How do you improve Housenetworks service?

googler

not_loaded wrote: »

I don’t think that a territory issue, such as Scotland, matters a lot. It’s always best when starting a business not to over-extend yourself.

People have no trouble employing others to do jobs for them such as gardening, and even the ironing. It’s not a huge leap surely to find someone to host viewings?

Well, it matters at the moment, as the nearest available agent (to do photos, etc....) for anyone who wants to sell a property in Scotland, WON'T be in Scotland. If you were an HN agent in, say, Manchester, and you had to go to.... Edinburgh, for instance, to take on a property, photo it, describe it - how much journey time? how much petrol? How much would that eat into the profit margin of the £300 fee? Isn't it more efficient, more environmentally friendly, even, to hire someone local who's just a short hop away?

If someone screws up your ironing or gardening, it's not major - you get someone else in. Isn't the sale of your house more important? Would you want to hire just 'someone' to view it for you?

Would you hire 'someone' without prior experience or knowledge to do your accounts, say, or audit your business, or complete a major tax return?

not_loaded

chickmug wrote: »

Thanks not loaded for your useful comments. I am not a great believer in accompanied viewings as I feel the owner can do a far better job than the typical folk. These are often casually employed and used as and when needed and have little real interest in selling.
I recognise that some will want this service so will have to revert to the local EA until an option can be worked out. I am sure HN have looked at this and the logistics seem to me to be impossible and very risky. It could be an optional extra for each viewing but I doubt anyone would tick that box as it would work out so high.

We may be at cross purposes here. What I meant was that the seller (if unable or unwilling to show the house) would find someone to do that for them, not you.

My idea would be say, brother, sister, or trusted friend/neighbour.

googler wrote: »

Well, it matters at the moment, as the nearest available agent (to do photos, etc....) for anyone who wants to sell a property in Scotland, WON'T be in Scotland. If you were an HN agent in, say, Manchester, and you had to go to.... Edinburgh, for instance, to take on a property, photo it, describe it - how much journey time? how much petrol? How much would that eat into the profit margin of the £300 fee? Isn't it more efficient, more environmentally friendly, even, to hire someone local who's just a short hop away?

Oh dear - you always seem so frantic to pull apart anything like this googler. It doesn’t matter, as a sensible seller would simply not do business with someone who doesn’t do business in their area. That’s precisely what happens currently with all EAs. (and other trades for that matter)

When I ran my own business I traded with businesses in my region as that fitted the business model. There’s no way I’d have been able to trade at a huge distance for the same price, and of course, nobody enquired from a huge distance – why would you?

You are actually describing just this very point excellently. I don’t understand why you can’t see it.

googler wrote: »

If someone screws up your ironing or gardening, it's not major - you get someone else in. Isn't the sale of your house more important? Would you want to hire just 'someone' to view it for you?
Would you hire 'someone' without prior experience or knowledge to do your accounts, say, or audit your business, or complete a major tax return?

You read a heck of a lot into one word don’t you? I feel you’re being deliberately obtuse here, implying that a clueless seller would be desperately recruiting outside their local probation office. I’ve clarified this point to some degree above, and I hope that helps.

googler

It was 7.26am; gimme a break.

dirtmother

I don't think it is so much simply that the service is cheap but the basis on which it is offered.

Like Chickmug, I don't think much to accompanied viewings but some people have no choice due to their particular circumstances and they might consider it worth paying for an additional option. In our own case, we might still have come out ahead if we'd had to pay per view - partly of course because the presentation means that you are more likely to get serious viewings.

I should just mention though that they've brought in a charge to those whose offer is accepted, to discourage frivolous offers that don't go anywhere, under the guise of an 'identity check'. It is per person and non-refundable and isn't really enough to dissuade anyone but is enough to annoy perfectly legit buyers and potentially get things off on a bad footing. I can see the merits of having to come up with some money to make you think seriously (ISTR I had to do something like this on my first ever purchase in the 80s) but it is presented badly.

Bibliophile_2

googler wrote: »

Priceless - the "Online Estate Agent" would be much improved with a high-street presence !!!

On other threads, posters regard the LACK of a high-street presence as HN's positive point ......

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Maybe you should have rubbed your eyes a bit better this morning when you posted this one too.

I'm glad you found it so amusing, I guess because you thought I meant open an Estate Agents shop. However, if you read the post correctly, I didn't actually say "high street presence" What I actually did say was "somehow having a "shop" window/presence in the local area."

However, since you raised it, the concept of a "shop window" does not mean there has to be a shop, or glass involved! Your "shop window" could be a page in the local newspaper, or a board in a public area, or a screen where people can access information easily.

not_loaded

googler wrote: »

It was 7.26am; gimme a break.

Readybrek or Newcastle Brown is the answer to that problem.

googler

Bibliophile wrote: »

I'm glad you found it so amusing, I guess because you thought I meant open an Estate Agents shop. However, if you read the post correctly, I didn't actually say "high street presence" What I actually did say was "somehow having a "shop" window/presence in the local area."

However, since you raised it, the concept of a "shop window" does not mean there has to be a shop, or glass involved! Your "shop window" could be a page in the local newspaper, or a board in a public area, or a screen where people can access information easily.

I think my term 'high-street presence' perfectly encapsulates your second paragraph quoted above, whatever form the presence takes.

I didn't think you meant open a shop, necessarily, but since so many folks here point out that 'online estate agency' is the way to go, and that they 'never go into town these days', and 'never look in estate agents' windows, just on the web', I have to say that your suggestion that HN might do just the opposite to what these folk suggest will work, did tickle me somewhat......

boots_babe

Personally, whilst I have said before on here that we were happy with them for the price, one major improvement would be to not need us on top of them all the time. We did find we had to be extremely proactive and remind them things all the time / repeat ourselves / check on them.

To reiterate, we were happy with the outcome, and glad we went with them as it was definitely worth it - plus the local agents we tried were all truly awful. But you asked how they could improve, so there you go!

Davesnave

Personally, I think they should stop allowing sellers to load about 27 photos of their house and limit it to around 8 - 10 max.

Some people cannot grasp the idea that a wealth of photographs might put off potential viewers, as there is no air of mystery left, nothing left to the imagination and, inferentially, little more to be learned from a personal inspection; about as exciting as a formula novel, if you like.

Yes, I know we are all rational creatures, but the element of surprise, or at least the potential to be surprised, remains important.

Also, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that large numbers of photos and verbose descriptions generally mark out sellers who think their property 'special,' with all that may imply in terms of inflexibility on an already inflated price. Occasionally, it also reflects desperation on the part of the agent, seller, or both.

becs

I think that the 27 photos is great. I personally can't stand to see deatils that don't show the whole house. I don't want to waste my time and the vendors viewing a property that I would not be remotely interested in because of the rooms or areas of the property that I haven't seen. In my opinion having all the photos means the buyers who view your property are more likely to be genuine buyers who will offer because there are no surprises. It certainly worked for me because we had appx 8 viewings and had 4 offers, of the 8 viewings 2 of them were second viewings so 4 out of 6 ended up offering. And yes I did think my house was special to all the others on the estate and the fact I sold for £15k more than the highest price previously on there obviously backed this theory! A house is what someone is prepared to pay for it and sometimes local agents vastly underestimate this because they want quick turnaround and easy sales.