Yes indeed, certain groups
We use high street agencies they all use online marketing anyway
Hi, I sold a family home via a local traditional estate agents here in devon. They know my firm of solicitors and between the two of them, knowing I had a child living with me they made us both homeless. My estate agent took to talking directly with my solicitor and cutting me out. My solicitor called me in and said sign here here and here, presenting just sale documents. I even discussed my plans to move in, she said nothing. I lost my home and my job and nearly lost custody of my child. The estate agents £7,000 fee was reduced by £500, I went to the ombudsman for both companies. Pointless waste of time. I have moved again since then using on-line estate agent. Everything was done by email, I could follow the stages. On-line is the way to go I had a great experience and if I needed to call a very lovely lady called Poppy rang me back promptly. The problem is all these local companies know each other, even the surveyor told me he would never point out a fault incase the sale falls through and the agent will not suggest them to the client.
The traditional estate agents fees are so high, you get the same service if you are selling a small flat or a £800,000 house. They look at your asset and want a cut of it, a relic from the victorian era. Do you go to the hairdressers and they look at your clothes and take a percentage of how you are dressed or the car that you turn up in??? Then give you the same haircut as everybody else !!!
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Dont understand this post.
How could you be made homeless?
What do you mean you wanted to move in?
Whatever happened, you must have agreed to the completion date.
You can speak your solicitor at any time if you don’t understand anything.
You should always appoint your own independent solicitor, not one recommended by agent where they get paid for referral.
You agreed to their fee before committing to service. Why complain after? Fees are negotiable and most will accept a fixed fee.
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My solicitor was chosen independently by myself. My estate agent knew them. My new home had a problem with the legal work, nobody informed me of the problems. The estate agent did not want to miss out on a collapsed sale. Maybe cash changed hands between my solicitor and my estate agent. I was called into the office in the days before moving (also working full time downsizing dramatically, single handedly moving out with rental van) I went to said office and sat a babbled on about how hard it was organising carpet fitting and move day. I made direct reference to having the carpets fitted in 4 days time. Solicitor gave a Wallace and Gromit type smile and had all the places to sign flagged with yellow postets. I signed where I was asked, yes I foolishly trusted my solicitor to carry out my wishes. Three days later my carpet fitter told me he would not be getting the keys. I called my solicitor and they said that there was a problem with the documents to purchase. When I asked when I would be able to get the keys she said “how long is a piece of string”. Estate agent had his £7,000 commission on the day of the sale. I had to find an airbnb to stay in. My son did not like it so he went to live with his father. £7,000 is a lot of commission, you are naive if you think there was not some underhandedness taking place. On-line solicitors and estate agents cannot behave in such a way as you monitor on the portal exactly what is happening. The documents are sent out and you have time to look at them.
P.s. the reduction in the fee was suggested by my estate agent as an error had been made (on their part) I changed solicitor, the original firm of solicitors said that under the circumstances they would not charge me for the purchase that did not happen. I was earning a minimum wage job and was potentially going to be homeless for months. I gave in my notice and returned to live with family as I did not have money for airbnb accommodation or hotels in devon in August. I took matters into my own hands, chased the local council for the document and actually had the necessary document sorted out in 48 hours. I will never ever use a local estate agent or a local solicitor. Hence why I am here on Openrent. I have three rental properties, I deal directly with my own tenants. If they have a problem, they whatsapp me and I get it resolved asap. I spend the estate agents commission now on my tenants having the best repairs. Openrent and on-line solicitors …… very pleased with them.
Very unfortunate set of circumstances.
I can tell you now that that issues occur whether local or online conveyancers or estate agents. They cannot all be labelled as good or bad as It’s down to the individual. I just went through a remortgage with all legal paperwork via a progress portal. There were multiple problems.
One weak point of many online solicitors is that often the work is done by low qualified people who work under the control of a one solicitor.
My experience of attempting to buy using both purple bricks and strike was terrible. The hard sell, impersonal communication and delays has put me off both of them, so much so that I avoid properties listed with them. It’s almost impossible to ask questions prior to viewing.
“Use online” you mean to use these for advertising like purple brick and then totally bypass them ( is it possible?) when dealing with clients and their conveyancers?
Doorsteps used to offer this kind of service and strike which are now part of purple bricks.
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We have just sold ours (STC )through Yopa.
It sold to the first person who viewed it.
However, It is a newish flat in a popular development and we know they sell easily. If I thought the sale was going to be any way problematic, I would have gone with a high street agent - mainly because I think there is more incentive to sell it, the online ones get their money anyway.
However, the YOPA agent was a local lass and she was very professional, so maybe we were just lucky!
Hi,
I have been using OpenRent for a number of years to use their rental services. Pity they do not do ‘Sales’!
We are planning to sell one of our properties in London and use an online agent.
As private BTL landlords we are unable to advertise directly with Rightmove/Zoopla etc.
As you have already done so, can you suggest a couple. We already have a solicitor.
Thank you,
Mike
I used doorsteps in the past, sadly they are no longer in business. Strike who have now taken over purple bricks may be able to offer a similar set up whereby you pay a small fee to advertise with them, if you carry out the viewings yourself and then deal with potential buyers direct that could work. I don’t know a way forward myself where you can actually put it directly onto rightmove. I agree that perhaps open rent could offer this services for a fee.
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