The overseas property industry is in my opinion, a minefield and somewhere people looking to buy a property need to feel they can place 100% trust in the agent they have contacted and that agent needs to know what they are doing. After-all, they say buying a home is the most stressful thing any of us will do in our lives;  well I think buying a home in a country where you don’t speak the language, don’t understand the laws and can’t jump in your car to go and see the property is even more stressful.

When the AIPP came along it promised to change the way the industry operated, it had a code of practice that all members had to abide by, and all sounded good.  However, you have to be a voluntary member therefore if an agent signs up to abide by this code of conduct, they are probably already working ethically.  It is the vast numbers of builders, land owners, developers, agents, advisor’s etc… that haven’t joined the AIPP that are still out there operating unethically and often damaging peoples lives.

Having sat on AIPP disciplinary boards I can speak first hand of the process and that process would work if it had more strength, they don’t have much ammunition in their arsenal if a member steps out of line or breaks the code of conduct.  They can suspend, ban or force a penalty payment on the member which won’t get people their money or property back, they need to be able to take proper legal action against that member on behalf of the complainant.

We have entered the AIPP awards over the past few years and have been successful in winning multiple awards, this is because we whole heartedly believe in trying to change this industry for the benefit of the people looking to buy a property overseas.  I have my concerns a minority of agents that join do so just for the AIPP badge and they think if they show this on their website/literature it will bring them business.  If they do breach the code they also know not much will be done about it so take the gamble that they will join, take the AIPP badge and carry on with bad practices.  I have had numerous phone calls and emails  from people complaining about the AIPP and all they have done when a complaint was made was ban or suspend the member and not actually provide a solution to the issue.  Until late last year I used to back the AIPP against these calls and emails, by saying “they do their best within the parameters that they have to work in and they don’t have much in the way of punishments, but are working on getting stronger”.  That was until I was forced to make a complaint of my own against a fellow member who I thought was misleading the public and I had already contacted the member direct on a number of occasions to point this out.

My complaint was against Rightmove Overseas, who wear the AIPP badge on it’s website and literature.  Now I have no complaint against Rightmove Overseas being members of the AIPP however, as members in my opinion must abide by the same code of conduct as other members.  My complaint was they were allowing agents (who were not AIPP members) to miss advertise properties on their portal and there was no warning made that some agents and therefore their properties were being advertised/sold by non AIPP members.  I contacted Rightmove Overseas on many occasions sending links to properties I knew were being miss advertised, each time I was told they would look into it and ensure the agent is warned.  On each occasion nothing happened, it came to the point I even put them in touch with the developer to prove the properties were being miss-sold.  This led to me having my properties switched off on Rightmove Overseas because I had complained and they were investigating, I couldn’t believe how blasé they were about the situation and the fact I was being penalised for complaining.

It was at this point I contacted the AIPP, and as a senior member, award winner and someone they call upon to sit on disciplinary boards I expected to be taken seriously, as I wouldn’t waste my valuable time on something I didn’t think was damaging the industry.  I sent several emails, asked if I had to make a formal complaint and also sent copies of the email from one developer stating the agent was in fact miss-selling.  Nothing, not even a reply; to say I was in shock is an understatement.

It was very close to the October 2011 A Place in The Sun exhibition so I agreed to speak to them in person and see if there was a way of resolving the issue.  I even gave an idea that Rightmove Overseas make it clear to the general public who visit their portals that not all their agents/properties are covered by the AIPP.  Again nothing, Professor Mark Sharp said he would come and speak to me on our stand when he wasn’t so busy, I saw him walk past many times but he didn’t come to discuss with me.

It was then I made the decision to leave the AIPP, because after all the hype and hard work put in to setting it up it wasn’t protecting the public at all and I felt angered that they weren’t doing enough to protect people or it’s members.  Before we joined the AIPP we were already working far above what they expected from members and we don’t need to pay to have a badge on our website to say we abide by a code of conduct all our clients leaving glowing testimonials show this.  This is not written out of any arrogance but out of frustration that just because someone has a badge on their website it is taken they act within certain rules when it isn’t true, you should earn that right not buy it.

What our industry needs is a regulatory body like the FSA and to work within the industry you HAVE to be a member, you don’t see an Independent Financial Advisor being asked if he wants to join the FSA, it is compulsory.  I know this industry is slightly different and we have people from all over the world to regulate, BUT if the AIPP have voluntary members from around the world why can’t they make it compulsory to be a member.  They would need to have stronger punishments and further changes to their way of working but this is the only way you will cleanse the Overseas Property Industry, as long as it is voluntary it won’t make a change.

