How soon should we expect viewings?

[YogiBear13]

We're selling our flat at the moment as we need to get somewhere bigger, but we've only owned this flat so never sold anywhere before.

I know it's a "how long is a piece of string" type question, but how soon after the flat being listed online should we expect viewings? And after how long without viewings should we worry?

We're in Reading in what I think is a good location. Walking distance to town centre and train station, and very near the hospital and all estate agents we spoke to said that flats in this area were popular for FTBs who either travelled into London, or worked at the hospital.
I don't know anything about the particulars of how well the market in Reading is doing though.

Seems like I will have to try and convince OH to drop the price. I wouldn't worry normally, but I'm 6 weeks pregnant (we didn't know when we decided to move so weren't really in a rush then) and although we could have a baby in this flat as there is space, we'd rather not.

A good EA will be calling around their list of buyers who might make a match, not just rely on the email notifications.

I also think it’s strange for him to say people are calling with enquiries, but not booking viewings. Perhaps ask what the enquiry is!

There’s so much experience on this board, it’s defintely worth considering posting the link in order to get candid feedback (and then delete it after a day or so).

Also Yogi, an estate agent is never going to say we overpriced it that's why you're not getting viewings. At the right price you will get viewings and you will get offers even in a slow market.

This exact same thing has happened to us as I mentioned. Our price point was too ambitious. At a revised price, which was way under what EA originally said, we now have an offer. Your house is worth what people are willing to pay for it. And whilst it's scary to put your house on the market at a lower price, you'll get lots of viewings and you could even move price up in counter-bid situation, whilst having no viewings or offers at all you have nothing to work with.

I know that the EA isn't likely to say that it's priced too high, as they gave us the price. It just puts me in a difficult position as I don't know if, when he says he's not worried about us having no viewings, he's saying that because in his experience it is actually nothing to worry about, or because he doesn't want to say the price is too high.

I don't want to push my OH to lower the price if it's not actually necessary. I think it probably is but as I don't own this flat (he's selling it so we can buy together, we both currently live in the flat) I can only try and persuade him. He is someone who is more likely to go with what the 'expert' says even if, as you say, the EA isn't ever going to say he got the price wrong. I think OH will want to leave it at this price for a good few weeks before considering dropping it.

Is the lease length in the advert? If not, it should be. I think that what the EA is is nonsense - people who are looking for a type of property in a particular location will have alerts set up and will quickly decide whether to view or not. Ask him what the enquiries have been - he should be turning them into viewings so what is it that's not happening and why?

I'm not far down the road from you in a neighbouring town. We were on the market for 2 weeks, had about 8 viewings in total, one offer that fell through (jokers!) and then a second offer that stuck.

It's a slow market above £400k but below that there's plenty of interest in our town I'd say. I'd get some friends to act as stooges to make sure the EA is actively turning enquiries into viewings personally.

I remember two viewings being booked the day the house went on the market. Then it was steady as in one or two a week. Then it went completely dead for a couple of months pre- and post-brexit vote. It eventually took over a year to sell!

I'd put it on at offers around or over £200k as that will drop it into another search bracket on RM.

Do you have measurements on the floor plan in feet and inches as well as metric? I have a pet hate of no floor measurements. I also like an total area measurement.

Lease length is not in the advert, I'll speak to EA about adding it in.

Floor measurements are included in the floor plan on the advert.

We had one viewing today so will speak to EA on Monday to see if there was any feedback, and ask him some of the other questions suggested, particularly about what are the enquiries that aren't leading to viewings. Then maybe speak to OH about lowering price.

Unless of course the man who saw it today loved it and makes an offer... perhaps a smidge optimistic of me for a first viewing :)

You never know. Good luck with it all.

Any viewings OP?

We’ve had two, one was apparently interested but he is older and would be buying through homewise and according to the estate agent is still speaking with them. The other was yesterday and I’m going to call the estate agent later today to see if there is any feedback from that one.

We went online at 3pm. First viewing 7pm. First offer the next morning.

I think that's rather exceptional though.

That's a good sign then Yogi - if you'd had none it would have been a sign the place is overpriced.