Multi estate agent - your experiences??

[Deleted User]

Open question on using more than one estate agent to sell your property.

Positives / negatives?
Your personal experiences?
Did you get more viewings using 2 agencies?
Does it look bad your property is listed more than once on the likes of Rightmove / zoopla etc?
More expensive using two agencies? Double fees or the one who finds the buyer gets the fee.
Do people generally use more than 2 estate agents?

pinkteapot

Made sense 30 years ago when people had to go round local agents and ask what houses were for sale.

I can’t see any reason to use more than one agency today. Buyers look on Rightmove. Having looked at hundreds of houses on there this year I’d say it’s a TINY minority that use more than one agency.

Personally, I’m much more likely to dismiss instantly a house with more than one agent. I assume that it wasn’t selling (so likely overpriced) and the seller thought adding a second agent would help. And in the time I’ve been looking, houses that have been up for a while and added a second agent have been the ones that are too overpriced to even bother viewing.

eddddy

Lemonade2018 wrote: »

More expensive using two agencies? Double fees or the one who finds the buyer gets the fee.

Typically, the agent who finds the buyer gets the fee - but a multi-agency fee is usually higher than a sole agency fee.

A multi-agency might be 2% to 3%, whereas a sole agency fee might be 1% to 1.5%.

But generally EAs don't like multi agency, and will try to persuade you to go sole agency. So they might be more willing to negotiate on their sole agency fee.

comedyseeker123

There is no need with Right Move imo.

Davesnave

Lemonade2018 wrote: »

.
Do people generally use more than 2 estate agents?

No. The disadvantages listed already see to this.

As a casual observer of local property, I notice that multi-agency houses are usually those that have sat around for a while and failed to sell, or those owned by elderly people who haven't quite made it into the 21st century yet.

hazyjo

My impression? I think it makes them look desperate, or they don't really have a clue and might be a pain to deal with, or that they are properties which will be harder to sell for some reason. All these listed impressions make me wary. Wouldn't stop me offering, but I'd be cautious and would prob try a cheekier offer thinking they were desperate.

cattie

Another one here who thinks it looks as if vendor is quite desperate to sell. I'd be questioning why & probably wouldn't even bother to go to view as I'd assume something must be wrong with the property.

Grenage

As above; multiple agents scream desperation.

PasturesNew

As a potential viewer/buyer, I despise them.

They smack of DESPERATE!!!

I don't know which agent to call.

I assume the price is higher than it needs be to cover the higher fees.

I assume there might be some "playing off" between agents, frustrating a meaningful response to an offer being made.

I just put those to the back of the queue for viewings.

ethank

I personally love multi-agency. Whilst there is a lot on Rightmove, some houses sell before they even get on on Rightmove. This requires estate agents to move quickly. It allows me as a seller to speak with both agencies and play them off against each other. I have done this twice and sold within three weeks.

TiberUK

We are currently in the process of buying a new build from a large development which is marketed with two agents. I personally liked having a choice; one agent has been a hell of a lot more pleasant to deal with than the other and it was great to be able to choose to buy the house through them rather than the other company. This is of course a niche situation.

Its interesting how even simple interactions like how they respond to a phone call to book a viewing can shape the entire buying process.