No Viewings, Similar flat just sold - Confused

Andrea8

Hi All,

This is my first post on this board ...:o

Here's my situation, my 1 bedroom flat went on the market about 10 days ago. Just before this another 1 bed flat a few hundred yards away from me also went on the market for the same price. As we are both in the same area and part of town, have similar properites etc. I have been checking the status of this property on rightmove. Today I have logged on and found that it is SSTC.

I have had no viewings at all which wasn't really worrying me too much as new to market but now I am quite confused. My EA tells me that flats are moving slowly at the moment ...

I'm not sure what to do. Should I contact my agent tomorrow to find out what is happening?

Sorry for rambling on.

Thanks

PasturesNew

Are you with the same agent?

Maybe they went on enough days ahead of you to snap up a buyer ... and the buyer had offered already just as yours came onto the market.

Theirs might not be like yours in their eyes, maybe they wanted a different floor, or pointing a different direction, maybe it had a garage/parking that suited them better?

Can you give us the 2 Rightmove links and we can tell you which we'd prefer and why. Do it in PM if you're nervous.

Andrea8

Thank you - I have PMd you.

PasturesNew

Right. Well, yours is clearly the better one in my opinion. It must be just timing. My thoughts on comparing the two are:

- really no difference between the two locations
- maybe your trees afford less light/less sunny communal garden space
- your kitchen is smaller, theirs is a "proper sized kitchen"

But your balcony/big window is a clear winner and the flat looks a lot nicer. Their windows are dinky.

I can only think it must have been a timing issue, they just happened to get onto the market and viewed before yours did. Maybe the buyer was on a list that the EA phoned round and got people viewing before it even got onto RM.

But rest assured, yours is nicer/nicest. So stop worrying.

However, their agent did a SPLENDID job on the details, yours has none. I have to spot/click the layout plan to even get the room sizes (many people won't see that/bother). Get your agent to do a write up per room for yours.

Andrea8

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at this and thank you for your advice. I will get onto my EA tomorrow morning.

Thanks again

I,_Geek

My EA got chased up yesterday to ask why no viewings in 2 months. They said the market for flats (at least in my area) is completely dead. Some people who were on for sale are now on to let, which apparently there is still a market for. Don't know whether to believe them on this because things were "looking up" and "buyers are out there" in May of this year. And within 2 months it's dead? I suspect they might be telling us that rental is a good possibility so they can get money out of us from that acting as letting agent. I rang a different agent yesterday about getting a sign removed and asked if there was interest for flats. He said yes, but again this could be spiel.

Hope you get some viewings soon, Andrea8, and that the property market in your area has more life to it than ours.

Andrea8

Hi - Well I took the advice offered by PasturesNew and popped into my EA this morning. They have now updated the details of my flat. I'm not sure if it is related but within a couple of hours I have also had my first viewing!! I'm not expecting an offer from my first viewing but i'm so pleased to have had one Thank you for the advice it has really helped me :rotfl:

I,Geek I really hope you get some viewings soon and i'm really not sure what to believe about the housing market anymore. My EA told me flats weren't selling this morning when I spoke to him and seemed surprised to hear about the flat that has just sold around the corner. Good luck to you

Chinkle

You are paying the EA to market your property, if you feel at anytime they aren't presenting it in the best light then do say so.

I've changed copy and sent them my own photographs in the past. Make sure there website has a floor plan and info about the local area.

I've also had to call them when there website wasn't working too. Ask whether they are including it in their brochures/flyers/local newspaper ads too.

They all start off at first giving you a rosy picture and then if things aren't shifting talk about a slow down in the market.

Enfieldian

Chinkle wrote: »

You are paying the EA to market your property

Are you sure about this? Most agents do not charge a fee until the sale goes through so they are not charging for marketing, only for a successful sale......

I,_Geek

Enfieldian wrote: »

Are you sure about this? Most agents do not charge a fee until the sale goes through so they are not charging for marketing, only for a successful sale......

It's in the EA's interest to get a sale as quickly as possible, though, because they're paying out for advertising etc. while it's on the market. Even if you haven't paid upfront, you and your EA are losing out - partly in terms of money, partly quality-of-life, and in extreme cases your sanity. It's in everyone's best interest to make sure the EA are doing the most they can to sell your property.

My grandparents went on the market last year and had to pay upfront to a reputable EA. It wasn't the full fee but several hundred pounds - quite a sizeable deposit. When the house sold they paid the difference. My EA was surprised when we asked if there was an upfront fee. My grandparents' EA said something along the lines of, "Sorry to have to ask for money upfront, but times have changed", while ours said, "We'd never do that". And these are both smaller, local EAs in the north-east.

Blacksheep1979

Enfieldian wrote: »

Are you sure about this? Most agents do not charge a fee until the sale goes through so they are not charging for marketing, only for a successful sale......

But what leads to the sale? erm that would be marketing...