Selling. 3 months and no offers

SleeplessinScandinavia

Nothing to stop anyone registering, not only with RM, but zoopla and primelocation, for example, who also send out property alerts. I've said before elsewhere that not all property for sale is necessarily on RM.

I find whoever one registers with, there is little point in making an enquiry of an agent, via whatever site you're using, because the agent hardly ever answers: you must contact the agent yourself.

There are only really two main reasons for not selling a property: either its overpriced or you have an exceptionally poor agent.

Last house I sold it was a combination of the two: nobody told me it would be a good idea to get rid of an old carpet, and re-expose an original parquet floor - nor that my kitchen was an odd shape!

When I dealt with both these things (a builder blocked up an old doorway, and made a new one, for around £1200) the house suddenly became more marketable and I got much better offers.

Good luck!:)

I think its important to identify the most appealing things about any property

cwcw

googler wrote: »

The flaw with this approach is that you won't see any of the properties that don't make it onto Rightmove, nor will you see any properties listed by agents who don't use RM....

I'm registered with several agents in my area, and only one has ever (once) contacted me about a property that was available before it was on the internet. All the others just email me properties as and when, and they're ones I've already found for myself via Rightmove and my own property alerts.

In fact, when discussing with one agent my requirements, I emphasised I did not want to miss out on ones new to the market that sell before they go on the internet, to which the agent replied that would never happen because they put them online straight away! I did wonder what the point was in registering...

Davesnave

cwcw wrote: »

In fact, when discussing with one agent my requirements, I emphasised I did not want to miss out on ones new to the market that sell before they go on the internet, to which the agent replied that would never happen because they put them online straight away! I did wonder what the point was in registering...

I think things have altered considerably since the arrival of the Internet as a primary source.

Years ago, it seemed common for agents in our town to play their standard properties hard, but keep a few others they knew they'd sell easily for lower-key 'discreet' marketing. Sale boards weren't encouraged by the local authority and the EAs had an agreement not to use them, so properties could slip under the radar. It was a whole different ball game.

It was only when we sold and agreed a private purchase with a friend that these 'extra' houses magically appeared. Pleased to say we still weren't interested in altering our decision.

Today, living in the country, I know agents who'll tip people off about properties coming to market some time before they do. Whether they only do this for locals, I can't say. Either way, it would be an unusual owner who wouldn't want their property to get maximum market exposure via the Internet, so virtually all end up there.

GDB2222

advice_please wrote: »

Feedback has been good, location, decor, good size rooms all round etc. but being a kitchen breakfast room and a living- diner as only main reception is putting people off.

You'll either have to wait until someone comes along who wants your room layout, or drop the price a bit to tempt people to compromise. Is the present layout the way it was built or has it been changed? Personally, we have a largish kitchen-diner, and we virtually never use the dining room.

Parafira

I am a first time buyer looking for a house, I have registered with several EAs, and yet I have to check all the websites and chase the EAs. Estate agents nowadays are a bit lazy. Twice I called to an EA (different EAs) asking to arrange a viewing, but they never got back to me, although those houses are still on the market.

Yes, in general, it is down to the right price, but if I cannot even view the house or cannot get enough info (house plans, EPC certificates, etc) before the viewing, I will not even think if the price is right.

phoebe1989seb

Parafira wrote: »

Estate agents nowadays are a bit lazy. Twice I called to an EA (different EAs) asking to arrange a viewing, but they never got back to me, although those houses are still on the market.

When we were buying/selling last year we were looking at such a wide area (Wilts, Dorset, Hants, West Sussex) it would not have been possible to register with every EA. We contacted one asking to view a very promising looking property in Hants that was some 150 miles from the house we were currently living in/selling. We explained we were travelling down specifically to view several houses and they said they would make the arrangements. the house in question had been on the market for ages (but with various different agents) - since before we had sold our previous house in 2007 :eek:

Yet, for whatever reason the EA (who initially said they were having probs contacting the vendor) never came back to us. Instead they emailed us details of a whole load of totally inappropriate properties - our criteria were very specific and they appeared to have completely ignored this. A couple of weeks later we found our new home and completed on both our sale and purchase a month later. Over a year later the house is still on the market - albeit at a slightly reduced asking price

FireWyrm

googler wrote: »

Some folks around here would suggest that nobody leaves their names and requirements with agents anymore, and everyone 'looks on Rightmove' .... so ;

Does anyone leave their names with local agents when buying, in the hope that the agent will contact them with the right property for them?

I was stupid enough to do this with a few agents when I was trying to buy. We had reams of pamphlets, printouts and telephone calls all for properties that were entirely unsuitable, out of our price range (usually by miles) or just plain not what we asked for. I didnt get one pamphlet for a property I actually wanted to view. However, I was on Rightmove daily trawling adds and compiling short listed properties I was interested in.

littlesparkles

advice_please wrote: »

How did you go about agent 2 and did you ditch agent 1. Was it price or agent which drove the offer do you think?

Price.

Kept it up with both agents.

Although when the sale is all sorted I will ask the buyer why they went through agent 2. Just out of curiosity. Agent 2 is the most expensive in the area and they do seem to market more aggressively. Ultimately though it was the price. Our property was one of the cheapest 2 bed flats available at the time in our area. Simple really. We would have loved to have sold for more but it was more important for us to get moving to a new place so this meant accepting a small loss.

advice_please_2

Holls1981 wrote: »

Would you be prepared to put a link to your property on here so we can have a look and see of there's anything that may be letting you down. Sometimes somebody impartial looking is the best thing.

I'll rather not for now
But friends and other agency who came to value who are trying to get us on their books says it looks good on net

It's a 4 bed semi, garage, kitchen/breakfast and then a lounge diner.
Built circa 2000.

advice_please_2

SleeplessinScandinavia wrote: »

There are only really two main reasons for not selling a property: either its overpriced or you have an exceptionally poor agent.



Good luck!:)

I think its important to identify the most appealing things about any property

thanks
But property price is there or there about from valuation, what prices it has sold versus what's on market near by

Maybe it's agency but they have been selling things