The perils of using a cheap agent or falling for special offers

A question we often get asked by vendors is ‘I’ve had three agents round to value my house. Why do their fees vary so much?’

This question really goes to the very heart of what estate agency is all about. Many people believe that all agents do the same job and when you ask them what they think that job is, they will generally say something like ‘estate agents sell houses’.

In this business, as in any other, you generally get what you pay for and if an offer seems too good to be true it usually is! The fact is, all agents do not do the same job – and that is why fees vary. Cheap agents will always cut corners on service – because they have to in order to survive and if they claim to be including solicitors fees, or removal fees in an already low percentage – you should ask yourself what are you sacrificing to have only one bill?

I would argue that estate agents don’t really sell houses at all! Given the right asking price and sufficient market exposure, houses more or less sell themselves.  The simple fact is that no estate agent I have ever met, can ‘sell’ a house to someone who doesn’t want to buy it. In exactly the same way, no estate agent can guarantee to achieve a higher price for your home than anyone else. So, what ARE you paying for?

Estate agents sell a service, that same service that you risk compromising with unrealistic deals, – a complex, multi-layered service demanding a whole range of skills, knowledge and experience, which we use to navigate the highly complicated process of property sales through to a successful conclusion, with the minimum of stress to all parties. 

At Orchards Estates we match buyers to houses by getting to know each person, their situation, personally and financially, by spending time understanding their needs, wants and dreams for their future home.  We carry out checks to ensure that they are in the right situation to proceed with buying your property and we spend time working with financial advisers, solicitors and, where appropriate, their estate agents to make sure that when a purchase price and a move date is agreed, everyone is happy.  We couldn’t do that if we compromised on our level of service just to be the cheapest agent in the area.

Orchards Estates are the only agency in the area to have a dedicated sales progressor who will ensure that your sale is monitored every day, every step of the way and that everything above is included in your fee. 

Essentially, what you are paying for is a project manager who will coordinate all parties for you and will work with you to get your sale completed on time.

So really the only question to ask yourself is when it comes to selling your most prized asset, why take the risk on an agent that can only offer you the cheapest deal by compromising on the service they can offer when it is the service you need most?