Selling house - Agent has sent no viewers

fredmila

I put my house in the market, in the Midlands, with an estate agent at the end of October. The house is new and in very good condition. The agent adviced on the asking price, we did not tell him what it should be.

The agent has not organised any viewings since then. Excuses could be Christmas break, end of reduced VAT, increase of stamp duty, snow in January/February. I may understand no sale, but not even viewings?

Is it time to dump the agent? other people with similar problem?

jenny_13

Can you post a rightmove link as the pictures may be putting people off?

Get a friend to ring up asking for a property like yours and see what they offer.

Good luck

fredmila

I have to say that I always disliked the agent's pictures. One of the sales agents took them instead of hiring a photographer. His pictures don't do justice to the fancy finishes and fittings we put in the house. I took pictures and they are much better but I was not going to do the agent's job and give them my pictures.

This site does not let me put links. All I can do now is to put the search details in rightmove:

£295,000 4 bedroom detached house for sale Fen Road, Little Hale, NG34

There are no other houses like this so it's easy to find

pimento

Is it this one?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-27577703.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^15231&insId=3&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FsearchType%3DSALE%26locationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E15231%26insId%3D3%26radius%3D0.0%26displayPropertyType%3D%26minBedrooms%3D%26maxBedrooms%3D%26minPrice%3D%26maxPrice%3D%26retirement%3D%26partBuyPartRent%3D%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D%26_includeSSTC%3Don%26x%3D51%26y%3D6%26sortByPriceDescending%3D%26primaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26secondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26newHome%3D%26auction%3Dfalse

jenny_13

I've just had a look for me it looks too clinical. What is picture 5 as I can't tell if it's a bedroom or reception room. I'd ask for the photos to be redone as the garden one looks to have been talen from the wrong angle.

Remember the estate agent will make plenty out of you when it sells hassle them and get better pictures up.

fredmila

pimento: yes it's that one.

Picture 5 is an alcove area of the master bedroom. That's what worried me, I know what things are, what flooring, etc but people cannot see it. I could tell them to tkae the photos again but I doubt they will send a photographer.

There is one thing I cannot understand, if this agent has several properties in the area, why can he not just tell people who he takes to see another property: "come on just have a look at this one while you are in the area" if only to get feed-back from him. Unless he has no-one to see the other properties either....

jenny_13

When we were looking there was only one agent who recommended similar properties the rest didn't seem to care. Have you noticed if many others in the area have sold recently?

fredmila

To be honest, not many properties have sold in the area, but then it is rural and there are not as many in the market as in a city. Rightmove has a mark on properties that have been sold. This agent does not have ANY properties marked as sold. Others have from one to seven. And this agent boast being big so they charge a higher commission than others.

Milliewilly

fredmila wrote: »

To be honest, not many properties have sold in the area, but then it is rural and there are not as many in the market as in a city. Rightmove has a mark on properties that have been sold. This agent does not have ANY properties marked as sold. Others have from one to seven. And this agent boast being big so they charge a higher commission than others.

I think you have the same problem as me - pretty rural so its going to take a while. Having said that I have had 6 viewings in 5 months 2 of which the house was off the market as sold.

I don't think the pictures look bad enough to warrant no viewers though, its usually price too high = no viewings. Being empty too imo I would expect it to be very keenly priced.

fredmila

Another problem I have with the agent is that he doesn't emphasise the features that can tip the balance to convince people to see it: UFH, thermal store, computer network cabling, high energy efficiency, etc. It's a thoroughly modern house but he treats it as any old or estate house.

Doozergirl

The pictures belie the actual space available in the house.

You need a floorplan and without doubt, new photographs taken with a wide angle lens so that you can see more of each room.

The EA that took those pictures is an idiot. I can't believe that the lights aren't even on! The pics I presume, only from looking at the dimensions though, are actually taken from the middle of the kitchen diner rather than to show off the full size of the room. At first glance I thought it was a bit of a poky kitchen, which it isn't.

And why show an alcove of a bedroom without even showing the main section? Or even the main reception room?

They deserve to be sacked. Even without a decent lens they could have made more of an effort but with a wide angle, you will see the whole bathroom rather than a vanity unit.