At the moment, any tom dick and harry can set up an estate agency and run it however they choose. The lack of regulation leads to great disparities in how houses are bought and sold and creates a very bumpy and treacherous playing field for all concerned.

If we had the choice, how should the property market be run?

Its a hard one - the seller wants the maximum for their property - but equally the buyer wants to pay the least possible.

Prices are dependant heavily on interest rates over anything else - housing shortages another one, but people can't buy what they can't afford so it still ties up with the interest rates again.

I think the best way to sell a house would be to put it on the market at the price you want ie. the asking price say £100,000

Put it on the market for 18 days or so, and ensure you note viewings, meaning that you should let people know when you will be closing viewing, and stick to that date.

Allow 48 hours between the close of the sale to allow people to place sealed bids, and the best one over asking takes.

Estate agents are just a waste of time - i think a time will come where seller will take control over the sale of their properties, and a publication will exist which will support that a bit like Freeads but to sell your house, however not dominated by the big companies - but for the individuals (hmm, there an idea - anybody interested in this PM me!).

Come on, the time involved has got to be worth the 1% to 1.5% value of your home hasn't it?

All i know is that the estate agents need regulating, and its getting pretty urgent. The professionals behind the companies (the chartered surveyors etc) don't handle much of the negotiation which is left to people akin more commonly to double glazing sales persons, except they (the glaziers!)are more friendly.

1M&HB

My regulation would be, the seller says what price and conditions they want, and if someone offers them that they are legally bound to accept it.

I'm sure there would be one or two little technical problems with this, but I'd reckon nothing that couldn't be ironed out pretty quickly.

The result of this would basically be a dutch auction where the asking price comes slowly down until someone puts in an offer and buys. I suppose this may just cause a whole different set of problems but just the mirror image of what they are now. It might be worth a try though.

How about public auction?

What it goes for on the day (also backed up by internet bidding)
but in this case...genuinely check the buyers ability to buy (which you are currently paying the agents to do, but they dont.)

How about you publish a guide price and then people make offers until the best offer is received? The one who offers the most buys the house?

Simple!

How about we have a pull rather than a push system. That is, someone who wants a property advertises their needs including location, price, type, etc.? Then anyone with a property to macth contacts them.

hey you guys you know there is already an alternative in sheffield
that has already proven you dont need estate agents, that costs so little. weve helped lots of people already.

talking of 2roooooooost drop me a PM!

1M&HB

we just had five enquiries from putting up one of our boards, havent even put it on the site yet??? just goes to show with a little support we can all sell privately.
caron 2r