These are my comments, if anyone wants to make their own comments please do so below, I think this is a serious issue and one that needs addressing ASAP.

Want to buy a property in Egypt? Look no further

Here are just a few reasons why you should choose to work with Rivermead Global in your hunt for the perfect property in Egypt:

• Our services are free of charge, no finders fee, no commission charge etc..
• Winners of both the AIPP 2010 and 2011 Most Outstanding Customer Service Awards
• Winners of the AIPP 2011 Best Small Agent Award
• Ranked #1 out of 780 companies on the FreeIndex review website for Overseas Property – “A Highly Recommend Company”
• We visit Egypt every 6-8 weeks and take updates for all our clients, check out our YouTube Channel
• Chosen by A Place in the Sun Magazine as the Egyptian Property Experts in a 2011 feature
• Chosen by the A Place in the Sun Live Exhibition team to be on the Buying Advice Panel for Emerging Markets in both 2010 and 2011
• We are completely independent and are not obliged to sell anybodies property

So if you are looking to buy a property in Egypt then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you and help you with your property search in Egypt.

Rivermead Global are offering 5% discount on all furniture orders placed at the show and giving away a minimum £100 cash back on property purchases from the show. Our stand gets busy, especially on the Saturday and Sunday, so if you want to book a time to sit down with one of our team then just get in contact and we will make sure one of us is free to speak – 0161 652 5563

Click here to view the embedded video.

Free Tickets for A Place in the Sun LIVE

As an exhibitor we have unlimited FREE tickets to give away (worth £12 each on the door). Simply click here to complete your details and hit ‘Produce Eticket’, then print the ticket that appears in a pop-up window. Each ticket is valid for one person only, but you can complete the form as many times as you like giving new details for each person – simply return to this page and follow the link again.

If you experience any problems, please give us a call on 0161 652 5563 or email us on info@rivermeadglobal.com and we’ll be happy to post some printed tickets to you instead.

A Place in the Sun Live is the official exhibition of the hit A Place in the Sun television programme so is the place to visit if you are looking to buy a property overseas. Come down to stand C36 to meet us face-to-face and find out more about the properties we have for sale. As well as finding the property of your dreams, there is a packed schedule of free-to-attend seminar sessions from experts across the industry giving you all the information you need to make the most from your overseas property purchase and understand fully the tax and legal procedures involved.

Rivermead Global Property will once again be exhibiting at A Place in the Sun Live, the UK’s biggest overseas property exhibition which takes place at NEC Birmingham on 30^th September to 2^nd October 2011. On our stand, C36, we will be promoting a wide range of properties in Egypt and Turkey as well as showcasing a selection of the furniture we can supply to furnish your Egyptian property. Check out Rivermead Global Furniture for more information on our furniture.

Free Tickets for A Place in the Sun LIVE

As an exhibitor we have unlimited FREE tickets to give away (worth £12 each on the door). Simply click here to complete your details and hit ‘Produce Eticket’, then print the ticket that appears in a pop-up window. Each ticket is valid for one person only, but you can complete the form as many times as you like giving new details for each person – simply return to this page and follow the link again.

If you experience any problems, please give us a call on 0161 652 5563 or email us on info@rivermeadglobal.com and we’ll be happy to post some printed tickets to you instead.

A Place in the Sun Live is the official exhibition of the hit A Place in the Sun television programme so is the place to visit if you are looking to buy a property overseas. Come down to stand C36 to meet us face-to-face and find out more about the properties we have for sale. As well as finding the property of your dreams, there is a packed schedule of free-to-attend seminar sessions from experts across the industry giving you all the information you need to make the most from your overseas property purchase and understand fully the tax and legal procedures involved.

Rivermead Global Property will once again be exhibiting at A Place in the Sun Live, the UK’s biggest overseas property exhibition which takes place at NEC Birmingham on 30th September to 2nd October 2011.

A Place in the Sun Live is the official exhibition of the hit A Place in the Sun television programme so is the place to visit if you are looking to buy a property overseas. It’s a great opportunity to meet us face-to-face and find out more about the properties and furniture we have for sale. As well as finding the property of your dreams, there is a packed schedule of free-to-attend seminar sessions from experts across the industry giving you all the information you need to make the most from your overseas property purchase and understand fully the tax and legal procedures involved. Rivermead Global may very well be appearing as the experts on some of these panels like at the last A Place in the Sun Live and we will keep people posted in upcoming blogs and newsletters.

