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Original poster

Would you change EA?

43 replies

eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 09:05

House has been on the market 3 weeks. Only one viewing which didn't go any further.
EA doesn't seem bothered by this and just generally doesn't seem very proactive.
For example when I looked at the Rightmove listing myself I noticed the pictures they'd used were a bit random/ in a weird order. I feel like they should have picked this up themselves.

I'm seriously considering changing agents (and maybe knocking down our asking price too)

We're in a great area so I'd have thought we'd have had more than 1 viewing by now.

Any advice? This is all compounded by the fact we've seen our dream house last weekend.

OP posts:
jgm · 23/09/2018 09:15

Are you tied in with your current agent? If not I don't see any reason not to change.

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 09:21

Tied in for 21 days I think (need to double check contract) which is now up.

OP posts:
HouseyHausey · 23/09/2018 09:51

What area are you in roughly? I'm East Midlands and got an amazing agent - they a fairly new agency and so proactive. Our house went on Tues and they held back on first viewings until sat and had four first viewings. So far two out of the four have made asking price offers.

Our house is nothing special, 3 bed semi but they are just very proactive and they actually called through their list of client who are interested in our area and that's where one of the offers came from.

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 11:10

We're in Wirral. In catchment if 2 grammar schools and another outstanding one plus a couple of good primary schools. Easy connections to the motorway and trains to Liverpool so definitely think it's a great area to live in.

OP posts:
HairyLegs11 · 23/09/2018 11:24

Have you got a link to the property? What's the blurb about? Are the photo's realistic? The entry online is very important to get people's interest. Is it priced well for the area and is it competitive?

wowfudge · 23/09/2018 11:46

We told our EA we wanted to have final approval on the listing when we were selling a few years ago. They did list it without but I made them take it down as it wasn't what we'd agreed. The first photo was awful - showed car on the drive rather than the house - half the blurb related to the area near their office rather than the area the house was in and they'd used 'deceptively spacious' which doesn't mean what EAs seem to think it does! If you have other misgivings too I'd go elsewhere.

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 11:53

No idea of the link will work ...

Hey - Check out this property I found via the Zoopla App - www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/48902866?utm_source=v1:5bWFDybfWx7C7AGpeagt7mP3PgcqjuqJ&utm_medium=api

OP posts:
Mosaic123 · 23/09/2018 12:01

Those photos are certainly not that great. Very amateur looking, out of focus and at strange angles.

If you don't mind me saying, the very first photo (which is really the most important one) of the outside of the house shows the front garden looking rather full of vegetation. Perhaps you could do a bit of cutting down and also paint the wall or blast it to clean it.

From the front it looks like the house of an elderly person, I was surprised to find it's the house of a young family inside.

There are also no measurements on the floor plan which is particularly annoying and shows a lazy agent.

I hope that might help a bit.

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 12:02

Yes that helps a lot and reflects what I thought too.
I was worried I was being a bit fussy but to be honest I think you can afford to be for £2k

OP posts:
Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 12:05

Bugger. Just checked the contract and they have sole selling rights for 16 weeks.

OP posts:
dancemom · 23/09/2018 12:11

Photos aren't great, I'd want them redone.

Take down the nets too

Gizlotsmum · 23/09/2018 12:11

Those photos really don’t do the property any favours. As you are with them for 16 weeks i’d Ask them to retake them. Add measurements to the floor plan. Can you see how many online views you are getting? Ask how many similar properties they have on currently and how manyvuewings they are getting

Spicylolly · 23/09/2018 12:13

The photos really are awful, very strange angles. Also the furniture looks a bit odd in one photo, like the wardrobe is the chimney breast?
I'd ask for new photos and have a jiggle with the furniture and tidy up the front and back garden a bit. Personally wouldn't bother me but some people can't see past photos....and a big yes to getting measurements on the floorplan .......by the way I didn't have any interest in mine for 3 weeks then I had 3 offers the next so try not to worry 👍 good luck

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 12:21

Thanks for the advice everyone. Back garden has been done. Will get front done too. I need to get a professional hedge cutter round!

