It’s not the first time we have asked the question, Do you need an Estate Agent in this day and age? With the mighty online agents like Zoopla and Rightmove, the little estate agent down the road needs to offer something different to make his value worthwhile.
We are looking at the debate from the perspective of someone wanting to sell their property. The options include advertising online only for a much smaller fee of around £500 rather than the 1 or 2% for an Estate Agent which can cost around £3000 to £7000 depending on your property price.
If property sells well in your area then you may wish to think about advertising on a free web site like Tepilo. If you go direct to Rightmove then regularly review your on-line advertisement, your asking price, the photographs of your property and the description.
For’s and Against’s – Do you need an Estate Agent
The argument for having an Estate Agent
- You should get a few extra viewings as they keep lists of potentially interested buyers
- They will be able to show people round when you aren’t available
- They may have a better understanding of the local market than yourself and can use this to negotiate a better price on your behalf
- Some buyers may not trust buying any other way as they may remain suspicious if there is no Estate Agent
- You may recover the cost of the Estate Agent as some buyers will deduct the calculated cost of not having one.
The argument against having an Estate Agent
- They tend to dictate the photos and advertising, so you lose some control
- You can change the price or details at any point with immediate effect.
- You may have a greater motivation to get the best price whereas an estate agent may undersell your house by tens of thousands of pounds to achieve a sale and commission
- If you sell quickly because the price was in the buyers favour, you could be paying out a lot of money for very little work
- They see the property as the client sees it as they also are not as attached
So is this a harsh discussion if you are an Estate Agent?
Or what is your view if you are a seller.
Do you need an Estate Agent in todays market of online selling?
Place your comment