Estate Agent Closing

kjdyoga

Hi
My estate agents have called me today to advise that they are closing the high street shop as of tomorrow and moving all the sales to another shop which is approx 15miles away.

Just wondering whether I should move estate agents to one which is located in the area where my house is. As my house has been on the market for a while I will have to pay for a HIP if I move estate agents.

I have checked the contract and there is no lock-in, but as they are closing I don't see a problem with this.

The market around me is very quite and there are lots of properties that have been on the market for a long time, some longer than mine. However, there are still a lot of new properties coming on to the market. I don't have any forward chain.

Would like to hear your opinions.

Many thanks

Davesnave

You don't need a HIP because you've changed agents. Exactly the same thing happened to us a month or so ago. We just took our details straight to the new agent, who used them until he & I took some new photos, wrote some different blurb etc. I still haven't got a HIP and the viewers don't give a stuff either, so far as I can see! Nobody's ever mentioned it.

You will only need a HIP if you stop marketing for a time, but as your agent still exists, albeit in a different location, continuous marketing is no problem. They should bend over backwards to help in this respect.

I would definitely get a new agent in your immediate area, but take time in choosing. They are not all equal. We have had a boost with viewings since we changed, and we still have a couple of keen people from the previous agent hanging in there, but the situation regarding FTBs is dire, so nobody's doing anything much. Properties come up as 'sold' one week on Rightmove and, like Frankenstein's Monster, they reappear again 'available' the next!

napoleon

One down, another few thousand to go.

kjdyoga

Hi Davesnave

Many thanks for your helpful words. I have started the journey in finding a new estate agent. Fingers crossed that they manage to sell my house before xmas, though I may be dreaming there.

Kind regards

Karen

SquatNow

napoleon wrote: »

One down, another few thousand to go.

De du duh duh duh.... another one bites the dust.

And another one gone and another gone and anotherone bites the dust!

yeaaaahhhh

Davesnave

Despite Napoleon & others having their little digs at agents, there really are decent & competent ones out there, though I dare say in some areas the chance of finding one is much less. I have dealt with 3 agents and their staff in the last two years (two houses) and all have been people I could relate to. The fact is, if they make your flesh creep, or you don't feel comfortable talking to them, then you really should look elsewhere.

For both houses DW and I had 5 agents in & got them to appraise the property & value it. We ruled some people out, simply because we didn't like their manner & others because their price was too low or too high. We even appointed one & then changed our minds, when what they'd promised didn't happen on time. (We then got the answering machine when we 'phoned to find out why!) Obviously, we also looked at their sample brochures & Internet sites too. Even then we had two to choose from for each house.

I can't really explain too well how we made our final choices, but anyway, we feel as good as one can feel handing over 1% - 1.25% of our proceeds to someone else! To be fair, with the house we sold last year, the agent more than paid for themselves in the last few mnutes of the negotiation.

I hope it goes well and that, for you, it's 'over by Christmas.'

SquatNow

Davesnave wrote: »

Despite Napoleon & others having their little digs at agents, there really are decent & competent ones out there, though I dare say in some areas the chance of finding one is much less.

From a quick survey of posts on here, I'de say there are about 4.

Out of 10,000.

That's actually well within the margin of error used in most surveys.

Davesnave

SquatNow wrote: »

From a quick survey of posts on here, I'de say there are about 4.

Out of 10,000.

That's actually well within the margin of error used in most surveys.

Oh, well.....OP had obviously best give up!

Who do you suggest she gets to sell her house then, her dentist?

Some people on here have lost the plot a bit and forget what the board is for. Of course, everyone is entitled to air their prejudices, but sometimes people have to make hard choices in a far from perfect world.

Yes, OK there are some bloody horrible estate agents out there, and it would be really odd if they were any different from the usual run of large chain, commission-based sales people, many of whom would sell their granny for another couple of %. However, there are also smaller outfits that have been around donkey's years and which rely more on local reputation. I think the trick is to find one of those that isn't complacent in the current market. From personal experience in more rural areas, I've found some of those to be dead from the neck up, which is as bad as 'in yer face.'

nannaof9

had a phone call to say the branch were my house is up forsale with is closing down i have been billed for my hip of £400 am i obliged to pay this as they are not doing as they say and that is sell my house i do know that houses are not selling but i have let this well known agent try now for 10mths im now billed for the h i p and no estate agent

lynzpower

nanaa- yes, the hip is YOURS. therefore you can take that hip to another agent and start marketing with it immediately.