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Thread: Estate agents, do i need one?

  1. #1
    Master jimp's Avatar
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    Estate agents, do i need one?

    hi, we are thinking about selling our house, simple question, do we need to use an estate agent?

  2. #2
    Master bowie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimp View Post
    hi, we are thinking about selling our house, simple question, do we need to use an estate agent?
    Good question Jimp we about to sell my mam's house to a friend do you need an agent?

  3. #3
    Master
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    No, you don't have to have one but it depends on what sort of house it is & who you're trying to market your house to. You could simply stick it on Facebook & handle any enquires but you'll need to take on the work like check buyer's finances, assessing which is the most proceedable buyer & working to keep the chain going. Of course you might be lucky & you find a no-chain cash buyer.

    What you do need is a good solicitor/conveyencer.

  4. #4
    Master Christian's Avatar
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    Whilst a lot of people would automatically moan about estate agents, I'd say a good estate agent is worth their weight in gold....so yes, use an estate agent!

    People forget it's not just about advertising and agreeing on a sale where they do the work. During the sale process, they do quite a lot of chasing buyers and buyers conveyancers. They can end up being the key to holding a chain together and preventing it from collapsing.

    I recently sold my flat and was in a chain for the house I bought. My vendors were pushy and clearly on a timeline but my buyer had hired the most useless conveyancer ever. They literally ignored deadlines, ignored phone calls and lied about what they were doing. I wouldn't have reached exchange without my estate agent sorting things out and I'd still be in my flat I suspect.

    There might be those who were lucky enough to get a smooth path to completion and did without...maybe those not in a chain and who don't mind if the sale falls through once or twice, but if I were in a chain and keen to secure my onward home, I'd be paying for an estate agent.
    Last edited by Christian; 11th April 2021 at 11:33.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Passenger's Avatar
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    I've always relied on agents but as I understand it there's plenty of DIY options now available, it's your property nothing to stop you sticking a for sale sign up with your phone no.
    With agents, if you do go thsat route, always remember you have every right to negotiate on their sales fee, we've managed a couple of times to shave a percent or 2 off what they'll state is their usual fee, though it's also potentially a good idea to offer a cash bonus to the individual sales rep that makes the deal IF they get asking price or above, an extra incentive for them.
    Good luck.
    Last edited by Passenger; 11th April 2021 at 11:44.

  6. #6
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    Sold my house six months ago...300k estage agent fees £1800...money well spent as they were excellent.

  7. #7
    Craftsman
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    Find yourself a good, personable independent estate agent (avoid the high street chains) and put the money you save on the agent into a good solicitor. Overall you won’t necessarily save money on the fees but the solicitor will pay for him/herself in their ability to handle things quickly and professionally.

    We’ve done it this way since buying our first property and have always been happy with the results.


    Sent from my Pip-Boy 3000 MkIV

  8. #8
    I’ve never appreciated my agent more than when I was in a 7 house chain with my last purchase. They ensure it got done .

    Also they’ll chase up conveyancing solicitor who can be horrendously slow.

    They will also weed out the time wasters and dreamers.

    I think theyre worth their fee all day.

  9. #9
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian View Post
    Whilst a lot of people would automatically moan about estate agents, I'd say a good estate agent is worth their weight in gold....so yes, use an estate agent!

    People forget it's not just about advertising and agreeing on a sale where they do the work. During the sale process, they do quite a lot of chasing buyers and buyers conveyancers. They can end up being the key to holding a chain together and preventing it from collapsing.
    Agree 100%, they vary widely in the commitment and quality of service they provide, but a good one will earn their money and could make the difference between selling and not selling. I`m very wary of the online agents, I recently used a good local firm and that's what I recommend. A local agent knows the area and is far more likely to get the valuation correct, and you can always pay them a visit if/when required. Same applies to conveyancy, use a local Solicitor and be prepared to visit when needed. This can speed the process up when documents are going back and forth.

    Trying to scrimp and save on these things can be a mistake IMO, years ago I sold a house without an agent and its something I`d never do again.

  10. #10
    Master jimp's Avatar
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    well guys thanks for the advice, looks like the vote goes to estate agents, will have a shop around.

  11. #11
    Craftsman
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    Yes let them weed out the dreamers ,the ones who don’t have their house on the market, bored people on a Sunday and the nosey bar stewards

  12. #12
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
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    If you're confident you know the process, you can go without.