Nets can come down- I did wonder about that. It's the kind of thing I wish EA would be clear about- they must know these things. We're first time sellers and due to circumstances we need a quick sale so we told them we'd do what it takes...

OP posts:
SilverHairedCat · 23/09/2018 12:26

Every photo is badly done, drag them back and get them reshot. The light blurs everything in every one.

No description at all - are the schools etc an important selling point in your area?

Tunebeo · 23/09/2018 12:44

It looks like a lovely house but yes, the photos are not flattering and the furniture in bedroom in front of chimney breast is distracting. It looks like they have maybe taken photos while stood too far in to the room so they look smaller. However, it might also be down to the house itself - one bathroom for four bedrooms isnt ideal.

Ginorchoc · 23/09/2018 13:00

The photos from 2015 on Rightmove are better. Looks a little weighty on the price.

Ginorchoc · 23/09/2018 13:01

Wardrobe is the same in the previous photos looks like a random placed built wardrobe.

bilbodog · 23/09/2018 13:02

Your blinds and curtains look a mess - blinds not folded up neatly and at least one of the curtains not hung properly. You need to do these things - the person taking photos wont.

Agree that the front garden needs tidying and YOU need to make sure your car is not parked in the way of the photos.

The photos arent good - tell them to do better ones and get them to put dimensions on the floorplan too.

However - the housing market is not very good at the moment so you may not get as many viewings as you expect.

In general the house doesnt look attractive on line - can you do anything to stage the house inside to look better? Cushions on sofa or rearranging the furniture to make better use of the space? It is not the job of the estate agents to do this - it is your job. Maybe ask a close friend who has a nice house to help?

eurochick · 23/09/2018 13:04

Those photos are terrible. But I agree you could help by tidying the garden, smoothing curtains and so on.

peachypetite · 23/09/2018 13:09

It's probably overpriced too.

SweetheartNeckline · 23/09/2018 13:13

Sorry but there isn't a single good photo. Did you take them yourself? EA should be taking photos from the doorway, giving a true idea.of the size of each room. They've only done that in the playroom and they should have asked you to move the tent and walkers in that one! The camera id only capturing what it's pointing as so you should be proactively following the photo-taker and rejigging stuff. The wire in the hallway (a totally pointless photo imo as it doesn't give buyers any idea of the size or shape of the room or even decor except the inside of the front door....) and the blinds in the utility are fine if it's just a mate coming over but make it all seem quite unloved.

I would expect the EA to come back - sending someone more senior and you hovering and shifting stuff. In the meantime, I would go through, pare down the photos to the 6 or so best ones (realistically you need to include the front, kitchen, bathroom and main reception room) and have the others taken down as they're really not selling the place.

notangelinajolie · 23/09/2018 13:20

It's a nice house but the photos are terrible.

One thing I would suggest is that you stage the rooms a bit more. Make duvets and curtains look neater. The photographer won't do that for you. He also won't move furniture - cupboard in the bedroom doesn't look good in that position. Could you do without it? Also the fireplace should be a feature so take fire guard away for the next set of photos and put it back later. Net curtains need to go as they are stopping the light which is needed for photos. Also garden needs taming and grass needs nice stripey lines in it. Pressure wash the drive and wall and don't have your car parked on the drive

Original poster
eggofmantumbi · 23/09/2018 13:20

Thank you for all the advice.

It was one of the owners of the EA who came round. She came 15 minutes before the arranged time and so toddler was having a meltdown while husband was trying to get her out of the house and I was on the phone regarding a medical condition.
She whizzed round and I didn't have a chance to move/ check things.

Theirs was the highest valuation- I think we probably could drop it 10k....

OP posts:
Ginorchoc · 23/09/2018 13:48

Will PM you.

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