Wednesday, February 15, 2006
You gotta kiss a lotta folks to get your polks - Jan 15, 2006
Or so they say here.
First off, amazingly, the blog seems to have some sort of momentum. Sort of like the momentum I had falling up the Charring Cross tube escalator in front of the rush hour crowd, scraping my knee, ankle and bruising my shoulder.
Or it could be that or my dad and mom are checking 30 times a day.
Stats for week 1:
Total number of hits:
135
Average per day:
33.75
Today:
18
In the last hour:
0
This week:
135
Significantly better numbers than the Redskins put up last night.
One observation I would like to make about the Firm (which now only be referred to as the Firm for not wanting to get fired purposes), is that everyday at 10 AM fruit is delivered to each floor throughout the building. Like flies to shit, employees jump from their desks, leaving their client work for the fresh dose of fiber or citrus. It is a silly sight but an event I participate in daily. I plan on throwing an elbow or two this week just to see how it goes over.
The second and remotely more meaningful lesson I learned this week is that you do not need a license to be a broker here. However almost 80% of people pass this real estate aptitude test to earn a designation, placing them with some sort of positive ranking in the community. The designation is actually difficult and you have to be an understudy at a firm like mine or others for at least 2 years, concentrating in a certain area. You are then tested by 3 or 4 expects in the field on a variety of questions. Not quite as challenging as the American real estate "not even close to a barrier to entry" multiple choice exam based on residential questions.
The London RE market doesn't hold a candle to DC. Rents are higher, but concessions packages consist of 12 months free with little in allowance from the Landlord. Let me break that down for those not in the industry. Let's take, oh I don't know, Bradley Allen. BA, that's like you get to live at mommy's house for 12 months at no cost, but then at the end of that, you pay a lot with no more allowance or free Lexus.
Nothing but love BA, nothing but love.
Saturday I played in my first lacrosse game in 6 years. I intend to feel the effects for the next 5. The team and I got our asses handed to us. My stats for the game include, 1 delivered hit, 1 assist and about 4 times I found myself face down in the mud. Mud on gine. I realized later why Pete and I play for the bad news bears of London. These guys don't play to play, they play to drink afterwards. Every recreational area I've seen in London has several multi-purpose playing fields, changing facilities and of course, a pub. You go from running, hitting and exhausting yourself to a pint of Carlsberg or Stella. And rarely one pint. Then of course there is the commute home, where you will drink on the train with the team and since you can walk on the streets here with an open container, the boozefest continues. Hydration is for pussies. Apparently.
Other important stats for the week include the purchase of a standard 6 inch black comb: £2 ($4)
Unreal.
Week 2 should be interesting. Now that I'm no longer jetlagged and running around as much, I'm sure to discover I've been working in the wrong office for 5 days. Oh, and the British version of The Office is f'ing tremendous. Buy it if you can. You will thank me the way most of you usually greet me, with middle finger and kick to the crotch.
I hope to build upon the excellent array of british sayings, like the one titling this post.
Also, my father, Dan Stern, will continue to post. He is even flirting with a spinoff entitled, Curb your British Enthusiasm.
And no Vicki, Ari has no kids, but he would be supportive of your Nigerian baby.
One love.
STERN
First off, amazingly, the blog seems to have some sort of momentum. Sort of like the momentum I had falling up the Charring Cross tube escalator in front of the rush hour crowd, scraping my knee, ankle and bruising my shoulder.
Or it could be that or my dad and mom are checking 30 times a day.
Stats for week 1:
Total number of hits:
135
Average per day:
33.75
Today:
18
In the last hour:
0
This week:
135
Significantly better numbers than the Redskins put up last night.
One observation I would like to make about the Firm (which now only be referred to as the Firm for not wanting to get fired purposes), is that everyday at 10 AM fruit is delivered to each floor throughout the building. Like flies to shit, employees jump from their desks, leaving their client work for the fresh dose of fiber or citrus. It is a silly sight but an event I participate in daily. I plan on throwing an elbow or two this week just to see how it goes over.
The second and remotely more meaningful lesson I learned this week is that you do not need a license to be a broker here. However almost 80% of people pass this real estate aptitude test to earn a designation, placing them with some sort of positive ranking in the community. The designation is actually difficult and you have to be an understudy at a firm like mine or others for at least 2 years, concentrating in a certain area. You are then tested by 3 or 4 expects in the field on a variety of questions. Not quite as challenging as the American real estate "not even close to a barrier to entry" multiple choice exam based on residential questions.
The London RE market doesn't hold a candle to DC. Rents are higher, but concessions packages consist of 12 months free with little in allowance from the Landlord. Let me break that down for those not in the industry. Let's take, oh I don't know, Bradley Allen. BA, that's like you get to live at mommy's house for 12 months at no cost, but then at the end of that, you pay a lot with no more allowance or free Lexus.
Nothing but love BA, nothing but love.
Saturday I played in my first lacrosse game in 6 years. I intend to feel the effects for the next 5. The team and I got our asses handed to us. My stats for the game include, 1 delivered hit, 1 assist and about 4 times I found myself face down in the mud. Mud on gine. I realized later why Pete and I play for the bad news bears of London. These guys don't play to play, they play to drink afterwards. Every recreational area I've seen in London has several multi-purpose playing fields, changing facilities and of course, a pub. You go from running, hitting and exhausting yourself to a pint of Carlsberg or Stella. And rarely one pint. Then of course there is the commute home, where you will drink on the train with the team and since you can walk on the streets here with an open container, the boozefest continues. Hydration is for pussies. Apparently.
Other important stats for the week include the purchase of a standard 6 inch black comb: £2 ($4)
Unreal.
Week 2 should be interesting. Now that I'm no longer jetlagged and running around as much, I'm sure to discover I've been working in the wrong office for 5 days. Oh, and the British version of The Office is f'ing tremendous. Buy it if you can. You will thank me the way most of you usually greet me, with middle finger and kick to the crotch.
I hope to build upon the excellent array of british sayings, like the one titling this post.
Also, my father, Dan Stern, will continue to post. He is even flirting with a spinoff entitled, Curb your British Enthusiasm.
And no Vicki, Ari has no kids, but he would be supportive of your Nigerian baby.
One love.
STERN
