 21.07.08
It is either the starting grid for the inaugural estate agents’ championship rally or a very sorry comment on the state of the housing market.
Here, parked up in a layby near Hampstead Heath, are no fewer than seven cars belonging to the agent Foxtons.
The photograph was taken at midday one day last week in West Heath Road.
Parked-up: A row of estate agents' Minis sit outside Foxtons at midday
The casual observer might wonder why the distinctively customised Minis are not being used to ferry potential buyers to viewings in the area, which has seen some of the biggest rises in property prices in the capital in recent years.
Could it be that the market is now in such a parlous state due to the credit crunch that there are just not enough properties - or buyers?
Or is that Foxtons has gone green and all its agents go round by bicycle these days?
Whatever the reason - and it could be that our photographer simply caught them on a slow day — it does leave one question unanswered: what is the collective noun for estate agents’ cars?
A spokeswoman for Foxtons denied business was slow.
Rosie Nagle said: 'Our minis park outside or near to all of our branches as this is the base from where they work.
'All of our negotiators have a desk in their branch and after a morning meeting which all staff attend they spend time in the office booking viewings and discussing buyers' and future tenants' requirements, as well as time out viewing properties.'
Reader views (2)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Foxtons more than any other estate agency, helped bid up the price of houses through questionable business practices, so if they go belly up, no tears will be shed. They used to brag that they were better than anyone else and deserved 4% fees. Not so lah-di-dah now, are they?
- Neil, London , UK.
There's an upside to the recession: estate agents out of work!
- Josh, London
