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estate agents are useless
Wig
Posts: 14,139 Forumite
I can't believe how difficult it is to get useful easily accessible information on houses for sale.
I suggest to all sellers, before choosing an agent, pretend to be a buyer. Walk into their branch see if they pounce on you too soon, or let you relax and look at your leisure for a few minutes. Look at the display cards, to see if they list important information on every property....
No. of beds
Garage/off road/potential for off road
Gas Central Heating
Double glazing
leasehold/freehold
large garden
detached/semi/terraced/end terraced
First floor bathroom.
Despite what "running horse" says below these things are VERY easily included onto an A4 display card for customers to read. Ask them if they can print you a catalogue of their full portfolio, ask them if they can narrow down the print out to a price range and to include those with parking/double glazing/garden etc. If they can't do this don't use them. If they can do this but there is no notice in the shop saying they can do this, ask them why they don't tell the customer they are able and willing to do it. And read the rest of this post to see what else they should be doing.
Off road parking is VERY important for me, I would have thought it was <expletive> obvious that the displayed cards in the estate agent branch would have this information in the brief description. But out of the 3 main agents in my town, none of them put this info on the display cards.
I would suggest one of the first 3 of the below comments:
*Garage
*Off road parking
*Potential for off road parking
*No off road parking
is essential if it exists on the property, and the 4th comment would be nice but perhaps not so essential as it could be seen as a negative description, and if done properly the absence of one of the first 3 would render the 4th comment obsolete.
None of the EAs (in my town) do this! Why not? Instead they make me enter their shop and have to keep asking "Does this have off road parking"?
Not only that, I hate the way they pounce on you when you enter "Do you need any help"/"can I get you any details"? And I have to say "yes" because I know their display cards do not tell me which properties fit my criteria. I would prefer to be able to browse at my own leisure than have to explain everything to this person so that they can control what I am suggested to look at from the display. I want to be able to walk in and say "No, I'm looking" to that question and be able to quietly read the basic information from the A4 display cards. But in my town, I know I can't.
There are two other EA in nearby towns, one of them will print you off a catalogue of every property they have in your price range - if you ask (they don't advertise the fact that they offer this service) and the catalogue they produce has the desired information on parking, and I dare say they could tell the computer to print only the ones that qualify with off road parking. The other EA, when I told them I wanted off road parking, was able to type it into her computer and then was able to suggest a few from the display, based on the results she got from her computer. This was ok but it limited me to her suggestions rather than allowing me to see for myself what the full range was. and they did not offer to print off a catalogue like the other one did.
Back in my own town, after having to tell an EA what I was looking for, she suggested a couple which were not suitable, and I am facing a wall of about 40 - 50 properties, and I say to her "So can you tell me which of these (I swept my hand across the whole wall of properties) have off road parking or the potential for it?" And she replied
"Well without knowing them all off by heart, I can't". And I'm thinking to myself "DO YOU WANT TO SELL A PROPERTY TO ME OR NOT !!!!!!!!!! :mad:, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS INFORMATION FOR ME TO READ ON THE CARDS, OR AT THE VERY LEAST BE ABLE TO PRINT OFF A LIST FROM THE COMPUTER!"
The other area in which EAs are useless is in providing an overhead photographic plan of the property on the proprty print out details, they photograph the front of the property, the kitchen and a bedroom or 2 they never photograph the garden, and never give an overhead image, like the image below. As a buyer I need to see this photo, and I am NOT wanting to have to look on google (when I get home) and try to guess which property it is !!!!!!! They just need to have a business relationship with google and print under the photo "Image licenced by Google".
Also in online searching, either on the EA website or on rightmove etc, they should provide a link to the exact location marked on the "satellite" image. The most they do at present is to link you to a marker of the postcode, which is next to useless, and leaves you to work out for yourself which is the exact property. It only takes a few minutes to link to something like this
So why don't they do it? Which would you prefer buyers to be able to see, the pinpoint blue marker or the more general orange postcode based marker? I can't believe google would charge business very much for this service.
I know some areas of the UK don't have overhead photos but in those that do, this exact pinpoint service should be given.
And obviously in the online searching on the EA website or rightmove etc, Off road parking/garage should be a searchable criteria. I believe globrix & rightmove does allow to filter to this, but EA should do it on their own websites as should all property search sites.
For a supposedly professional industry they are surprisingly useless!
A further note to sellers: Some of this will be new, some is a re-cap of what I already said.
When you agree your contract with the agency.YOU ARE IN CONTROL if the following are important to you..... (because they are important to me as a buyer).....
*tell them how many photos of the property you want on the details and on rightmove
and what you want photographed, and ask that they email you the photos before publication so that you can agree to them -
*tell them you want a satellite photo on the details
*tell them you want a floorplan on the details
*Ask them if they will put your property on Rightmove or some other site
*Ask them to make a pinpoint internet link to your property NOT one based on postcode only, BOTH from the rightmove listing and from their internet webpage.
