An online estate agent saved us a fortune
Could an online estate agent save you a fortune? The answer is a resounding Yes. Having had experience of two conventional agents and an online agent in the past 18 months, we can strongly recommend using the online option — there is just no comparison, even leaving out the price factor. last year, we put our house on the market with a reputable agent and were thrilled when an offer was made in less than two days. We trusted the agent and went ahead with our own purchase. After four months, the purchases fell through, partly through the inefficiency of the agent who made no effort to save it. We went to the ombudsman who found in our favour, despite having been threatened by the agent that should we persist in going down this route, we would forfeit the pittance they had offered in compensation. We paid for surveys, penalties for late cancellations to movers and various other expenses, which amounted to a few thousand pounds. We recouped just a tiny amount of this. We took the house off the market as we were tired of the whole affair, but tried again last January, selecting an online agent. At first, there was a flurry of activity, followed by a lull, so I persuaded my husband to appoint another conventional High Street agent. during the nearly three hours the manager was with us, he promised us the earth — the house would be sold within ten days, and he would restore our faith in High Street agents. But we never saw him again, there was only one prospective buyer sent, who we had to show around ourselves, and although the lady liked our property, she had not even placed her house on the market. The following week, another appointment via the High Street agent was mysteriously cancelled. We had viewers from the online agency the next week who made an offer and subsequently bought the house. during our meetings with them, they told us they’d approached the other agents, who had informed them they didn’t do evening viewings. Silly them, they lost a sale. The moral is simple: have some patience and you could save a fortune. We even managed to recoup what we had lost the previous year.
Mrs PATRICIA COPSEY, address supplied.