INIGO (the modern house) or Local agent

[amy0691]

We had INIGO came over for an appraisal for our house, think they are branch of the modern house . Their fee is 2% (quite a lot I think), the valuation price is exactly the same as our local knight frank (their fee is 1.25%).

However, they are very slow with responses ... INIGO appraisal valuation came in a day after nearly 5 pm , and there is no responses off them second day .... if they are treat new vendor like this, I am wondering if they worth the 2% fee, and how they will treat the buyers? Anyone used them before? seems a bit slack for my liking ... I am thinking apart from their amazing pictures ... do they worth the fee they are charging?

So interesting to read this thread, I've got a couple of Indigo house on my right love saved list - they are beautiful but don't tick a couple of my 'must haves' and so I'm sitting my my hands and not booking views cos I don't want to fall in love with anything unsuitable.
They are nowhere near London though - and very nice character/older houses but not particularly of architectural merit, decorated beautifully of course but I'm surprised those seller think Indigo are worth the extra £££. Interesting to see if the houses get reduced or end up under a different agent.

Right love that should read right move!

Was hesitant to update this thread until I actually exchanged on my house which was listed with Inigo and that finally happened this week.

Without wanting to sound too gushy, I have been very impressed with them. I did list my house at the lower end of what they recommended as I'd fallen for another house (also listed with them) and wanted to get an offer quickly.

I had the same reservations as I think most people would have - are they going to be style over substance, will it put people (locals) off that I'm using them, will I get loads of daytrippers from London ogling but not serious, will they have what it takes to cope with difficult buyers etc.

I've been very impressed. The staff are young but clever and with excellent social skills that would run rings around the smarmy/salesy/just plain incompetent agents that can be two a penny elsewhere. I liked the fact they encouraged my buyers to use decent solicitors, so the transaction went smoothly, and the agent had the ear of both solicitors at all times. We had major issues with my buyers trying to gazunder at one point, and it was handled well - I did not give in and held my position, and the agent supported me with all of that hideous stress. And they just had really good systems for organising viewings - they asked me in advance what slots I wanted to set aside for them, I gave them a 4 hour window on Saturday and one daytime during the week, and we pretty much stuck to that. I didn't have to be involved and the host they paid to look after all viewings (and anything else needed such as letting in the surveyor) was a lovely woman who clearly just loves property and took great pride in finding out as much as possible about my house and left me lovely little sneaky notes afterwards by way of feedback about each viewer.

Anyway - we finally made it. I wonder what I would have thought of them had my house not sold quite quickly, and perhaps I was just lucky that it did, in this market. But I couldn't fault their service, or any of the people I dealt with. I achieved a higher price than I thought I would for my house, and for that it's been worth the higher fee.

@ibelieveinmirrorballs congrats, that’s great news. You must have a gem at the right price. I feel like it’s a very tricky market at the moment, but even if we went to market again we would probably use Inigo again just maybe ask they do the viewings…and I agree, staff are young but lovely and we much preferred them to local agents.

Thanks @Cuc - it’s definitely a tricky market and although I am still slightly traumatised by my buyers’ last minute gazundering antics I’m starting to feel relief that I’ve managed to get to this point at all! I think it helps that I had my eye keenly on a property I’d fallen for so didn’t list right at the top of what could have been the price range. Inigo have listed a few houses in my area and with varying success but I did want to come and update, especially ref the staff. I was worried my young sales negotiator wouldn’t be tough enough but she’s been fantastic. In true Inigo style I’ll no doubt get her an Aesop voucher or something to say thanks 🙄😬

Not really what it says on the tin. Inigo describes itself as an agency for selling 'marvellous historic homes'. But they were not interested in taking on the sale of our house (see photo), which is the largest part of a significant Tudor building (Grade II*), the remaining part of a larger manor house constructed in 1572 and owned by a prominent Royalist family for over 300 years (a portrait of them hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, with our garden in the background). It is documented that Elizabeth I was a guest in our house. What they are really after is a particular style of interior, or 'aesthetic' as they describe it, so be aware that their choice of listings is very specific and limited.