*Ask them if they do thumbnail brochures for new customers, based on a few search filters (off road Parking). If they say they can do this, ask them why there is no notice in the shop telling customers they can have this service.
*Ask them why their own website (not Rightmove etc) does not allow customers to filter out search results that they are not looking for.
Remember YOU ARE IN CONTROL, get your requirements put into the contract, and if they don't do it, walk away.
I suggest to all sellers, before choosing an agent, pretend to be a buyer. Walk into their branch see if they pounce on you too soon, or let you relax and look at your leisure for a few minutes. Look at the display cards, to see if they list important information on every property....
No. of beds
Garage/off road/potential for off road
Gas Central Heating
Double glazing
leasehold/freehold
large garden
detached/semi/terraced/end terraced
First floor bathroom.
Despite what "running horse" says below these things are VERY easily included onto an A4 display card for customers to read. Ask them if they can print you a catalogue of their full portfolio, ask them if they can narrow down the print out to a price range and to include those with parking/double glazing/garden etc. If they can't do this don't use them. If they can do this but there is no notice in the shop saying they can do this, ask them why they don't tell the customer they are able and willing to do it. And read the rest of this post to see what else they should be doing.
Off road parking is VERY important for me, I would have thought it was <expletive> obvious that the displayed cards in the estate agent branch would have this information in the brief description. But out of the 3 main agents in my town, none of them put this info on the display cards.
I would suggest one of the first 3 of the below comments:
*Garage
*Off road parking
*Potential for off road parking
*No off road parking
is essential if it exists on the property, and the 4th comment would be nice but perhaps not so essential as it could be seen as a negative description, and if done properly the absence of one of the first 3 would render the 4th comment obsolete.
None of the EAs (in my town) do this! Why not? Instead they make me enter their shop and have to keep asking "Does this have off road parking"?
Not only that, I hate the way they pounce on you when you enter "Do you need any help"/"can I get you any details"? And I have to say "yes" because I know their display cards do not tell me which properties fit my criteria. I would prefer to be able to browse at my own leisure than have to explain everything to this person so that they can control what I am suggested to look at from the display. I want to be able to walk in and say "No, I'm looking" to that question and be able to quietly read the basic information from the A4 display cards. But in my town, I know I can't.
There are two other EA in nearby towns, one of them will print you off a catalogue of every property they have in your price range - if you ask (they don't advertise the fact that they offer this service) and the catalogue they produce has the desired information on parking, and I dare say they could tell the computer to print only the ones that qualify with off road parking. The other EA, when I told them I wanted off road parking, was able to type it into her computer and then was able to suggest a few from the display, based on the results she got from her computer. This was ok but it limited me to her suggestions rather than allowing me to see for myself what the full range was. and they did not offer to print off a catalogue like the other one did.
Back in my own town, after having to tell an EA what I was looking for, she suggested a couple which were not suitable, and I am facing a wall of about 40 - 50 properties, and I say to her "So can you tell me which of these (I swept my hand across the whole wall of properties) have off road parking or the potential for it?" And she replied
"Well without knowing them all off by heart, I can't". And I'm thinking to myself "DO YOU WANT TO SELL A PROPERTY TO ME OR NOT !!!!!!!!!! :mad:, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS INFORMATION FOR ME TO READ ON THE CARDS, OR AT THE VERY LEAST BE ABLE TO PRINT OFF A LIST FROM THE COMPUTER!"
The other area in which EAs are useless is in providing an overhead photographic plan of the property on the proprty print out details, they photograph the front of the property, the kitchen and a bedroom or 2 they never photograph the garden, and never give an overhead image, like the image below. As a buyer I need to see this photo, and I am NOT wanting to have to look on google (when I get home) and try to guess which property it is !!!!!!! They just need to have a business relationship with google and print under the photo "Image licenced by Google".
Also in online searching, either on the EA website or on rightmove etc, they should provide a link to the exact location marked on the "satellite" image. The most they do at present is to link you to a marker of the postcode, which is next to useless, and leaves you to work out for yourself which is the exact property. It only takes a few minutes to link to something like this
So why don't they do it? Which would you prefer buyers to be able to see, the pinpoint blue marker or the more general orange postcode based marker? I can't believe google would charge business very much for this service.
I know some areas of the UK don't have overhead photos but in those that do, this exact pinpoint service should be given.
And obviously in the online searching on the EA website or rightmove etc, Off road parking/garage should be a searchable criteria. I believe globrix & rightmove does allow to filter to this, but EA should do it on their own websites as should all property search sites.
For a supposedly professional industry they are surprisingly useless!
A further note to sellers: Some of this will be new, some is a re-cap of what I already said.