Free tickets for A Place in the Sun Live

As an exhibitor we have unlimited FREE tickets to give away (worth £12 each on the door). Simply click here to complete your details and hit ‘Produce E-ticket’, then print the ticket that appears in a pop-up window.

Each ticket is valid for one person only, but you can complete the form as many times as you like giving new details for each person – simply return to this page and follow the link again.

If you experience any problems, please give us a call on 0161 652 5563 or email us on info@rivermeadglobal.com and we’ll be happy to post some printed tickets to you instead.

On our stand C36 we will be promoting a wide range of properties in Egypt and Turkey as well as having examples of the different ranges of furniture we have available for furnishing your property in Egypt.

We will have special offers on for the A Place in the Sun Live Exhibition, so please keep checkin back to our blog for all the news.

So this now means that investors can now buy property through a triple award winning agent* from as little as:

- £6,570 for a studio
- £9,307 for a one bed apartment
- £17,614 for a two bed apartment

(Prices correct on date of blog, 10th May 2011)

Red Sea Way – Quick Image Gallery

Buying through the Rivermead Global, you will get the property for the exact same price as going direct to the developers, however you have us working on your behalf. A reliable and trustworthy award winning agent that specialises in the Egyptian property market.

Anybody that buys a property through us will also be entilied to a 5% discount on our furniture packages. Check out www.rivermeadglobalfurniture.co.uk for more information on the furniture we can supply.

*Best small agent 2011 and Most outstanding customer service 2010 and 2011

Red Sea Way Developments

LATEST RELEASE – TIBA PARADISE – APRIL 2013

Tiba Star – December 2012
Tiba Gardens – September 2012
Tiba Palace – June 2012
Tiba Heights – February 2012
Tiba Towers Two – Complete
Tiba Towers One – Complete

For more information on the Charity that we will be raising money for then check out the help for heroes website http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Just to give you a little insight into what the Tough Guy is all about… watch the video below.

Visit our fundraising page here.

In 2010 Rivermead Global become AIPP Awards Winners in the category of the Most Outstanding Customer Service. After winning the award we have gone from strength to strength yet have never lost the customer focus. In 2011 at the A Place in the Sun Exhibition in March, Rivermead Global became triple AIPP Award Winners.

• 2011 Best Small Agent
• 2011 Most Outstanding Example of Customer Service
• 2010 Most Outstanding Example of Customer Service

So who are the AIPP?

AIPP stands for the Association of International Property Professionals and they are the industry body for the international property market. A not-for-profit organisation, the AIPP is improving standards of professionalism in this market. In a largely unregulated industry, AIPP Members voluntarily agree to follow a professional Code of Conduct. By promoting the highest standards of professionalism in the international property industry, the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) has been set up to provide the consumer with confidence, and the industry professionals with a united voice.

Who Chose the AIPP Award Winners?

Sue Ash, Ash Communications
Cliff Casey, On Plan Marketing
Peter Esders, Chebsey & Co
Shameem Golamy, Rightmove Overseas
Jack Goulding, University of Central Lancashire
Jonnie Irwin, A Place in the Sun: Home or Away?
Nigel Lewis, Primelocation.com
Guy Tolhurst, Intelligent Partnership
Mark Rickard, HiFX Plc
Richard Way, A Place in the Sun
Andrew Willoughby, Kinnell Holdings

Well its that time again, the eagerly anticipated A Place In The Sun Exhibition is almost up on us. This time, for Rivermead Global, its going to be bigger, bolder and better than ever before!

For the upcoming A Place In The Sun Exhibition Rivermead Global have been asked to be on the buying advice panel for both Turkey and Egypt (emerging markets), we will be also selling our solid wooden furniture that you can see on our website www.rivermeadglobal.com then click the furniture site. On the Friday of the exhibition we are also in with the chance of winning not one, not two, but THREE AIPP Awards.

Exhibition Details

Where – Earls Court London

Dates – 11th – 13th March

Times – 10:00 til 17:00 each day

Find Us – Rivermead Global will be be on stand E47 so make sure to come and see us

Free Tickets

To request your free tickets, click on the banner below and leave your details

Special Offer At The Show

To celebrate Neil being asked by the A Place In The Sun team to join the Turkish buying panel, we are offering viewing trips to Turkey for ONLY £49 PER PERSON for all those trips that are booked at the show! – So if you plan to attend and have any questions before booking your trip – Call us before the show!

Also, we will be having a 5% discount on all furniture purchases at the exhibition and all those that buy will be entered into a draw to win 50% Off their furniture order