Charlie Lancaster, Managing Director, MyBid4it

Q: What does it say on your business card?

Charlie Lancaster,  Managing Director, m: 07976 507107 e:charlie.lancaster@mybid4it.com,  Blake House, 18 Blake Street, York, YO1 8QG, www.mybid4it.com

Q: How long have you been trading?

Registered as a company in March 2018, I went through a year of planning and research to decide on the correct concept, building the website and having our own bespoke tech platform built from scratch, before beginning to trade March 2019.

Q: How did it all start?

As an ex-Estate Agency owner, I have experienced the frustrations of the sales process through many buyers and sellers and I wanted to improve this for the industry as a whole. We can now offer more transparency, lower fall through rates and shorter completion times for agents and their clients alike, with MyBid4it’s platform.

Q: Why choose MyBid4it?

It’s a simple, catchy name which gets across the bidding element we feel people associate with competitive online purchasing.

Q: What are your three unique selling points?

We offer exclusivity to agents in their area. Agents maintain control of their clients from instruction to completion. Agents will have one direct point of contact (Account Manager) who has in depth experience and knowledge within the agency industry to support and train their staff.

Q: Who do you currently work with?

Having launched in Yorkshire, we are currently working with several agents within this area, however offer our services Nationwide.

Q: How do you overcome your competitors?

Offering exclusivity to our partner agents, means we will work closer with them to promote their brand and service. Also offering lower buyer reservation fees of 2.5%, allowing buyers more flexibility on their purchase price which in turn benefits the sale price achieved for the seller.

Q: How do you create value for your clients (how do you go above the call of duty)?

Mybid4it was created to be an extension of agency services, allowing them to offer a fuller product range and the most suitable sales method to their clients. We offer bespoke support as not one client is ever the same, in one instance recently we attended a client’s valuation to give a second opinion on price and explain in full the sales model to the home owner.

Q: What is your greatest achievement and what made it so special?

To date, with MyBid4it would simply be launching to market after such a length of time planning and building the product. I now know we can offer an unrivalled service and have the platform to back it up. I’m excited to be back working within the industry and I enjoy assisting other businesses.

Q: What do you feel it takes to be successful in the industry?

I believe you need to do what’s right for all sides involved in the transaction. Ultimately, agents work for the seller and have to do what is right by them, offering the correct valuation advice, quality marketing and desired outcome. However, I always knew as an agent that your buyer is your next seller and therefore took great care in assisting the purchase, which in turn achieves the best result for all parties involved. That’s what I love about this method of selling, its completely transparent, efficient and reduces the dreaded ‘fall through’ rate.

Q: Are you offering any special promotions?

Exclusivity – Once instructed, our clients have sole agency rights to use our platform in their agreed area. Meaning they will benefit from our dedicated support and marketing, whilst receiving any enquiries we receive directly to sell in their area.