When you agree your contract with the agency.YOU ARE IN CONTROL if the following are important to you..... (because they are important to me as a buyer).....
*tell them how many photos of the property you want on the details and on rightmove
and what you want photographed, and ask that they email you the photos before publication so that you can agree to them -
*tell them you want a satellite photo on the details
*tell them you want a floorplan on the details
*Ask them if they will put your property on Rightmove or some other site
*Ask them to make a pinpoint internet link to your property NOT one based on postcode only, BOTH from the rightmove listing and from their internet webpage.
*Ask them if they do thumbnail brochures for new customers, based on a few search filters (off road Parking). If they say they can do this, ask them why there is no notice in the shop telling customers they can have this service.
*Ask them why their own website (not Rightmove etc) does not allow customers to filter out search results that they are not looking for.
Remember YOU ARE IN CONTROL, get your requirements put into the contract, and if they don't do it, walk away.
0
Comments
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A shop worker asking someone who walks in their shop if they need any help?Not only that, I hate the way they pounce on you when you enter "Do you need any help"/"can I get you any details"? And I have to say "yes" because I know their display cards do not tell me which properties fit my criteria.
Whatever next?
Some agents round here do not show number of bedrooms in the window cards. I suppose you could always ask. Garden size is more important to me than off road parking, but there is only so much information you can fit on one card.
Might I suggest a sense of persperctive would be useful for any house buyer? You sound a bit of a nightmare from your long rambling post.Been away for a while.0 -
Did you read this bit?
What sort of business are these people running?Back in my own town, after having to tell an EA what I was looking for, she suggested a couple which were not suitable, and I am facing a wall of about 40 - 50 properties, and I say to her "So can you tell me which of these (I swept my hand across the whole wall of properties) have off road parking or the potential for it?" And she replied
"Well without knowing them all off by heart, I can't".
I am a rare commodity, I am a cash buyer wanting to buy a house, and I find visiting these shops and their websites to be incredibly tiresome. It should be easy, to do this. I should not be reluctant to go into an EA branch, it should be a pleasant experience.
I've got news for you it really annoys a lot of people when this happens too quickly, give your customers time to relax, don't treat them like imbeciles, if customers want your help they will ask you for it when they are ready! Likewise A customer should not be left too long before a quiet, polite offer of assistance is put to them,A shop worker asking someone who walks in their shop if they need any help?
"Good afternoon Sir, if you need any assistance please ask me" and then walk away if the customer does not immediately ask anything.
This approach leaves the ball in the customers court to take the invitation further or not.
Don't put them on them on the spot immediately with
"Hello, what are you looking for?" They might not want to have to speak to you.0 -
There is a big difference between a salesman and an order taker.
In a buoyant market the houses sell themselves and ultimately the deal happens in spite of the EA not because of them.
In this type of market - they really have to work for their money and they just do not know how to.
I find that small privately owned EA's are your best bet - they have detailed knowledge of the area and its their own business.0 -
I am a rare commodity, I am a cash buyer wanting to buy a house, and I find visiting these shops and their websites to be incredibly tiresome. It should be easy, to do this. I should not be reluctant to go into an EA branch, it should be a pleasant experience.
Firstly, the fact you are a cash buyer is irrelevant. I wouldn't want to sell my house to you. You'd be an nightmare making demands.
Regardless, I don't think house buying should be too easy, you should do your research over and over again. It's a major purchase. Admittedly Estate Agents are idiots, but if you are too lazy to speak to any that's your problem.
Now put your toys back in your pram.0 -
This is ONE aspect that's important to you. Other people may have different important priorities;
Some may want lots of built-in storage
Some may want a satellite dish pre-installed
Some may want gas cooking, others have a phobia about gas, and only want electric
Some hate electric heaters and only want gas heating
There's only so much room on an A4 window card
Now, as someone just said - put your toys back in the pram, and stop pouting.0 -
Agreed. The worst potential buyer I ever had kept shouting over and over she was a cash FTB, and was an absolute nightmare to deal with. Finally told her to take a running jump when she demanded a £20,000 reduction for £2,000 worth of work that needed doing, and sold to a normal couple for over £10,000 more than her grudging offer.Firstly, the fact you are a cash buyer is irrelevant. I wouldn't want to sell my house to you. You'd be an nightmare making demands.
The OP complains when staff do not have psychic abilities to know exactly what they want, and complains when they politely try to find out. Do some research like every other house buyer. Better still, go for a walk. It's a lovely Saturday morning, and you are luckier than many people I know who will never be in a position to buy a house with a mortgage, never mind for cash.Been away for a while.0 -
Firstly, the fact you are a cash buyer is irrelevant. I wouldn't want to sell my house to you. You'd be an nightmare making demands..
