Agent Chris Penfold has taken to print to put up a stalwart defence of traditional estate agency after being spurred into action by a social media attack on agents' fees.
Chris, senior partner at Moore & Partners in Crawley, West Sussex, took to the columns of his local newspaper to defend the services of agents against those seeking low cost online or private house sales.
He says he was motivated to do so by seeing a social media query asking: how do I sell my house cheaply, without having to pay for an estate agent'
He article states that the process of successfully selling a house has been an art since the 1800's and is one that has kept us employed ever since - and there's a reason for that.
Experienced agents are trained to use photographic equipment to its very best and the results are clear....Experienced agents will accompany (where physically possible) and deal with every single viewing which in most peoples opinion's is the worst part of the process....Sales chasing is an art form in itself. Initially, all finances, chains, timescales and any other variables must all be agreed, through us, between the buyer and seller....On more occasions than I can remember have I sorted out problems quickly which left to solicitors would not have been resolved and the sale would have fallen through.
And he concludes: Would I think I could rewire my house and not use a qualified electrician No I wouldn't. So in the same context why would somebody try to sell their property themselves We are the professionals in what we do, and we do it extremely well.
Comments
Spot on, good agents make sales, they don't just passively wait for them
Whoops! I applaud Chris Penfold thoroughly, he has missed the main opportunity here - that the most persuasive reason for using an agent is that agents have buyers who registered for other properties who can be persuaded to view others. Buyers then compromise and buy a property they might not have expected - namely the property that would have missed that buyer had the vendor not instructed an agent. Most buyers who are attracted to a property online or via a board do not proceed to buy that actual property! You can see my full article on this topic at http://www.estateagencyinsight.co.uk/services/articles/213/on-line-estate-agencythreat-or-opportunity.php Have a great day!
'On Line' is a sales tool for high street agents.
Rightmove etc. are an electronic advertising tool for high street agents.
Most people WANT and LIKE a local office for face to face communication and the above is used by High Street agents as part of their comprehensive service.
we win hands down with sales progression - that's where our expertise really comes into play
I do agree that estate agents are generally worth the fees, but the comment "trained to use photographic equipment to its very best" did make me laugh. A quick scan through Rightmove and some of the so called professional photos are terrible!
Astonishing
Or put another way, a good estate agent will sell your property for more money, more quickly with more reliability