Choosing estate agent - independent or countrywide?

Go with your gut over the capability of the agent. If the property goes on rightmove [which is I believe owned by the country wide group] you will get enough exposure. If a potential buyer is too idle or ill informed to look anywhere other than the big chains, then I doubt you have lost very much.

I am an independent agent and there is nothing a countrywide chain can really do that we can't. The Internet has leveled the playing field. There will more likely be continuity of staff at the independent.

Go with your intuition.

i am a FTB, to be honest i hadnt heard about rightmove till sometime ago. i just used to buy the local newspapers and see the www.propertytoday.co.uk supplement that comes with local papers and used to think this covered all available houses in the area apart from some exclusively marketted on EA websites. it was purely by chance i came across the rightmove website, maybe i saw rightmove mentioned on this website (MSE).

so it might be a good idea to advertise separately on www.propertytoday.co.uk as many FTBs i know have always looked on the same websites / supplement that comes with the local papers or on their website, none of the FTBs i know mentioned rightmove to me and all were very well placed in terms of deposit and ability to get mortgage etc, it was purely chance that i came across rightmove website which i find very useful. not all FTBs might be clued on. so best to advertise on propertytoday website as well especially if u r marketing ur property at FTBs. personally i hadnt registered with any EA till a couple of months ago as i didnt know i had to register my interest with them. i just assumed i was supposed to look up the advertisements in newspapers etc and contact them. guess my ignorance was a hangover from how things worked in other countries regarding property sales.

personally i would go with an EA i was comfortable with i.e. the local EA who was more realistic with you.

ps: learning something new everyday. just now saw the other thread about housenetwork dont know how good they are, but can see that prolific posters like doozergirl recommending them, so guess the website is ok, although they dont seem to have that many houses as other EAs. but i would love to stick 2 fingers up to EAs and buy direct from vendor. explore this option as well as might save u money

valcarmichael wrote: »

bigger agencies are better. i worked at country wide (temping secretary 12 months).

understand that I would not cut off my nose to spite my face, but seeing a house with them is an off put to me. View, make offer, get hounded to take their mortgage advice. Vendor uses their solicitors, who are clueless. Deal dead in water because vendor's solicitors take it past its sell by.

Bigger agencies might be better at hoovering up money, but they do little for the buyer.

Another test to apply is to ask for their suggested asking price and then ask how long a tie in they want for their agency agreement. Then ask if the price would be different if the tie in was only say 4 weeks.

There are a lot of agents out there who really don't know what a house will sell for in the present market and are suggesting unrealistic prices on the off chance you and they may be lucky and someone who is a bit naive offers far too much for your property - but if they have a long tie in after a few weeks they can recommend you reduce the price.

An agent who is happy with a short tie in may be suggsting a lower price but if he gets people through the door looking at your proeprty then there is a greater chance of a sale.