LOL, how many SSTC fail to proceed in todays world? I'm always seeing it around here. You can be sure that when I put an offer down, I mean it, completion will be within 3 weeks and the property removed from market (for 3 weeks), if you can't handle those two demands then I wouldn't make the offer in the first place. And I probably wouldn't have even viewed your property in the first place, because I select vacant and/or no chain only.0 -
Blimey, your gargantuan first post is growing as we speak. In the time it took to format and post all that, you could have phoned several local agents and asked about houses with off road parking.Been away for a while.0
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Quoted in full, because I can.:DI can't believe how difficult it is to get useful easily accessible information on houses for sale.
I suggest to all sellers, before choosing an agent, pretend to be a buyer. Walk into their branch see if they pounce on you too soon, or let you relax and look at your leisure for a few minutes. Look at the display cards, to see if they list important information on every property....
No. of beds
Garage/off road/potential for off road
Gas Central Heating
Double glazing
leasehold/freehold
large garden
detached/semi/terraced/end terraced
First floor bathroom.
Despite what "running horse" says below these things are VERY easily included onto an A4 display card for customers to read. Ask them if they can print you a catalogue of their full portfolio, ask them if they can narrow down the print out to a price range and to include those with parking/double glazing/garden etc. If they can't do this don't use them. If they can do this but there is no notice in the shop saying they can do this, ask them why they don't tell the customer they are able and willing to do it. And read the rest of this post to see what else they should be doing.
Off road parking is VERY important for me, I would have thought it was <expletive> obvious that the displayed cards in the estate agent branch would have this information in the brief description. But out of the 3 main agents in my town, none of them put this info on the display cards.
I would suggest one of the first 3 of the below comments:
*Garage
*Off road parking
*Potential for off road parking
*No off road parking
is essential if it exists on the property, and the 4th comment would be nice but perhaps not so essential as it could be seen as a negative description, and if done properly the absence of one of the first 3 would render the 4th comment obsolete.
None of the EAs (in my town) do this! Why not? Instead they make me enter their shop and have to keep asking "Does this have off road parking"?
Not only that, I hate the way they pounce on you when you enter "Do you need any help"/"can I get you any details"? And I have to say "yes" because I know their display cards do not tell me which properties fit my criteria. I would prefer to be able to browse at my own leisure than have to explain everything to this person so that they can control what I am suggested to look at from the display. I want to be able to walk in and say "No, I'm looking" to that question but I know I can't.
There are two other EA in nearby towns, one of them will print you off a catalogue of every property they have in your price range - if you ask (they don't advertise the fact that they offer this service) and the catalogue they produce has the desired information on parking, and I dare say they could tell the computer to print only the ones that qualify with off road parking. The other EA, when I told them I wanted off road parking, was able to type it into her computer and then was able to suggest a few from the display, based on the results she got from her computer. This was ok but it limited me to her suggestions rather than allowing me to see for myself what the full range was. and they did not offer to print off a catalogue like the other one did.
Back in my own town, after having to tell an EA what I was looking for, she suggested a couple which were not suitable, and I am facing a wall of about 40 - 50 properties, and I say to her "So can you tell me which of these (I swept my hand across the whole wall of properties) have off road parking or the potential for it?" And she replied
"Well without knowing them all off by heart, I can't". And I'm thinking to myself "DO YOU WANT TO SELL A PROPERTY TO ME OR NOT !!!!!!!!!! :mad:, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS INFORMATION FOR ME TO READ ON THE CARDS, OR AT THE VERY LEAST BE ABLE TO PRINT OFF A LIST FROM THE COMPUTER!"
The other area in which EAs are useless is in providing an overhead photographic plan of the property on the proprty print out details, they photograph the front of the property, the kitchen and a bedroom or 2 they never photograph the garden, and never give an overhead image, like the image below. As a buyer I need to see this photo, and I am NOT wanting to have to look on google (when I get home) and try to guess which property it is !!!!!!! They just need to have a business relationship with google and print under the photo "Image licenced by Google".
Also in online searching, either on the EA website or on rightmove etc, they should provide a link to the exact location marked on the "satellite" image. The most they do at present is to link you to a marker of the postcode, which is next to useless, and leaves you to work out for yourself which is the exact property. It only takes a few minutes to link to something like this
So why not do it? I can't believe google would charge business very much for this service.
I know some areas of the UK don't have overhead photos but in those that do, this exact pinpoint service should be given.
And obviously in the online searching on the EA website or rightmove etc, Off road parking/garage should be a searchable criteria. I believe globrix & rightmove does allow to filter to this, but EA should do it on their own websites as should all property search sites.
For a supposedly professional industry they are surprisingly useless!Been away for a while.0 -
Or a computer database fit for purposeRunning_Horse wrote: »The OP complains when staff do not have psychic abilities to know exactly what they want,
Too quickly - I can't believe people in a sales industry do not know the first basic principle of dealing with a fresh customer.and complains when they politely try to find out.0
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