How do you improve Housenetworks service?

chickmug

not_loaded wrote: »

My surprise is in the cellar. I can’t show a photo, as it doesn’t like bright lights… :cool:

Are you sure there are no vampires in their coffins in there:eek:

becs

If it were "1" buyer paying over the top for my property I may have agreed with you. However we had 4 offers of just under the asking price £1.5k under to be exact within 6 or 8 weeks of the property being on the market during the summer holidays- a notorious quiet time of year!
I do think this 1 agent was deliberately undervaluing properties, however because mine in my opinion was vastly undervalued by them I thought there was alot more to it than this! I wouldn't have minded betting they were trying to get a bargain for themselves to then sell on at a tidy profit!
The 27 pics could be a bit excessive as you don't really need to see 3 or 4 of the same room. I think 1 of each of the main rooms/areas of the house is perfect as it lets you see the decor and size etc of rooms. I also personally love floorplans on details! We actually bought our current property in our heads just by looking at what we could do with the floorplans, when we came to view it the agent was quite surprised that the decor or room sizes etc didn't put us off. This was simply because we were already seeing the property as it could be if we bought it. We did buy it, we did knock out the walls we wanted to and we love it.

googler

I like to see more than one for each room; like one from each corner so you see the room from all angles.

We've digressed from the thread topic a bit... but never mind.

chickmug

googler wrote: »

I like to see more than one for each room; like one from each corner so you see the room from all angles.

We've digressed from the thread topic a bit... but never mind.

I think it is still good for me to read all these points of view.

My opinion is many sellers do not value the quality of the sales details and quaity of the pics as highly as you would think. Many will let their agent get away with murder and just don't see the problem as they are not 'Marketing' orientated.

Doozergirl

googler wrote: »

Got to pay the photographer's fees somehow, nobody works for free, and if that winds up being 'expensive', then so be it....

Savills typically have around 8 or 10 photos on their downloadable schedules. Frankly, I think they could do with changing this aspect of their online offering, but....

Question for Chickmug; does photoshopping as described above qualify as a property misdescription?

I've paid £250 for Knight Frank photgraphs. And you get absolutely loads of them, not surprisingly, but your filter them down, choosing the ones you want to use.

House Network obviously don't make you pay for professional photographs but the idea is still that they take loads and you choose the photographs that you want to be seen on the websites, in brochures etc. THey do make that clear but the thing is that the system (that they used to use, certainly) was inredibly clunky and not clear at all. Rather then choosing the ones you want you have to deselect the ones you don't.

I'm not a stupid woman but the first time I used them, it took me three days to get it right as you have to wait for rightmove to update overnight before you can see what you've done.

So an improved user interface for choosing photos you want, not working backwards and taking out ones you dont will help with the 27 photographs of the toilet!

Davesnave

chickmug wrote: »

I think it is still good for me to read all these points of view.

My opinion is many sellers do not value the quality of the sales details and quality of the pics as highly as you would think. Many will let their agent get away with murder and just don't see the problem as they are not 'Marketing' orientated.

Generally, I think you are right, but agents' written Internet details have definitely improved over the last few years, if not their photos.

How do I know? Well, for some years I have been collecting EA howlers. At first, thse were plentiful, but now I'm lucky if I find one in three months of casual searching.

To show you what I mean, here's a couple of examples:

'Numerous period features, which include exposed beams, window seats, stone mullions, log burning stove set in stone built fireplace with clone oven.'

'Situated within this exclusive development of 'New England' style homes in Pentre Nicholas Village enjoying drastic views of the Carmarthen Bay in a highly sought after location with excellent M4 access.'


:rotfl:

chickmug

Davesnave wrote: »

Generally, I think you are right, but agents' written Internet details have definitely improved over the last few years, if not their photos.

I have been around for so long I can recall all the key points when changes took place.

In the old days one pic on the front of A4 sheet, one sided and all photocopied (usually skewed) in B&W.

Then colour mini pics on the front but only one usually. If you were lucky another 1 or 2 on the back.

Then A3 with some more pics until today where more efforts made but the written word leaves much to be desired as well as sloppy checking with some typos.

So I feel many agents still do not have a really good set of details but in five years --- who knows.

googler

With the standards, or lack of same, exhibited by school-leavers these days, I can only see the howlers, typos, etc getting worse.....

Perfect digitally-printed schedules with lousy grammar.

not_loaded

chickmug wrote: »

I think it is still good for me to read all these points of view.
My opinion is many sellers do not value the quality of the sales details and quaity of the pics as highly as you would think. Many will let their agent get away with murder and just don't see the problem as they are not 'Marketing' orientated.

I think you should bear in mind that the viewer might be travelling a long way to view say, six houses in one day. They could easily cross you off their list for a weak presentation.

I always ask if they’re coming far, as it helps to put them at ease with a loo stop, cup of tea etc. One couple who saw our house had an hour before their next viewing. We were able to chat in depth about the area, the schools etc, while relaxing in the 'nice quiet garden' with a cuppa.

They didn’t offer though…

chickmug wrote: »

…Then A3 with some more pics until today where more efforts made but the written word leaves much to be desired as well as sloppy checking with some typos.
So I feel many agents still do not have a really good set of details but in five years --- who knows.

One of our local EAs lets it go through to Rightmove with super descriptions like ‘Bedroom 1 Text Here, Bedroom 2 Text Here, Bedroom 3 Text Here, Bedroom 4 Text Here’. Amazingly it often stays like that for weeks – so it appears that the seller isn’t checking either. :rolleyes:

chickmug

not_loaded wrote: »

I always ask if they’re coming far, as it helps to put them at ease with a loo stop, cup of tea etc. One couple who saw our house had an hour before their next viewing. We were able to chat in depth about the area, the schools etc, while relaxing in the 'nice quiet garden' with a cuppa.

They didn’t offer though…

I was often in disbelief to hear, from the seller, that viewers had stayed for hours, had lunch, several lots of tea/coffee and as you say did not offer. Mind you I think some of these sellers were lonely and enjoyed the bit of company!