Just two viewings on flat in three weeks - is this normal?

Roger-D

jrawle said:

Roger-D said:

The most important box on a Rightmove search is 'include sold listings'. The prices for sale mean little, they are merely aspirations. The Sold figures say what people will actually pay.

The Rightmove prices on "Sold" listings are not the purchase prices, however. They are simply the most recent asking price of the property. In my experience, the sale price can be different (usually lower) when the actual price appears in the Land Registry sold prices data.

Sorry, yes you are right. Getting confused with Ebay, lol!

amandaleeds

I had similar when I sold my 2 bed flat in Sept. It was priced appropriately (lower than recently sold to reflect the need for some modernisation), in a very affluent and desirable area, with low service charge, and no ground rent, a perfect starter home. I sold for 1.5k below asking price just because I didn't to risk losing a buyer or it sitting on the market for months. It has meant I'm temporarily 'homeless' staying with friends and family, but it's sold. 

It's either just the slow, cautious market at the mo, or it's not priced realistically (most of the homes I'm viewing are 10% more than what's recently sold and are just sitting on the market). 

Don't forget the rise in interest rates means people have had to cut their original purchasing budget by a good 10% or more. 

Bigphil1474

OP, the main thing I've found with EA's is about how easy is it to arrange a viewing and how good is the viewing. The marketing side is pretty much all done by Right move once they've done the pictures and floor plan stuff.

I looked at a couple of properties on Purple Bricks, and found the arranging viewings system a PITA. I'd much prefer ringing a local EA office, talking to someone who probably knows the property, and then arranging a viewing. Didn't even bother with PB properties or similar EA's after that.

There are 4 EA's locally to me, and 3 of them were easy to get hold of and turned up when they agreed to etc., but one of them was hit and miss and you often had to leave voice mails, and sometimes the agent would be late for a viewing or not turn up at all etc. I expect the sellers with the last EA probably missed out on a lot of viewings. Have you tried doing viewings through the EA you're selling with?

theartfullodger

If advert not good ( photos etc), price too high or location bad, entirely possible. 

annetheman

Of course consider if the price is too high but I do also think the gloomy economic climate is a big factor right now. I have had 12 viewings booked and my flat has been online for 14 days. 1 offer - but TBC if it'll actually go anywhere. 

By contrast, an identical flat in my building was on for 3 weeks in August 2023, had 3 offers from 10 viewings. Not much difference in price (a few £100 - and I'd argue mine is prettier :P )

It's possible people are being more cautious not taking on debt during a new recession - business closing, job uncertainty, interest rates doing the opposite of what was predicted - for many people, it makes more sense to stay put and make do until there's a little more certainty and stability. 

RHemmings

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, the main thing I've found with EA's is about how easy is it to arrange a viewing and how good is the viewing. The marketing side is pretty much all done by Right move once they've done the pictures and floor plan stuff.

I looked at a couple of properties on Purple Bricks, and found the arranging viewings system a PITA. I'd much prefer ringing a local EA office, talking to someone who probably knows the property, and then arranging a viewing. Didn't even bother with PB properties or similar EA's after that.

There are 4 EA's locally to me, and 3 of them were easy to get hold of and turned up when they agreed to etc., but one of them was hit and miss and you often had to leave voice mails, and sometimes the agent would be late for a viewing or not turn up at all etc. I expect the sellers with the last EA probably missed out on a lot of viewings. Have you tried doing viewings through the EA you're selling with?

I've also found that some agents are very easy to book viewings with. One agent was really poor in that I would request a viewing and they would say that they would get back to me, and then wouldn't. I made two initial attempts to make a viewing and then gave up for a while. Just when I was clearly getting near the end game, I made an attempt to get a viewing again, and did. But, it was some weeks in the future and I had an offer accepted in the meantime. (The house I now own). So I cancelled. The EA had mentioned that the house had no viewings or interest in six months - six months that included me attempting to view it. However, I notice it is SSTC now. 

I viewed two properties through Purple Bricks. I found the online booking quick and easy, and then I would receive texts from a representative about visiting the property. Both of the properties had major problems with them, but getting a viewing was easy. 

ReadySteadyPop

Roger-D said:

The most important box on a Rightmove search is 'include sold listings'. The prices for sale mean little, they are merely aspirations. The Sold figures say what people will actually pay.

"Price History" is also very important, especially since rates went back up.