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Hackney, London E9
4.8/5, 87 Reviews
95% Recommended
97% sales valuation accuracy
82% letting valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
89% letting fee satisfaction
Located in the heart of Victoria Park Village, we have been selling and letting properties since1989, achieving outstanding results for our clients.
"Incompetent, lying and rude!! ..."
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1 Star Review
Philip
Sam
By : 'Angie'
Services : Letting(As a Owner)
Rent PCM : £1800
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : E9
15 May 2015
People found this helpful3
Incompetent, lying and rude!! After living in Victoria park for 9 years we decided to go local and chose Sovereign house as our lettings agency. What a hellish experience! 1 month after our two tenants (who were referenced by the agent) moved in , we received a call from the lettings viewing agent nervously asking if we wouldn't mind 2 extra people moving in?!!??! This was an unexpected call as our tenancy contract was with 2 tenants. I said no as the flat is not designed to cater for 4 tenants. I then received a call from Sam Barrett the Lettings Manager apologising saying that the viewings agent Christine had secretly verbally agreed with the two tenants that their two friends could move in at a later date despite knowing that contract is only valid for the 2 referenced tenants. She then told me we were now in the situation were the 2 tenants on the contract said they couldn't afford the rent unless their two friends moved in!!! This was a huge headache as despite the agent's huge mistake we couldn't not kick the tenants out and were forced with having additional illegal unwanted tenants in our flat!! During this whole time Sam Barrett was at least apologetic and sacked Christine, however what really made the situation worse was that the managing director Phil Castle's was unpleasant, brash and rude!! In normal circumstances the annual lettings fee is deducted from the first months rent. In one heated argument with Phil when I demanded that they return first months rent as due to their incompetence we were now unwillingly stuck with additional illegal referenced tenants in our flat!! He not only flatly refused but he had the nerve of accusing me of trying to profit from the situation!! When frankly Sovereign House royaly f''~ked up and profiting from the entire annual fee upfront! We were at a point we had no choice but to allow the additional tenant live in our property as we could not afford wait endlessly for the tenants to find a new house, re-market the empty property with new agent and potentially loose 2 month rental income which was crucial for our mortgage payment. Sovereign House then made various promises -that they would get the 3rd tenants referenced and draw up a new contract, that 3 inspections would would be conducted annually to ensure the property was in good order. We continually emailed, called the next 8-10 months that followed regarding the referencing status of the 3rd tenant, new contract and inspection...nothing was ever done! Meanwhile we went through 3 staff lettings agents changes. 10 months later we finally received an email stating the referencing had come back and he did not pass the referencing checklist!! We were beyond angry! As for 10 months we had an illegal un-referenced tenant living at our property due to Sovereign House's incompetence! When it came to ending the contract , I dealt with the 2 original tenants directly who were actually pleasant to deal with and had been paying their rent on time. I was very fair and returned their full deposit. I later learned from them they had also been chasing Sovereign House on the referencing status of their 3rd tenant but kept receiving no update from the agent!! They were being lied to as well. The lying, unprofessional nature of Sovereign House made our first experience as a landlord hellish and I wouldn't with this on any landlord or tenant! We switched to Blake Stanley on Broadway market and could not be happier with their service, superb professionalism, helpfulness, prompt communication.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Everything!
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By : PC
8 Jun 2015I was extremely disappointed to read this review. I am fully aware of this matter, and nearly a year on it may be that the reviewer's memory has failed her as I have never had a conversation with her, so can't comment on much of what she states. Regardless of this fact, I certainly would have had no reason to be rude to a client who had a valid complaint, as this one did. I can confirm that an employee of ours did place more tenants in the property than she was instructed to. I can also confirm that this employee was instantly dismissed for gross misconduct for doing so. It was totally unacceptable behaviour, and we dealt with it in the strongest way open to us. My colleague, who did actually speak to her informs me that this Landlord was far more concerned with receiving a full refund on her fees than she was about the extra tenants, despite suffering no financial loss whatsoever. However, we held our hands up to the error, dismissed the employee concerned, did everything humanly possible to rectify the situation, and agreed to the clients request to manage the property free of charge. It is difficult to know what else this client would have had us do.
By : Tony moose
21 Jul 2015Poor customer service. In today's current climate of the customer always being right (just ask tescos). The agent was not accountable & justified himself by saying 'I did not have a conversation about the problem'! That speaks volumes. A valid potential client has a legitimate cause for concern & it was dealt with contempt. As an estate agent manager I have had to step in & apologise for my agents lack of dealing with our assets (The clients). A small, well run estate agent such as Sovereign, who, as far as I am aware, have a prime location such as Victoria park & surrounding area. The customer entrusts us with his most valuable possession and it's up to us to be thorough, professional and organised. The Victoria park office is your flagship. This is an openoisen critique and I hope you take on board my comments. You do have the potential to be a great E/A. Yours Sincerely Mr Anthony Wright.
