Traditional vs. online Estate Agents

MobileSaver

googler wrote: »

...and as long as they have the time to do the viewings ... How many working folk have the flexibility in their work life to do this? I would wager very few.

Absolutely but when you are talking a difference in price of literally thousands of pounds I think you will find more folk than you think will find a way to make it work.

longwalks1

I thought an online EA was more for advertising purposes, like advertising your car for sale on eBay and you show the potential buyers around, hence it being so much cheaper

Have never used online, but will if we ever move again

longwalks1

googler wrote: »

...and as long as they have the time to do the viewings (some of which will be during the day, maybe), field the phone calls, and all the other stuff.

How many working folk have the flexibility in their work life to do this? I would wager very few.

If it meant saving a couple (or more) thousand pounds, I'm sure a lot would. Evenings and weekend viewings would be ideal

the_quick

We just got offer on our flat, went with emoov. Now in process of progressing through sale. So far I'm very happy, I deal with office team (4 people assigned to our sale) - they all know me, so don't have to explain situation each time I call. All information is quickly passed between my buyer and myself. Email responses are within an hour. So all good so far.
Much worse experience with high street agents as a buyer - emails go without replies for days, phone calls not returned. If we even managed to arrange booking, we had to call twice to ask for property address. As I said, different estate agents but most not appealing experience - all of them trying to sell us, their mortgage advisers - some more pushy than others.

longwalks1

PokerPlayer111 wrote: »

For £99 i think its just get it on rightmove and zoopla which is where the buyers come from + make use of the online infrastructure. Cant expect much more i guess if only picking the £99 package.



I currently have offer accepted with traditional EA and house not yet marked as SSTC and still on rightmove. Also already paid solicitor instruction fee which was a solicitor via the EA. URGH!

We bought through a traditional EA 3 years ago, and the place we bought was still for sale on Rightmove right up to about 2 weeks before we moved in! I gave up asking the EA to remove it after about the tenth call

victoriavictorious

Lauralou79 wrote: »

Our house was sold via an online agent. As a buyer it was easy, we booked viewing online, the vendor dealt with the viewings. We put offers in online that went straight to the vendors and could also send messages. No games or awaiting for the agents to pass it on etc.
Once our offer was accepted all online it went straight off the market and Rightmove.
Can only speak about buying, tho the vendors did have good photos taken and a costed valuation as well as a sign outside.

Sounds like same the online agent we're selling through at the moment
We've been SSTC since last week and having bought/sold multiple times in the past, I have to say that this agent has been a real breath of fresh air after previous experiences with high st agents.
Surprisingly, it wasnt *just* about the cheaper price for us (although the £5K plus saving was not to be sniffed at), it was more about the thousands of positive reviews, their modus operandi and not least, their CS - which has been outstanding and faultless up to now.
Phone calls are returned immediately, emails responded to immediately, you are kept informed of progress without having to constantly chase chase chase, (as we are having to do now trying to set up viewings with high st agents and theyve been a nightmare!) Everything just purrs along smoothly like a Rolls Royce.
We chose to pay upfront (we didn't opt for their 'premium' service, just the regular one) but were given the option to pay later, at no extra cost. I asked for a discount when I paid upfront, and got 5% off. There is no time limit, if a sale falls through, you just click on your control panel, and back it goes on RM. You have full control of your own listing.
In answer to the old chestnut of "oh, once they've got your money..they won't bother." no, that couldn't be further from the truth; it doesn't makes a jot of difference. No online agent could afford to take that stance, or they wouldnt stay in business for long, as they rely on their reputation. This company has been around for 13 years now and the business model seems to work, so they must be doing something right. They can provide a decent service for a low cost because everyone pays a fee, not just those vendors who sell having to subsidise the those who do not.
As for viewings, they will do those too for an extra charge if required. However, I did them myself. The erection of a board is also included in the price, but we didn't want one.
Our property was not one that would have necessarily 'sold itself' as it appealed to quite a niche market, but we got 2 offers within a month. All our viewers remarked on how impressed they were with the efficient and polite way they were treated.
Now that our sale is under way, our agents have emailed a timeframe of when they will follow up each stage, and how progress will be chased if xy is delayed.
I know that some high st agents are good, but unfortunately in our experience they are as rare as hens teeth and the rest need to up their game, get with the times and start offering decent CS if they are to have any hope of competing with the best of the online agents.

buglawton

PokerPlayer111 wrote: »

The viewing i done the other day the guy was selling his third house using online estate agents. He was using doorsteps this time because of the price and housesimple before that. He couldn't be happier with the selling experience.

Radio 4 has a programme this evening about teenage entrepreneurs and Doorsteps was featured as it was started by an A level student, also it was crowdfunded. I recognise the model as being Openrent but for selling. OP asked that once you’ve committed to the fee, where is the incentive for such an online agent to sell your house? Actually its up to you to sell your house via the way you price and present it. So Doorsteps is just a way to get into Rightmove/Zoopla for £99/£199 and get viewers. Were I selling I’d give them a spin.

kinger101

PB isn't the only online agent, and many high-street agents offer a no-viewings service too. In fact, PB do offer viewing as well (though it's very difficult to book one). Many "on-line" agents do proper sales progression as well.

You need to ask any agent what their service includes, and judge the quality of their adverts/photos for their current advertisements too. Pick the one you like best and negotiate.

Davesnave

bertiewhite wrote: »

My house is currently on the market and already we've had to provide the Estate Agent with better photos and chase them regularly for updates, effectively doing some of the job for them.

I went with a traditional (commission) EA because I was under the impression that they will try harder than an "up front" EA due to the fact that if it doesn't sell, they get nothing.

If I remember rightly, you're in Ceredigion. I remember because we tried to buy there and 'enjoyed' the services of some pretty dire agents over there. Many of them were probably happier selling horses or sheep, I think, but at least there was no danger of attempted pressure selling!

With regard to the photos and write-up on Rightmove, you did have sight of what they put on the internet for others, though perhaps you wouldn't have known how little follow-up or real negotiation they seem to do.

We struggled, making offers on two properties. The agents more or less laughed at them. Later.....much later, both properties sold for less than what we were prepared to go to, but by then we were here, 150 miles away!

buglawton

You didn't explain what your actual problem with Doorsteps was, did you Normal? I'll flag your post as :spam: 'cos your suspicious use of SEO bait tags makes it look like you're working for a competitor.


[ Edit, looks like the post I replied to here is now gone ]