How to Compare Estate Agents.
Choosing an Estate Agent…It’s a minefield. Literally. If you take a step in the wrong direction you may find your wallet being blown into a million pieces and being left with pennies scattered at your feet and a hefty bill.
Fear not my home owning friends.
Comparing Estate Agents has previously been related to comparing fees, but with the transformation Zoopla, Rightmove and On The Market have made to the property world, you can now compare Estate Agents in other ways.
There are a few Estate Agent Comparison Sites, most of which rely on reviews of Estate Agents, and very few (only two!) which compare actual property statistics. One of which uses property sales data from June 2015 which is out of date information, and the other of which uses up-to-date sales data which is relevant to your actual property.
But when you’re comparing statistics… what does that actually mean, and what are you actually comparing?!
Statistics are taken from Sales Data – this is provided by Zoopla, RightMove, On The Market and the Land Registry. This data is analyzed electronically, allowing you to clearly see statistics that make sense!
Asking Price Achieved
“I always thought it would be best to go with the Estate Agent who thinks my property is worth the most… until I realised it’s not the Estate Agent buying your property!”
% of Asking Price Achieved is how much, on average, of the original asking price does the Agent achieve. If your agent achieves 80% of their original asking price, you can tell that they may over inflate property valuations by up to 20%, catching your business with a high valuation for your property, before reducing the cost.
Aim for an Agent who achieves 95% or higher. This coupled with a low average selling time allows you to choose an Agent who would provide you with a good valuation.
Average Sell Time
“Sale time is important to me – I’ve found a house I want to buy and I’d like to move quickly!”
Average sale time differs depending on your area. A Savvy Seller will know the average sale time for their postcode & use this to their advantage – even if you’re happy for your property to wait for the right buyer.
Tip: A quicker sale time may represent pro-active agent who has buyers ready and available in your area.
Number of Properties Listed
When an agent has listed numerous properties in your area, you can see that they are proactive within the current market. It may indicate their popularity within the area, meaning that if a buyer isn’t interested for another local property, they may be interested in yours!
Estate Agent Fee
“There was no where on the internet to find a range of up to date Estate Agent fees…”
Whether we like it or not, Estate Agents charge up to 2% to sell your property. With this in mind, its important to choose the right Estate Agent based on their whole statistics, not just based on their fee.
Example: You choose an online agent who charges a flat rate of £700. They send someone to value the property, which is valued £15,000 less than an Estate Agent who charges 0.75% . Yes you pay less for the agent, but you may also gain less for the property… meaning you’re out of pocket! Be Seller Savvy and run the numbers before you sign agreements.
Also, always remember that the Estate Agent fee will be a %, +VAT. This is important. Some Estate Agents will negotiate this fee, or the inclusion of VAT in the % – but its best to discuss this following a valuation.
Comparison of Included Services
Are Photos included? Layout Plans? Online Marketing? Video Tour?
Using an Estate Agent Comparison site will allow you to check if these aspects are included in the fee presented. Some comparison sites will show you this per Estate Agent, when others guarantee they are included already.
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