    If you're unsure or aren't used to diplomatically dealing with other people, an agent will save you stress.

  13. #13
    Master
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    Were just selling my folks place - £999 to Yopa - went up Friday and sold Saturday- crazy

  14. #14
    Master
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    I’m indirectly linked to the industry as we have dealings with estate agents through my business on a daily basis. Personally I’d pay a good agent, they are worth it. Your not really paying for them just to sell your house. Your paying for them to ensure any sale goes through in the most seem-less, stress free process that’s possible. They are paid on their results and getting it through to the end. Fully understand that some people prefer the DIY option and that’s fine, there’s a market for that too.

  15. #15
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    At present most houses are selling themselves, depending on location/price etc, stamp duty holiday is helping with this.
    Don't discount purple bricks, a mate of mine, who used to have his own high street agency is now the local agent for them, they're cheaper than most and if you're willing to show people round yourself you'll save even more.

  16. #16
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Weirdfish View Post
    At present most houses are selling themselves, depending on location/price etc, stamp duty holiday is helping with this.
    Don't discount purple bricks, a mate of mine, who used to have his own high street agency is now the local agent for them, they're cheaper than most and if you're willing to show people round yourself you'll save even more.
    I've always shied away from Purple Bricks in the past as I felt (perhaps wrongly) that once you've signed up they've got your money and no incentive as to whether your house sells or not

    I guess in a rising market where demand for property is high they are a way to save money. Whether they are as effective with getting chains moving etc I don't know

    Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk

  17. #17
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    A good estate agent is always worth their fee. In most towns 70% of agents are useless but the other 30% will get you a higher price, a more qualified buyer and handle the transaction up and down the chain. Just don't pick a lemon of an agent and don't overprice it either.

  18. #18
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    Estate agents, do i need one?

    I think in my experience having an estate agent is a good idea. That way you pay somebody else to have the hassle of vetting the tyre kickers who can’t actually afford your house and should at least have a mortgage in principle, do the viewings , take the pictures , chase the chain. Time consuming to say the least if it were a big chain. And lastly get a few in so that you can get a good gauge of value and don’t always go with the one that values it the highest as it’ll just sit and after a month you’ll end up lowering the asking price. Good luck , I’ve always loved moving:)


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    Last edited by Stilgoe1972; 5th November 2021 at 16:17.

  19. #19
    Master Halitosis's Avatar
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    Edit - just realised this was a thread resurrection - I trust the house sold!

    Should you be in Scotland it's a slightly different system up here. Technically similar in that you don't actually need an estate agent - only a conveyancing solicitor if you already have a buyer lined up.
    But agency fees are required to access the usual marketing channels like Rightmove and ESPC/GSPC. Often the solicitors and estate agents are the same company.
    Also with Scotland's "offers over" closing date bid process, maximising exposure and generating a bit of FOMO should help get the best price
    Last edited by Halitosis; 5th November 2021 at 19:38.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by jimp View Post
    hi, we are thinking about selling our house, simple question, do we need to use an estate agent?
    Absolutely, as long as it's a good agent. A good agent can be the difference between a deal completing or falling through.

  21. #21
    I always thought I’d look at selling by myself, but very recently I’ve used an agent to sell my little penthouse - they handled all the viewings, which would have been a bit of an arse for me, and ended up having a client on their look-out list - someone looking for a seafront property at a certain price point. They got it marketed and a sale agreed with me within 10 days.

    So, yes I’d use one again without hesitation - despite initially thinking it was a typical money for old rope situation.
    It's just a matter of time...

  22. #22
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Omegamanic View Post
    I always thought I’d look at selling by myself, but very recently I’ve used an agent to sell my little penthouse - they handled all the viewings, which would have been a bit of an arse for me, and ended up having a client on their look-out list - someone looking for a seafront property at a certain price point. They got it marketed and a sale agreed with me within 10 days.

    So, yes I’d use one again without hesitation - despite initially thinking it was a typical money for old rope situation.
    Sometimes someone with good local knowledge and good local reputation can be invaluable. Where we recently bought (Suffolk coast) almost all the houses sold in the past year have been sold by one agent and they have a waiting list of people wanting to buy. Several houses didn't even make it to Rightmove.

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