Online Estate Agents -would you recommend?

Financial_Savvy

Anyone had any good experience of online estate agents? i.e. ones that list with Rightmove?

timgallon

I have just signed up to Hatched.co.uk.

They have been round to measure up and do all the photos and 360 shots.

My property should go "live" on the net next week. This includes Rightmove.

That is when all the fun and games will start for sure!

I'll do an update on my experiences as and when things happen.

sjcollett

so pleased i found this - we are also thinking of selling our property with housenetwork or hatched (although leaning to hatched at moment as reviews are SOOO good)

Just worried if we will lose out as we used a local agent last time to sell our property and they were great and sold it...but vs. hatched etc they are 3k more...and that is a HUGE sum of money to save...although only if we get a sale so am trying to figure out how much was the input from the local agent... decisions decisions!!

Rainmaker_uk

We used housesimple.co.uk and they were very good and offer 3 different levels of costs - plus they are on Rightmove as well as Primelocation.com

timmyt

avoid if you pay a cheap fee upfront as where is their motivation to sell it....and you may end up doing your own viewings...not ideal as agents sell far more houses than we do.

Financial_Savvy

Timgallon

How are you getting on with Hatched? Had any viewings yet?

chris180682

Financial_Savvy wrote: »

I have been doing some more research into online estate agents and have found

Hatched
House Simple
My Property For Sale
House Network
Emoov
121move

Prices vary but on average between £299 + VAT up to £499 + VAT

Anybody got any experience of these?

Hi, we have had our house on with 121 move as it was the cheapest around. I do agree to a certain extent that as there is no commision it may mean they lack some motivation but on the othet hand i would say most estate agents do very little for their money. 121's photo's were excellent and they were fairly proffesional but i would criticise their lack of following up for feedback after viewings. They just send an email to the viewer requesting feedback but will phone them if you ask, another plus is the messaging service as you can correspond with prospective buyers through this and you get text alerys when you have a new message or viewing. I think it's certainly worth trying them as you can be saving thousands, or even use them as well as anothet agebt as if you sell through 121 you ate saving the huge commission fee's.

Racky_Roo

I used housenetwork and thought they were very good. Always kept me up to date with any info. I saved £1100 going with them and sold to the first people who viewed the house. I would have been v annoyed to have paid an EA £1550 for one weeks work

TVA

As an EA I feel obliged to point out the drawbacks of these companies - I have taken over properties that they have been unable to sell. Firstly you pay upfront so they have no incentive to sell, secondly with most of them you will end up doing all the viewings and negotiating - some at least do no follow up what so ever on viewings and I have known them be unable to say who has viewed etc. In terms of the negotiating a good EA will get you a higher price in many situations as we can read the clients - we've heard it all before. In some areas there may also be issues with the valuations - most will be fine but they may not have the same level of local knowledge which in certain areas will cause problems. That said they are cheap, they advertise in the right places (although some just give your phone no to interested parties which may put viewers off) and you know what you are getting.

Davesnave

Racky_Roo wrote: »

I used housenetwork and thought they were very good. Always kept me up to date with any info. I saved £1100 going with them and sold to the first people who viewed the house. I would have been v annoyed to have paid an EA £1550 for one weeks work

Depends when this was of course, but did it ever occur to you that a good agent might have got you more? The fact that you sold to the first people who viewed the house suggests they might have done.

I sold a house in 2006. By choosing the agent carefully, I made £18k more than one of the know-it-all types decided it was worth. Local agents know more about the local nuances of the market, including school catchment areas etc.

immx

Hi All!


Just thought I'd let you all know that I have a discount code for online estate agents House Network

Just enter the code IMDHVTFILI either online or give the code over the phone for a 5% discount!!