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Is there any point in moving to another estate agent?

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After six months and no luck in selling our house, we are considering moving to another estate agent. However, we are reluctant to pay fees again for photos etc. Do your house photos become your property? After all, you have paid for them.

Also, given that houses generally are not selling very quickly, is there really any point in moving estate agents any way? After all, houses all go on to RightMove don't they?

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Have you had many viewings? As long as it's on Rightmove and the photos and other information are OK, that's all a buyer needs these days. Some agents are better at photos/grammar/spelling etc but a poor advert wouldn't stop me viewing a property - as long as it's in my target area/price range/spec etc it will come up when I search.

 

If you've had loads of viewings but no offers then it may be the house that's the issue. It might be the price putting people off. Or it needs depersonalising/decluttering. Or freshen up the decor here and there etc etc.

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You have to be careful as the original agent may have a clause where they can claim a percentage of the sale if you sell the house through another agent even after you have cancelled your contract, mine was a clause of two years if I remember correctly, all added stress, personal experience is if that house has been valued too high and you lower the price then the house begins to flag up to people that it's not such a good buy. Mine was on with a major agent and eventually had to be sold via auction, with hind sight it was mainly the price that was over priced that did the damage

Edited by shaunyj
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You can usually  appoint an estate agent to sell  on "sole agent" basis   at say 1%  sale commission   basis or "multiple agent" basis  at 2% commission and usually for 2 -3 months period ( no commission to pay after agreed period ends )  .  If there is a clause to pay commission up to 2 years in the agreement , cross that clause out  and initial it.   Don't just accept the all  terms without questioning if it is right for you.  Some negotiation is always possible.

 

Its best to choose an estate agent with shop  near the main bus station or  railway station and not too far from your property.  If it does not find a buyer , then you have to reduce the asking price slightly if you are looking  to sell quickly.

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I think you need to go back and read your contract with your current estate agent before you take this decision.  If you're outside the 'exclusive' period then clearly it's your choice to move, but there are other options like reducing the price, revamping or redecorating and taking new photos or holding open days which can increase the number of people who actually come to your house to see it.

 

It's possible that you're not catching the attention because there's an aspect of your property that makes it less appealing to buyers and they don't feel that it's worth the asking price which is being asked.  I'd suggest talking to your agent and asking them for the feedback they have received from viewers.  I've just moved house and having been asked very specific feedback questions from agents for literally every property I visited, they do get to know how visitors feel.  If it's the location or layout that are an issue to buyers then that's hard to address, but it could be something as simple as an area feeling dark or smelling damp.  Some things are quite easy to change.

 

Above everything else, please try to not take offence at whatever your agent and the viewers are feeding back.  Your agent wants to sell your house because they won't get paid unless they do, so it's in their interests to do the job.

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Post the rightmove link here and let people cast a critical eye over what you're selling.

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Always take care not to be potentially liable for two Estate Agents' fees.

Start EA2's agency only once EA1's has been conclusively ended.

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Having worked in property for a couple of years, and knowing that the market is very stagnant right now, particularly in certain areas, it would depend on a lot of factors. However, generally, estate agents tie you in with them for a period of weeks and then you are free to move to another agent if they have not sold the property. I'd say it would depend on the location, condition and type of property that you have though as to why it maybe isn't selling. Plus, Christmas is a bad time of year to sell in any case.

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