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A passion for property and photography has led to the launch of two new businesses.
Steve Le Cras, who has 29 years’ experience working in the industry, has launched Sarnia Photography and The Property Doctor.
Mr Le Cras started his career as an architectural draftsman before moving to become a conveyancing clerk at Collas Day & Rowland where he spent 10 years before moving to become senior clerk at Trinity Chambers and then Mourant Ozannes. He then joined Sarnia Estate Agents as a property consultant before becoming a director and shareholder.
No longer working day to day with the estate agency, he has launched two new complementary businesses aimed at providing a photographic and consultancy service.
Mr Le Cras said: "In the six years I was with Sarnia, it grew to be a very successful agency and I felt I wanted a new challenge that combined all of the skills I had learnt over the last 29 years. Photography had, for many years, been a hobby and I had focused on increasing my expertise while at Sarnia, as a camera and estate agent go hand in hand. A specialist photography service seemed the natural step to take and so Sarnia Photography was launched.
"There are some excellent photographers on the island but I found that not one focused just on property and the specific skills that are needed to capture internal and external shots. It’s been well documented that the housing market has slowed down and so it’s becoming increasingly important that a property looks its absolute best from the very moment it is launched to the market.
"Some commissions can take a considerable amount of time as the weather has to be right, I need to make sure all the contractors have finished and a property is clean and tidy and with a number of hotel and restaurant projects, you have to consider tables being set and beds being made. No one job is the same and I have been really pleased with the success since launching.
"If an estate agent, after walking through the door, started picking flaws in your property, you probably wouldn’t instruct them as you would feel that they were not going to be positive about it in front of a viewer. I can be totally honest with an owner because that is why they called me. I am completely unbiased, independent and impartial because I am not employed to sell it.
"I have shown people around thousands of properties and so I know what they look out for, what they like and more importantly what they don’t like. I use that experience to see a property through the eyes of a potential purchaser when visiting a property. I will tell you if the property needs work in places, has an off-putting odour, is untidy or even overpriced compared to similar properties. It is then up to the owner to make any changes to give themselves a better chance of selling. This, together with new photography, if requested, to give to the estate agent to market the property, completes the full service."
