“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…”
What a line. One of my all-time favourites, especially the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong version — although Janis Joplin’s take has its own kind of magic. But here we are, it’s summer 2025, and if we’re being honest, very little about the current property market feels easy.
Whether your parents are good looking or not (as the song goes), we’re facing one of the most testing property markets we’ve seen in a while. High prices, sticky interest rates, and stretched affordability have created a tough environment for buyers and sellers alike. So, if you’re trying to move, it probably doesn’t feel much like a holiday.
In moments like these, expert guidance is everything. And yet, the media keeps pumping out messages that completely miss the mark. According to them, you can now sell a property in Purley, Croydon and Greater London for free, and even if you do use an estate agent, you should negotiate down their fee because “they all do the same thing anyway.”
Apparently, service doesn’t matter anymore. Sales ability is irrelevant. Local knowledge? Who needs it? Just list your home on a few websites and let the magic happen. We’re told the internet has replaced expertise and that AI is the future of everything, including selling your home.
Recently, I went out to buy an anniversary card and a small gift. I ended up in a local shop - the kind that’s a total Aladdin’s Cave. Rows of cards, unique gifts, beautifully presented wrapping paper. But it wasn’t the products that made me stop and think - it was the people. Friendly, helpful, warm. They wrapped my purchases like they were royal wedding gifts and sent me off with a smile on my face. That kind of experience sticks with you.
It made me realise something: the same goes for selling homes. Yes, you can go online and list a property for free. That part’s easy.
But it won’t tell you how to get the price right for your local market.
It won’t give you honest advice when your décor is letting you down.
It won’t negotiate strongly on your behalf, follow up with buyers, spot timewasters, or smooth over the rough patches that always come up between offer and completion.
That takes experience. It takes real people. And yes, it takes a proper estate agent.
At Shinerocks, we’ve never been interested in cutting corners. We don’t just list and hope - we advise, we strategise, and we do the legwork. We’re not here to chase volume or compete in a race to the bottom on fees. We’re here to help people make smart moves - and enjoy the process along the way.
So, if you’re thinking of moving this summer, forget the noise. Don’t get distracted by price-slashing headlines or generic advice. Choose your agent like you’d choose a surgeon - based on trust, experience, and a proper track record.
We’re here when you need us. No pressure. No nonsense. Just the right help at the right time.
Call us on 020 8660 2010 or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk.
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We’ll give you straight advice, honest feedback, and a proper plan — no fuss, no pressure. Just how it should be.
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You can also call us on 020 8660 2010, or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk.
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