EA valuation visit query

bunnysw

We are hoping to sell our house privately but need a valuation to see what sort of figures we are looking at so have arranged for an EA to make a visit. Having never been through this before - what is likely to happen? - they have booked us in for at least an hour! - the house is not ready for photos etc.
Thanks

googler

If they offer a good, quality service, and they have a wide variety of promotional techniques, and they're setting themselves apart from the competition, don't you think 45-60 mins is quite reasonable to find out about them, and for them to have a good look at your house to assess what they'll be selling?

Or, if an agent comes into your house, spends 5 mins with you, says "It'll sell for £x, call us if you want to put it on the market with us" then walks away, assuming that you know all about them, what have you learned about them?

Doesn't matter that it's not ready for photos. The valuation is for the agent to find out about the house, and for you to find out about the agent.

bunnysw

Yes fair point. They don't know we are hoping to sell privately and I suppose I was thinking we are only a small 2 bed it wouldn't take long to walk around - hadn't really thought about the other things they would likely to tell us about. Do they just usually tell you a price or give you a written record?
Thanks

Doozergirl

What happens is that you show them around your house. They may well want to measure each room and take details as you go around just in case you take them on - theoretically it helps them value it but really it means they can get on with creating the marketing pack as soon as they are instructed rather than come back.

They will then explain why you should use their agency. Some of them have crappy flip boards to prompt them, others know exactly what they are talking about. Hopefully they will have brought details of comparable properties for you to look at and you can talk about what has previously sold and they will give you an idea based on previous sales of what they think yours is worth. I've never had an EA in for more than an hour.

The number one rule is never tell the agent what you think/hope it's worth or you will get a valuation taking your expectations into account. If you want an honest, unbiased valuation (you do!) then don't tell them even if they ask you - many, many of them do. Just tell them that you don't want their valuation affected by what you think, you just want to know what it's likely to sell for.

QTPie

Hi

No, they wont take photos when they come around, BUT I treated it as a "viewing" anyway (i.e. presenting the house very well).

They are just coming around to look around, tell you what they think it is worth, tell you about themselves and their agency and give you an opportunity to ask them any questions.

Some of them put their information (valuation, Ts & Cs etc) in writing, and send it to you, others don't. I suggest that you specifically request it (before they leave): say that you are very interested in using them, but want the valuation and their Ts & Cs in writing and sent to you ASAP. I assume that you want the valuations to show your prospective private buyers (which makes sense).

Make sure that you get at least 3 valuations.

We did the same as you with our last house: we sold privately to the neighbours (who had expressed an interest a couple of years before we decided to move). And, like you, we got a number of valuations from local estate agents. We used the valuations to negotiate and agree a selling price with the neighbours.

Good luck - selling private is really a good way to go if you can make it work.

QT

bunnysw

Thank you both for your replies :beer:

googler

bunnysw wrote: »

Yes fair point. They don't know we are hoping to sell privately and I suppose I was thinking we are only a small 2 bed it wouldn't take long to walk around - hadn't really thought about the other things they would likely to tell us about. Do they just usually tell you a price or give you a written record?
Thanks

I just re-read this - I thought you were inviting agents from the point of view of actually using them to sell your house.

Wouldn't it be, at the very least, polite to let them know that you want to sell privately? There's little point in you finding out all about them if you're not going to use them at the end of the day, and there's little value in the exercise from their point of view if they spend an hour with you for absolutely no return.

googler

QTPie wrote: »

Make sure that you get at least 3 valuations.

We did the same as you with our last house: we sold privately to the neighbours (who had expressed an interest a couple of years before we decided to move). And, like you, we got a number of valuations from local estate agents. We used the valuations to negotiate and agree a selling price with the neighbours.

So, with the advance intention that you were planning on selling to the neighbours, you invited three separate agencies to your home, to spend around three hours with you, and you had no plans to actually do business with any of them.

Can I suggest; Zoopla? OurProperty? Nethouseprices? Myhouseprice? etc etc

bunnysw

And would they still be happy to do a free valuation if they weren't expecting to get the property on their books after all?
Thanks for the weblinks too - will look into those.

googler

I think that'll depend on the agent, how much time they have on their hands, and how they value their time......

Put yourself in their shoes - if you were they, would you welcome the preparation, the journey to your house, an hour or so at your house, the journey back, possibly some admin time back at the office to mail out a valuation and copies of T&Cs etc ..... if you KNEW in advance that there'd be absolutely NO further income from this exercise?

Edit: They probably won't be willing to come out if you tell them this, at which point you have to decide if you want to hoodwink them and pretend you're genuinely looking for an agent to sell for you.....

bunnysw

We may of course have to use an agent to sell if it doesn't go as planned (which knowing our luck! :rolleyes:) so although I do feel a little bit 'bad' I may end up using them anyway.
Thanks fir your help though.