an interview with… propertynewshound’s graham norwood

Continuing the PrimeLocation.com Property Blogs Awards series, this month I’m interviewing Graham Norwood from Property Newshound winner of the Best Blog award.

A must read property website for anyone interested in buying, selling, renting or investing in property.

“I’m delighted and honoured for Propertynewshound to win the Primelocation Best Blog award,” Norwood said. “So much property writing, by industry professionals and journalists, concentrates on the most exclusive homes. They are fantastic but I wanted my blog to look at other issues, too, in a way which informed and entertained, and sometimes infuriated.”

Enjoy an interview with… Graham Norwood.

What inspired you to enter these awards?
Actually, I don’t agree with awards where you enter yourself. There are lots like that in the world of property, merely vanity exercises where entrants flatter their egos and pay the award organisers to be involved! I’m delighted to say the Primelocation awards selected their shortlist and winners independently, without encouraging self-nomination.

What’s the most unusual property request you’ve had?
I’ve twice been offered cash bribes to write flattering articles about individual developments – once by a very top-notch estate agent. I declined.

Where do you see the future of the UK property market?
We’ve had a sea change since the credit crunch – there will be no ‘recovery’ in the sense of a return to the frantic buying, selling and borrowing that existed up to 2007. Instead people will move less often, treat homes as…well, homes rather than investments. Prices will move only slightly in the next few years except at the tiny top-end where bonuses, overseas buyers and off-shore schemes rule. But buy-to-let for ordinary landlords will make a comeback, as people realise there is a good return to be made from the growing private rented sector.

What’s your top tip when it comes to property?
Don’t assume an unqualified, loosely-regulated estate agent knows more than you do, dear buyer/seller.

Whose blog do you love to read and why?
A few property ones of course… Mel’s Mortgage Matters by Melanie Bien is authoritative and Henry Pryor’s blog in Estate Agent Today is always controversial while Tracy Kellett’s Buying Agent blog is reliably entertaining. But there are great blogs outside property too. Try Helena Halme Blogspot written by a Finn trying to work out what makes England tick, and Filmsy.com which gives a mix of movie gossip, trivia and controversy. Blogs mean anyone can be a journalist or writer – and many are just as good as the professionals….

Graham Norwood specialises in writing about property markets and has 10 years experience of the residential industry.  Graham is a frequent contributor to the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, The Independent, The Guardian and The Observer. Check out Graham’s brilliant blog.

Next month an interview with… will be with Tracy Kellett, Buying Agent, winner of The Users’ Favourite Blog.