Estate agents contract periods

RobRey

I have signed a 15 week sole agency contract to sell my house. After 6 weeks the service has been poor and I have had just one viewing. They have also suggested I drop the price dramatically from the price they set originally. I want to get out and engage another estate agents but how do I do it without incurring two lots of fees?

Browntoa

You cannot , that's why it's called a contract

RobRey

Even when arguably they are in breach of contract through poor service, very few viewings and moving the goalposts?

eddddy

Most EAs will negotiate down their minimum contract period, before you sign the contract - in order to win your business.

But once you've signed, they don't have any incentive to reduce the contract period.

I guess you can ask them, but expect to be disappointed.

Also, bear in mind that the contract will not automatically finish after 15 weeks - you will have to give them written notice, often 2 or 4 weeks in advance. So read your contract carefully, to check what yu need to do.

eddddy

RobRey wrote: »

Even when arguably they are in breach of contract through poor service, very few viewings and moving the goalposts?

Which term in the contract have they breached?

You will have to be very specific to succeed with that route - i.e. by pointing at the specific clause(s) in the contract that they have breached.

RobRey

Thanks.

I could always take it off the market until the 15 weeks are over and put it up with another agent and start again.

eddddy

RobRey wrote: »

Thanks.

I could always take it off the market until the 15 weeks are over and put it up with another agent and start again.

Again, you need to read the contract and/or discuss this with the EA.

I suspect that you might have agreed to let them advertise your property for a minimum of 15 weeks.

You could say, for example, that you won't accept any viewings. Then they might stop advertising it on the portals, but they might not - e.g. they might use your property to attract customers to their other properties and to make them seen busier.

G_M

Since you are planning to sign up with another agent, I assume you still want to sell?

In which case, what exactly do you gain by taking the property off the market till the contract ends?

Just read the contract and determine how much notice you have to give. Remain in the market with them, and then in week11 (if 4 weeks notice is needed) put your notice in writing.

Ask for a list of clients they have introduced and give this to you next agent (so they know there would be a conflict if those clients buyers returned).

And next time negotiate a 6 or 8 week minimum contract period.

diveteachr

As the above says, don't wait until the minimum term is up to give your notice of termination of contract. I was also unimpressed with my original EA after a couple of weeks (almost immediately telling me to drop the price after signing contract etc etc....) and decided to take it off the market for a month after the contract ended just to brighten up communal areas and reset the amount of time the property had been on the market. Ended up selling rather quickly and with a different EA on a better rate of commission second time around. All's well that ends well