Online estate agent recommendations?

[sunshineandhappy]

I'm fairly sure we are going to use an online agent. Will cost around a third of local agents with an office, and I can't see any difference in the service they offer. Any tips or horror stories? I'm in the east midlands. Thanks

There see lots of bad stories and lots of good ones. What's your area like? How quickly are properties selling? If you are remotely unsure to with a local agent. If in a quick selling market use them by all means.

There are lots of differences in service but it's up to you at the end of the day.

We used Housesimple.co.uk because they seemed the most flexible on the fees they offered. There are nothing upfront options unlike the other companies we looked at and also they use professional photographers which seemed the key to selling. Really can't see any reason for using a high street agent these days, the do exactly the same thing just massively differ in fees. In fact our local agents didn't even offer floorplans and most of their photos were very dark. At least with online estate agents it seems you get a consistent service level.

We sold in 4 weeks and saved over £4,000. We did get 2 valuations as well as Housesimple's and they achieved the asking price, so we were more than happy.

Used Hatched twice to sell. Once city centre, once suburb of a middle-sized town.

With the first place I also had it on with the best local agent but as it happened our buyer came through the online - chance really that they happened to ring the number in that Rightmove listing, but benefited us in terms of the fee of course.

You have to understand a few things - happy doing own viewings (both in terms of how well you feel you can present it & from a safety perspective). You need to provide the local info input to the listing description - you can't expect the agent to know the area. We were provided an online login to the listing to review and edit prior to it being uploaded to Rightmove (& even after that for revisions).

All you are really paying them for is getting the house on Rightmove etc, providing photos and floorplans, and acting as the admin middle-man for viewing bookings, offer negotiations and interactions post offer acceptance.

Downsides: some viewers don't like being shown around by the owners. you won't get the same 'referrals' you would from a local agent.

The big plus of course is the saving - each of the two I sold cost ~£500. With the first property the local agent fee would have been ~£4500, with the second it would have been £4200.

Thanks for that. That's a good list of pros and cons. I have no issue with doing the viewings myself. I've sold twice before, and never ever known an agent to do any viewings. It just doesn't happen here. I'm seriously tempted. Especially as the local agent is always not at the office, or engaged, and hasn't answered an email I sent yesterday. They sold my next door neighbours house last month. You think they'd be keen, but if this is how they are to contact as a seller, I think I'd just get cross. I have one valuation booked, I know what next door sold for, think I'm going to go for it!

I've just used Housenetwork.co.uk after recommendations on here. The posters were right - they were great.

We used EMoov, who were fab. Professional photographer was great and house sold in a week.