Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Choices Acquisitions and how long have they been operating?

Choices Acquisitions is part of the Choices estate agency group which was established in 1989 and is one of the UK’s largest and most successful estate agencies. Choices Acquisitions is a property investment club and was created in 2003 in response to the growing property investment sector.

How many members does Choices Acquisitions have?

At the time of writing Choices Acquisitions has over 16000 members.

How do you find below market value properties?

We advertise directly for distressed sellers on Google and other websites. In addition we develop contacts with receivers, asset managers, other estate agents and developers who know that we have a ready market for discounted property.

What are the different levels of service I can obtain?

Our basic level of service includes UK auction information plus general advice and assistance from our team of advisors. You will also receive details of our directly sourced below market value property but only after they have been presented to our retained clients first. The cost is £300 inclusive of vat for a lifetime membership plus £72 inclusive of vat while you remain active. If you go on to buy one of our directly sourced below market value properties there is an additional commission of 3% plus vat, subject to a minimum fee of £4500 inclusive of vat.

Our retained client service is similar to the basic level of service, however our retained clients receive details of our directly sourced below market value property as it becomes available and they are assigned a property investment advisor to proactively help them achieve their goals. Retained client membership is £1800 inclusive of vat and £36 per month inclusive of vat while active. In addition there is a commission of 3% plus vat (subject to a minimum fee of £4500 inclusive of vat) payable on our directly sourced below market value properties.

Why charge an upfront fee?

Clearly our basic Auction Information Service has to charge a fee to cover the cost of providing the resource. Most of our auction information clients use the service to research the market and don’t buy through us. We charge our retained clients a higher fee because the essence of our proposition to distressed sellers is that we have a ready market of prequalified serious buyers who will move fast and reliably if they give a big enough discount. The best way to establish that someone is serious is to charge them an upfront fee big enough to put off not so serious uncommitted buyers.

What kind of discounts can I expect to get?

As a general rule we aim to get a discount of between 15-20% off of true market value. We define true market value as the price that a property would probably sell for through a decent local agent during a period of three months marketing. It is not an exact science but we use our experience and judgment to establish this base price which is usually in itself a discount from the agent’s asking price. We encourage all our clients to check our valuations using their own due diligence and through a chartered surveyor prior to purchase.

We hope the above proves helpful, however the best way to have all your questions answered is to speak to one of our advisors. Please complete the enquiry form and we will be in touch shortly, or feel free to call us on 01342 840050.