Estate Agents - Online vs Traditional

googler

Littleweedj wrote: »

This is my first post and how glad I was to come across this thread.

I'm at the starting point of selling my house and had never even thought of doing this online before However, just about everyone I know who is buying or selling researches the internet first before even thinking of high street estate agents.

I've been talking to one located in Bury called Express Estate Agents, they charge 1.95% commission plus vat. They state they can sell your house really quickly for 90 - 100% of the market value. However, this does seem a bit expensive. Does anyone have experience of this company or recommend them?

My, what a happy coincidence. A thread relating to them disappears, and you pop up with your first post to tell us exactly how much they charge, and exactly where they're located

Yorkie1

My friend just sold his house through an online EA. Their service was shocking and he wouldn't do it again. They did not follow any instructions he had given them, and as they didn't have a high street presence he was very frustrated when trying to rectify matters.

timmyt

Traditional 100% every time.

They both are online (Rightmove) but traditional have:

1. bricks and mortar offices you can visit in case things go wrong
2. offices full stop where pubic can visit as it is well known that Rightmove never has all an Agents properties on at any one time
3. online do not all do viewings and let you do them - don't !
4. use local as they have the pulse on the Town and area

good luck, a traditional estate agent pays for themselves

Sponge

I can't question points 1 and 2 at this time, but 3 and 4? What exactly do you mean by '...having their finger on the pulse...'? And what's so bad about providing a viewing oneself?

I put my house on the market last week and after much deliberation, opted for an online agent (gets house on Rightmove). I have my second viewing this afternoon.

Each viewing has been organised easily and swiftly, by a mixture of email, text and phonecalls. I'll admit I was a little nervous about the first viewing, but it went very well and I'm looking forward to the next.

I'm also buying and have viewed several houses myself, via different estate agents (all properties sourced via RM), and none of them have been able to offer anything over and above what I did during mine. In fact, the last house I tried* to view had someone living there and the EA was not accompanying me. What exactly are they paid to do again?

*As it happens, the vendor wasn't there either and after hanging around for 5 minutes in case they were on the loo (or something) we called the EA. They couldn't reach the vendor, so we walked away.

Littleweedj

Thanks everyone for comments and information - most helpful.

I would prefer someone else to do the viewings for me but one local agent (and I don't think they are alone) said every viewing would cost an additional £36.00, as this would mean staff overtime etc. I know in the current market viewings are not as prolific as before but, at this cost, I will do my own.

Littleweedj

googler wrote: »

My, what a happy coincidence. A thread relating to them disappears, and you pop up with your first post to tell us exactly how much they charge, and exactly where they're located

Googler, I'm not quite sure what you mean, I can assure you my post is genuine.

As I am new to MSE I have no idea why a thread disappears, if it can be deleted by the poster or if this has to be done by the site administrator. Perhaps you can advise.

It is very easy to get the info on their charges and location - it's on their website!!!!. My neighbour gave me their website as I would like to sell relatively quickly.

However, when they provided me with the commission I thought it high for an on-line agency and have now decided not to market my property through them. On further research the reason they probably can sell within weeks is because they advertise properties at exceedingly low prices and way below what would be expected even in the current market. So I am still researching on who to use.

paulsad

I've just switched from an online based firm to traditional shop EA. The online people were absolutely useless - little or no feedback from the few actual viewings we got. I had to email to suggest a price drop and even then they took their time in coming back to me. I even had what I can only suspect were a few bogus viewing appointments booked -
Hoping for more luck with the new guys.