Online or high street Estate Agent (South East)

[MovingHouseNC]

DH and I are not in agreement on this so wanted thoughts and experience if possible.

We are preparing for a possible move from a London Borough - buoyant housing market, still rising prices but not central London craziness. Moving to a neighbouring county maybe 50miles away. Commuter town with slightly lower housing costs but not significantly.

Previously we successfully used an online estate agent to move from the midlands, it was a slow process but it did happen.

DH wants to go online again because of the massive savings. He also doesn't believe there is any added value to having a local agent.

I think that EAs help to push through sales, keep things moving and are helpful for negotiating (both DH and I suck at this.

Any thoughts?

I think it depends on the property, we instructed purplebricks to sell our 2 bed maisonette just a few minutes walk from high street and train station (due to be crossrail) no offers in 8 weeks but lots of time wasters. instructed a high street agent and sold stc within 2 weeks with them, then had to pay purplebricks £1400 on top of high street EA fees so we wasted money with them, houses seem to be selling with them in our area?

I'm on with Yopa, haven't sold yet but I have a local agent as in he lives 2 miles away. I can text him on a Sunday afternoon and he'll call me straight back, which I don't expect. I am confident he'll negotiate well when we sell, he moved from a local estate agent so knows how it all works. I asked someone up the road who sold with them, fore I instructed, can you ask anyone near you for recommendations?

Wow, that seems super good jazz!!

Houses seem to be flying off the shelves in our area but ours isn't the most desirable I guess...

We have bought and sold in London. I'd definitely recommend EAs, particularly given that you aren't confident negotiating. Our best seller experience was with Ludlow Thompson, and we have had poor experiences with KFH.

Also, my local agents sent me letters offering to knock my online agent fee off their fee. So if we decide to go with another we can negotiate so won't have lost any money. However, we are in no hurry so will hang on. Will save over £4000 if we don't use a traditional agent. Maybe look at the sold boards near you and see which ones are selling as well?

I really don't get the online thing. As a buyer, it screams 'issues'. If you're being too cheap to use a qualified, reputable EA, what else have you been cheap about in the house? Not you specifically, that's just my interpretation of it. Like bodged electrics. I believe in the "pay peanuts get monkies" method though! Mainly because when I've gone cheap it backfires! Xx

Really? I'm not sure I'd care about the agent, if I liked the house/ road I'd go and view it and see for myself. There are so few houses for sale on the nice roads in my area I couldn't afford to be snobbish. But each to their own.

Hekabe Purple Bricks negotiate for you if you choose. My local agent was far better than the high street one we ended up using. She was great.