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Latest Reviews
Performance Statistics
| Services | Valuation | Fees | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 97.00% | 100% | £365,000 | £1,350,000 |
| Lettings | 82% | 89% | £725 | £4,000 |
Areas covered
- E1
- E10
- E11
- E2
- E3
- E5
- E8
- E9
- N16
Address
Sovereign House
213 Victoria Park Road, London, Greater London
E9 7HD
02089855800
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
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Rankings
Latest Properties
Sovereign House Branches (View All 2)
James and the team were very ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Jenni'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
19 Jul 2022
People found this helpful0
James and the team were very helpful throughout our time renting through Sovereign House. We would recommend working with James at Sovereign House to anyone, he made everything hassle free for... Read Full Review
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I was very impressed with my ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Daniel'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : IG5
14 Mar 2022
People found this helpful0
I was very impressed with my recent experience dealing with Sovereign House, and David Castle was excellent throughout the whole process. Everything was easy and concise from start to finish. I will not hesitate to use Sovereign again and would highly recommend them to others, especially... Read Full Review
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Thank you to James and ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Seyma'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
5 Sept 2021
People found this helpful0
Thank you to James and everyone at Sovereign house. Everyone was helpful throughout our sale and made the process as smooth as... Read Full Review
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5 ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Gideon'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £1350000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
27 Aug 2021
People found this helpful0
James is truly amazing. From the very beginning, the team have been friendly, helpful, and professional. Everything has been made as clear and simple as possible. I'd recommend the business to... Read Full Review
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Bought our house thorough ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Kelvin'
Services : Sales( As a Buyer )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E8
26 Aug 2021
People found this helpful0
Bought our house thorough Sovereign House, James was thoroughly professional and courteous throughout the whole process. Thanks James and the team for all your work. Highly... Read Full Review
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We rented my parents house ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Paula'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
30 Apr 2021
People found this helpful0
We rented my parents house through Jimmy at Sovereign for 2 years. The service was top drawer and everything was dealt with professionally & quickly by the great staff at Sovereign. We then decided to sell through Sovereign and have just completed the sale. Again it was all sorted so well... Read Full Review
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I have had no issue with the ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Miss'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
27 Apr 2021
People found this helpful0
I have had no issue with the agent throught my tenancy from the initial viewing to my vacating the property and had my deposit return within two days. Highly... Read Full Review
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Professional ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'daphne'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £675000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
6 Apr 2021
People found this helpful0
Great service as always from the team, especially over the last 12 months. James has been a familiar face in the area for a number of years and we trusted his... Read Full Review
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So impressedhave been more ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Claudia'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £485000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E8
4 Apr 2021
People found this helpful0
Couldn't have been more impressed by the service from all at Sovereign. They dealt with major issues during my sale with no fuss & were so professional . They really go the extra mile and took away any stress from me. Thoroughly... Read Full Review
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Excellent ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Elizabeth'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
26 Mar 2021
People found this helpful0
Used Sovereign twice in the last year for selling and renting and been very impressed. They are professional, honest and all their advice has been spot... Read Full Review
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Have recently sold a property ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Stephanie'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £736000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
4 Jun 2020
People found this helpful0
Have recently sold a property in Poole Road, E9 through Sovereign House. We dealt with James who was very friendly, professional, courteous and extremely patient and persistent throughout a very difficult time as a result of Covid 19. Would definitely recommend him to... Read Full Review
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We have rented through ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Christopher'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £2300
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : E9
23 Jul 2019
People found this helpful1
We have rented through Sovereign for 6 months now and we frequently find their service and levels of communication to be poor at best. Some of the problems we have encountered so far include: - Being given the wrong set of house keys on moving in - Repeatedly not receiving responses to emails - ... Read Full Review
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Brilliant estate agent - ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Will'
Services : Sales( As a Buyer )
Sold price : £390000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E95H
26 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
I very recently bought a flat near Victoria Park, London, through Sovereign House. James Walpole has a great knowledge of the area and was very helpful (particularly for me, a first time buyer). In the actual conveyancing process itself James went over and above what I would have expected; liaising ... Read Full Review
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All ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Liam'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
23 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
No major problems, all moved quite quickly. Handy that their office was just up the road from the property we were hoping to... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Agent fees generally are ridiculous. I don’t think these guys were any worse than the average.
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Rent ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Adam'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
12 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
Adam Was amazing helping me find the apartment of my dream! After viewing three places he found the perfect one for me! He was so helpful and helped me from start to finish, if your first to renting or not Adam is the person to do... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Good
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Satisfied ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Darris'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £550000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
11 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
James was fantastic in helping to make the sale of my apartment. He found a lovely family to purchase our property and the offer was in line with our valuation. Very professional and great level of... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Good
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Exceptional ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'IanB'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
11 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
From start to finish i could not fault the service i received from James at Sovereign House. He was always very quick to respond to an query i had and very good at keeping me informed at every step of the sale. A stress free... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Very reasonable
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Excellant ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Natalie'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : NW6
8 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
I had the pleasure of dealing with Jimmy in the office, he was always so polite and provided such a professional service at all... Read Full Review
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Landlord ...
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5 Star Review
By : '$BARNES'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SS12
8 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
i have experienced an outstanding level of service, very impressed landlord feeling confident that we can do business in the near future with other... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Good
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Very ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Tammie'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : E9
7 Feb 2019
People found this helpful0
James was very helpful to find my family and I a home, he was professional throughout and it was great to deal with Sovereign... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Good
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