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Should I use this EA?

3 replies

picklebutty · 06/11/2010 20:30

We put our house on the market at the beginning of the autumn with an internet estate agent. We'd had five local estate agents round to value the house and they were all very, very keen to get it on the books.

The internet EA was fine - great photographs, good floorplan, on Rightmove etc. We had a few really good viewings but though everyone wanted to buy the house, some hadn't yet sold and some couldn't really afford.

Eventually we went under offer. At that point, we went house hunting and found something we wanted to buy. And then the buyer started messing us around and reducing their offer (which was already below what we'd agreed was our minimum sale price), so we walked away.

For the last few weeks, a local EA (who valued the house) has been telephoning me keen to get me on his books. Initially I wasn't interested but now we've seen somehting to buy, it all looks different. Last Monday he told me he didn't specifically have any proceedble buyers. By Friday he told me he had a proceedable buyer who was looking at another house (on at 50k more than mine) and he'd like to show him our house too.

I'm tempted to sign up with him, though he wasn't my first choice of the five agents who came round to value - he's just very persistent. He's from a large chain of EAs and hasn't got much flexibility on fees or contract but has offered 1.25% (+VAT) and 12 weeks contract. I'm sure that the smaller independent local EAs could negotiate a more competitive fee, but I'm not sure they're so persistent.

I can't help wondering whether he's making this buyer up???? What shall I do?

OP posts:
Simbacatlives · 06/11/2010 20:34

If you have a sign and are on the internet then his proceed able buyer will be aware of your house. They may already have seen it!

Don't base it on one buyer but if you think he will do a good overall job then why not?

Do you have a sign with a link to internet site?

picklebutty · 06/11/2010 20:41

I think he really loves my house. Of the five who valued, two stood out as genuinely loving the house rather than just saying so.

Can't help thinking he will impart that to potential buyers.

We are 2 miles from a "hub" where people seem to prefer to live (we're semi rural) so I think this potential buyer may have overlooked our property because we don't show up on Rightmove for "within a mile of" the hub.

Yes, we have a sign with a link to the internet website. I think what we're lacking is somebody to push the property and suggest people look at it who might not otherwise have considered our village.

OP posts:
Simbacatlives · 06/11/2010 21:06

Have you put an advert in shop window in the local town?

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