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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if it’s cheeky to ask an estate agent...

39 replies

Notmyusual80 · 30/01/2019 12:05

...to lower their fee to .5%?

Thinking of putting house on the market and I reckon it’s worth maybe 450/500k. Last time I moved, I got the EA down to 1% commission and I’m all for negotiating again this time around so I’m just wondering what’s the lowest I could reasonably aim for? Will they laugh in my face if I suggest .5%??

OP posts:
Grumpbum123 · 30/01/2019 12:06

You can but try

TheCowboy · 30/01/2019 12:08

Are you able to do the viewings yourself? If so, claim you could just go with Purple Bricks etc but want to keep it local, but they need to be competitive.

heartshapedknob · 30/01/2019 12:11

If they can do a decent job of selling it - realistic valuation, buyers waiting to be contacted for your type of property, decent photos, good agents to host viewings - 1% is a good deal.
Then again, shy bairns get nowt. No harm in trying to negotiate a little.

catmumof1 · 30/01/2019 12:23

Nothing to stop you asking, the rates are negotiable and with a high value house they'll be making a decent wack so you're probably in a good position to get it lowered.

I wouldn't use purple bricks or another cheap EA unless you're house is a guaranteed easy sell ie in London or a very very popular area. Houses round here (North Essex) in your price range wouldn't sell quickly and without an EA pushing your property you would struggle.

Even cheap houses in my area just don't sell using purple bricks and they end up having to reduce the price by tens of thousands.

catmumof1 · 30/01/2019 12:26

And a good EA is worth their weight in gold for negotiating and keeping on top of your chain so even if you do end up paying the full rate, think of the poor sods having to chase their own chain!

My EA did a fantastic job for their 1% (on my £170k property) going beyond their duties because my buyer tried to do a private sale and cocked everything up!

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 30/01/2019 12:41

Not sure they'd try very hard to sell the house for .5% to be honest.

Jaxhog · 30/01/2019 12:41

It's never cheeky to ask! You may even be successful. You could even suggest a bonus for a quick sale. Don't forget that EAs are negotiators, so should expect a negotiation.

Make sure you get a detailed list of what they will be doing to market your house, whatever they charge.

peeblet · 30/01/2019 12:42

ive got a few to 0.8% before

GemmeFatale · 30/01/2019 12:43

If we sell ours I’m just going to sell privately. I don’t see local agents working particularly hard for their money if I’m honest

HandsUpHere · 30/01/2019 12:45

There is an EA on AMA board at the moment. See what they think.

WFTisgoingoninmyhead · 30/01/2019 12:48

Use Purple Bricks!!

OhJustElfOff · 30/01/2019 12:49

The market's terrible at the moment - worth a try

NorthernSpirit · 30/01/2019 12:50

So if the house is worth £450k and you want to do a deal @ 0.5% that’s £225.

Do you think that covers their time in advertising, pushing your property with prospective buyers, conducting viewings and helping push the sale through? Also helping to pay their exuberant high street overheads?

Doesn’t sound enough and they won’t work hard from you. If you want to go cheap go for an online agent who will give you minimal service. You get what you pay for.

NuffingChora · 30/01/2019 12:52

Depending where you are and what the market’s like, I think you might struggle. We’re in a normally very desirable, competitive area and managed to get down to 0.7, but that was with previous dealings with the same agent and a good relationship with them, and 3 agencies competing. Ironic really as the house then completely failed to sell thanks to Brexit fear and we had to pull it 🙄.

Justaboy · 30/01/2019 12:52

Haggling their comssion is just negoitation, they do it every day no reason why you should'nt do the same!..

JugglingMummyof2 · 30/01/2019 12:55

NorthernSpirit
It is £2250 not £225.
Try OP - they can only say no....

Pemba · 30/01/2019 12:55

No! It's £2,250 of course.

Bombardier25966 · 30/01/2019 12:55

@NorthernSpirit, you might want to check your maths there.

BetsyBigNose · 30/01/2019 12:55

@NorthernSpirit You might want to check your maths...

Collaborate · 30/01/2019 12:57

@NorthernSpirit You're one decimal point off. It's £2250.

We used House Network to sell our house 8 years ago - they had a fixed fee offer on at the time of £500 if paid upfront. Sold it within 3 months.

Alexalee · 30/01/2019 12:58

Northernspirit its actually 2250

And to the OP a 50k value range is quite wide and from my experience using your figures is it is probably worth 450 but you want 500. Put it on for what it's worth if you want a reasonably quick sale
If I were an agent I would be more inclined to take your 0.5 if you were realistic with the price as it would sell quicker
I am sure dreamer prices houses are an agents worst nightmare

Travis1 · 30/01/2019 12:59

@northernspirit is it not £2250.00??

Travis1 · 30/01/2019 12:59

ha ha crossed posts about 40 times!

explodingkitten · 30/01/2019 13:01

I spoke to several estate agents and went with the more expensive one because it felt right. She also thought that everyones valuations were on the low side of normal, the other agents said that she was being daft. She didn't want to promise more but she wanted to do more viewings open house style without me there to push the price. In the end I got 21.000 over the asking price. She was well worth her money.

TheWernethWife · 30/01/2019 13:05

We sold our house with an EA who quoted a fixed fee. He did the viewings as well. We were very impressed with the service provided.