No viewings via HouseNetwork - Time to go for a high street EA?

soundsystem

We've recently put our home up for sale and decided to go through HouseNetwork.

Our previous home sold within 3 days and of the 7 viewings we had all had come directly from Rightmove so we figured HouseNetwork were the best bet.

The property has now been on the market for nearly 4 weeks and we've not had a snippet of interest. Initially we priced it too high (easy to see in hindsight) and so we reduced it down within 10 days.

The rightmove statistics are fairly promising and are above average for the area but we'd like a quick sale and nothing's happening.

Will I have much better luck with an EA? What more can they offer?

nomoneytoday

Depends on if your EA has potential buyers already on their books. Only you and they can decide

soundsystem

nomoneytoday wrote: »

Depends on if your EA has potential buyers already on their books. Only you and they can decide

I know what they'll tell me. The reality may be a different matter!

sonastin

An EA can ask the people on their books why they aren't interested in viewing and give you that feedback, which rightmove stats can't do.

But nothing in 4 weeks in this market isn't too shocking (depending on where you are). In most parts of the country, the days of selling within minutes of going on the market are but a distant memory. And in theory you haven't even been visible for that long - if your price drop took you into a different search bracket on rightmove you've only been noticible to buyers looking in the lower bracket since you dropped your price.

googler

soundsystem wrote: »

Will I have much better luck with an EA? What more can they offer?

A High Street window.
Advertising in print, maybe.
Day-to-day contact with buyers who are looking to buy in your area - possibly buyers who haven't looked at Rightmove.
Day-to-day contact with sellers in your area - who may turn out to be buyers for your home.

Put yourself in the position of someone looking to buy in your town. If they come from out of town to check out neighbourhoods, etc., what will they do? They'll walk in to the EAs in your town to ask 'What have you got (or what will you be getting) that would suit me?' Even if they've browsed Rightmove first, they will still do this, I'll wager.

carefullycautious

Housenetwork always seem overpriced to me in comparison to houses on with high street estate agents

Conrad

People always say EA's bring now't to the table, but in my experience a good ea will phone all thier hot viewers and try and get them round.

In the end though price is key and if somewhere does not sell it is by definition over priced but a suprisingly high proportion cannot see this when it comes to selling thier pride and joy - just as xfactor contestants over rate themselves.

If no viewers at all then it has to be down to price, for sure.

soundsystem

carefullycautious wrote: »

Housenetwork always seem overpriced to me in comparison to houses on with high street estate agents

I guess this is due to the fact that Housenetwork don't advice on price so people (same as us) have a punt at the higher price.

Housenetwork have suggested marketing the property at the lowst price we would accept and then asking for "offers in excess of". Is there any mileage in this do you think?

beccad

Housenetwork asked us what price we wanted to market out property for, rather than advising us what to put it on for. It's the sellers who determine that...

OP, what sort of property do you have? Are potential buyers people who would generally look online for properties? What's the market like generally in your area? CAn you post a link?

sonastin

soundsystem wrote: »

I guess this is due to the fact that Housenetwork don't advice on price so people (same as us) have a punt at the higher price.

Housenetwork have suggested marketing the property at the lowst price we would accept and then asking for "offers in excess of". Is there any mileage in this do you think?

People will still just look at the numbers and then put in an offer below it. Doesn't matter what words you use to preface the number. I have a shortlist on rightmove of properties upto the maximum I could spend. There are a couple at the top end with "offers in excess of" on there. When I sell my house, I might still go and take a look and if I decide to offer, it will be for what I think they are worth, regardless of the OIEO instructions. The vendors are free to decline but I suspect from other threads on this forum that that is what most prospective buyers will do as well (assuming they even view - some view it as offensive enough to put them off the house completely!)

beccad

I'm not keen on the 'Offers in excess of' thing either. Plus do people ever offer all that much in excess anyway?! If I was faced with that I'd put in a lower than OIEO offer to begin with, followed by an offer £1 over the price if I really wanted the property lol!