By estate agent Martin Bishop
THERE’S been much talk about the heroism of NHS workers during the pandemic. But why is there no clapping for those other brave frontline workers, estate agents?
I and my colleagues have been working tirelessly to help the nation with its buy-to-let, property speculation and gazumping needs. We don’t have the option of isolating at home, because someone’s got to be there with the keys.
While the pandemic rages it’s vital that key workers like us keep the UK property market overheated, London in particular.
It’s been estimated that if people like me were simply to stay at home, prices would plummet so low that you could buy a one-bedroom flat in Turnham Green for under £200,000.
And we’re not just helping the lucky young couples getting a home of their own thanks to taking most of their parents’ savings. A drop in property prices would cause more pain and anguish to homeowning Daily Mail readers than the death of a loved one from Covid.
We must also not forget the tireless work of other commission-based professionals, such as letting agents, doing the important work of extracting ludicrous rents from 20-somethings. Or recruitment agents, bravely herding them into jobs on 1980s wages.
I’m not asking for a medal. But you know what? It would be nice, just once a week, to hear the clanging of saucepans on doorsteps to say ‘thank you’ to us for sorting you out with a pokey, vastly overpriced terraced house.
