Any experience of using a property buying agent?

[WellWoman]

We are thinking of doing this, but don't know anyone who has. Any experiences you'd share? Or advice?

thanks 1

We did. If you have no time to look at countless properties yourself then they are invaluable.

I think our guy looked at about 20 places, knowing what we wanted and the shortlisted 3 that we accompanied him on the viewings. We bought 1 of those houses and other than the initial consultation, our whole search took us personally less than half a day!!

Sounds very positive @Alexalee. I can't imagine an easier process than you had.

@Alexalee - sorry just thinking about it - do you think they found properties that you wouldn't have been able to find yourselves?

In all honesty I don't really know. We both work in jobs that require 60/70 hours a week, so we just didn't have time to look ourselves.
We might have been able to find them ourselves on one of the property portals, but then by the time we would both have been able to schedule a viewing, there's no sating that the property would still have been available.
The market we bought in was very fast moving in 2021, so our agent was our proxy in effect at getting our foot in the door so to speak.
I know he viewed a few properties that were off market/coming to the market soon and so got a look before the mass market, but the house we ended up buying was on rightmove If I remember correctly

I was considering exactly this today.

I am tired of looking at properties, finding very little that is suitable, not really understanding pricing in this market and losing out to high offers.

Many years ago an agent contacted me about my property when it wasn’t on the market (it has been the previous year), viewed it for his client and rejected it as not suitable. So I know how it works.

What I dont know though, is how much they charge or how to find a really good agent.

Watching this thread with interest !!

Interesting thread. I thought some would come on and say why cant you do it yourself 'all you need to do is...'

But its not that easy is it especially when you work full time and some people are clueless as to what they are doing with a massive list of must have's and a view that they can second guess the market and get some bargain basement property in a lovely area with fab schools.

I laughed at the thread re people who didnt understand the selling/buying process. Especially the one where completion had occured yet the sellers were still in having completely under estimated how long it would take to clear their house. Or the confused elderly people who were still there wanting to finish their dinner before moving out and wondering why a relative hadnt turned up to help out (they didnt tell them!)

They trash EA's. If its so easy to sell your house then do it yourself perhaps. Have complete strangers wandering around your house with no checks done.
.

They dont understand the financial side and mortages in principle', what a chain free buyer means, that cash buyers are likely to offer less because they have no chain.

I wanted to chime in on your question about using a property buying agent, and share my thoughts. I don't have personal experience with a property buying agent myself, but I have heard of some good results from people who have used them. I do know of an international investment company called de costa that specializes in this area. They might be worth checking out if you're looking for a reputable and experienced agent to work with. That being said, it's always a good idea to do your due diligence and research any agent or company you're considering working with. You may also want to ask for references or read reviews from other clients they've worked with.