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shop in London to sell Dr Martins Boots and it is said that they decided to start a shoe shop in Brick Lane simply because of the growing popularity of the street and a lot of people means a lot of feet Today Brick Lane has a diverse Sunday market and in 2012 was named Curry Capital with over 50 curry restaurants becoming known by many as Banglatown because of the number of Bangladeshi restaurants. One of the best vintage places in Brick Lane is the Vintage Market shop just after the walk through the curry houses. The underground vintage store has everything from cropped jersey tops to fleeced denim jackets. Shopping in the Lane with its variety and range of vintage stores and market stalls ensures that you can create your own style at the best prices and at the same time experience something of the old East End and its market traders. Every time I visit I see or hear something new which I suppose is why I just keep going back whether its for the shopping the food or watch a film at the indie movie theatre Electric Cinema or just to hang out at the bowling alley. Its an extraordinary enriching place. Every side-street contains something of interest but make sure you have good walking shoes on as youre likely to really use them. THE RIVER SPRING 2016 PROPERTY 41 Selling a home is probably one of the most significant transactions youll ever undertake and letting your property can be equally stressful so how do you go about picking an estate agent you can trust by Ben Garrett Historically estate agents havent enjoyed the finest of reputations but in recent years thanks to codes of practice introduced by industry bodies such as the NAEA and ARLA for their members along with increased competition and online reviews agents have been forced to up their game. Visiting the NAEA or ARLA websites and checking out review websites are therefore both good places to start looking for an agent in your area. Personal recommendations are also invaluable. Ask around locally among people who have sold or rented recently to find out how a particular agent has performed. If you dont know anyone to ask once youve shortlisted a few agents approach them for references. A good agent should have a long list of satisfied customers only too happy to vouch for them. Choosing a local agent is crucial as theyre likely to have a list of waiting buyers and tenants along with in-depth knowledge of the area and the prices that are achievable in the current market. Dont forget to check out their track record to ensure they have achieved lots of recent sales and rentals. These days most people start their property searches online so its also vital to choose an agent that utilises all the main property portals and boosts their online presence by taking premium property listings and extra advertising. Also look out for agents that use a professional photographer which is essential for showing off your property in the best possible light. Finally nothing beats meeting an estate agent face-to- face. You will instantly know if you can trust them and most importantly dont fall into the trap of being wooed by the agent offering you the highest valuation. Instead look for concrete evidence to prove they can achieve their valuation. Remember an agent without good local area knowledge and concrete comparables is likely to be chancing their arm. GARRETT WHITELOCK 164 Tower Bridge Road SE1 3FG t 020 7407 4586 e infogarrettwhitelock.co.uk w www.garrettwhitelock.co.uk