Are online estate agents any good??

[LittleMissA]

We've had our flat on the market since June, we have 2 estate agents marketing our property, have paid nothing up front and will only pay a fixed amount to the one that sells.

We've had so much hassle with the estate agents and just don't think they are worth the hefty fee we will have to pay them if they do manage to sell out flat so are thinking of going with an online agent only.

We've had quite a few viewing but the estate agents just seem to massively annoy or mislead people, including telling one very interested couple that our flat was shared ownership so the price was only for 50% of the property and they would have to pay rent on the other!

Has anyone used an online estate agent and is it cheaper, less hassle?? We are happy to show people around ourselves so that isn't a problem.

I think it depends. If you are in a good selling area then why not but if you are in a difficult area that needs knowledge of a GOOD local agent then You need to have a high street agent.

No point in having someone sitting at a call centre in Birmingham if you are selling in a rural town in Northern Scotland as that needs specialist help.

May be post a link to your house to see if we can help?

Can't remember who it was now, but the company we tried were v good at taking photos, doing details, getting them agreed etc ...... and then didn't market it despite me chasing them. We'd already found a house, so after 3 weeks we went to the high street and house was sold in just under 2 weeks. Wouldn't try it again. Was 3 1/2 years ago.

My advice is get a GOOD local agent, we had ours on with an online agent, we had 3 viewings in 4 months and one of those didn't turn up! Never got any feedback from the viewings.

We now have it on with the best local agent and have had about 8 viewings in 5 weeks, no offer yet but we are much happier about it. I think the local agent managed to get other people interested who may have discounted this property for what ever reason.

I would use an online agent if I lived in a house which I knew would sell very quickly. But only on that situation.