Would you sell without an EA?

fluffymitten

Something I'm mulling over and thought I'd ask for a learned opinion from the congregation!

There's a number of sites now where you can advertise your property for sale and so cut out the middle man (aka Estate Agent). I just wonder if this is a good idea? I've often wondered if they are worth the money as I've never been too impressed on the occasions I've used them (from a buying and a selling point of view).

However, I guess I see it as paying for the convenience of making someone else show people around my house so I don't have to take loads of time off work to do the job myself.

Do you think EA's add value?

bap98189

Viewings are only a small part of what you pay an estate agent for. Really the costs associated with that are small, it takes what half an hour of someone's time (maybe more if you include travelling).

What you are really paying for is marketing. Whether it be photos, schedules, adverts, website listings or whatever, they have the means to get your house noticed by far more potential buyers then you do on your own.

FireWyrm

I sold without an EA. I did the viewings, i appointment my solicitor and I ran the whole thing with the co-operation of the buyer who similarly rode their solicitor. EA's like to pretend they do lots for that nice fat £3K they take off you, the truth is, they dont. I did wonder if I was biased, so when I was a buyer I asked various local EA's in the area I was interested in to find me a suitable property. Most were less than useless. Essentially, I ended up doing most of the donkey work myself, i found a property, viewed it on the internet, rang up and asked to see it. Nine times out of ten, the local EA couldnt answer the most basic of general questions about the property and it was the equivalent of kicking the tyres of a new car, with about as much knowledge and satisfaction. On the other hand, when I sold, I showed my potential buyers around, I could answer every single question regarding general running costs, council tax, amenities, schools etc.

Yes, I used HouseNetwork and it cost me a few hundred in advertising...that was it. No stupid sole agency, no chasing EA's for updates, no lies and the solicitor couldnt hide behind their supposed incompetence either, because I didnt use one....something my solicitor was most unhappy to find out when I caught her in an outright lie.

My opinion is that EA's do absolutely nothing you couldn't do yourself. In fact, I actually caught one local EA who had stolen the pictures from HN which I had paid for, advertising MY property on THEIR website without MY permission, or a contract and who were incredulous when I demanded they remove it immediately. They would most certainly have demanded their 'fees' if I had unknowingly accepted a viewing through them.

hotpot1000

I agree firewyrm, Im about to exchange to move next week and today find that the vendor's solicitor and EA have not told my conveyancer the vendor is buying a house with the funds I give for his.
The person in charge of emptying the house my vendor is buying needs a week's notice and neither the vendor's solicitor or EA have contacted her.

So now Im not moving in the forseeable
what do we pay these people for?

googler

FireWyrm wrote: »

I sold without an EA.

Yes, I used HouseNetwork and it cost me a few hundred in advertising...

My opinion is that EA's do absolutely nothing you couldn't do yourself.....

Well, you DID use an EA, for HN call themselves an 'online estate agent' ....

And you've contradicted yourself, since they did at least one major thing you can't do yourself, and that's getting you onto Rightmove and any other portals they use, since you can't get onto them as a private seller....

FireWyrm

googler wrote: »

Well, you DID use an EA, for HN call themselves an 'online estate agent' ....

And you've contradicted yourself, since they did at least one major thing you can't do yourself, and that's getting you onto Rightmove and any other portals they use, since you can't get onto them as a private seller....

They advertise as an online EA but they are more like an advertising portal. I would expect to pay for advertising my property, but I object to paying thousands for a supposed salesperson who does nothing except upload the house particulars to rightmove, take a few pathetic pictures with a box camera and open the door for viewers. EAs I met were seemingly disinterested in the process and were unable to answer basic questions. If you are buying a car, the salesman had better be able to tell you how many miles per gallon, what it's tax bracket is and it's service history. Apprently, turning a key in a lock and escorting you around a house while mumbling about the colour of the kitchen counts as 'selling'. For this service, they take at least 3K. When a new EA was approached in the area I wanted to buy, despite having a fairly specific set of requirements, I was peppered with advertising for all sorts of properties that were entirely unsuitable and not at all what I had asked for. I ended up looking on Rightmove myself and simply ringing the relevant EA to arrange for them to open a door.

On the other hand, I paid a few hundred pounds to an 'online' EA who not only took a dozen good pictures, provided a flyaround model, provided a nice sign and handled interested phone calls, arranged appointments finally followed up with the potential buyer. I call that money well spent and good value.

Dexters_Indignation

It can be done, but it really is a hassle.
A real mission!

Though EA's are technically the spawn of Satan, they are needed.

I find it hard to admit that the numbers fall in the favor of agents, but its true.

They get more viewings and they are the market for houses, though soon this may not be the case.

Many moons ago I had to do some research on this, i would love to tell you all to sell yourselves, but alas....

Dexters_Indignation

PS I am not an EA nor ever have been!