Would you change from online EA to local EA

[Stresssy]

I’m currently with PB online estate agents I’ve been online for almost 3 weeks I’ve had 1 viewing (but not in a position to buy) 1 viewer cancelled 20 minutes before they were due, and one viewer requested to view but didn’t have a mortgage or their house on the market so I cancelled that request and sent them a polite message. (Too much effort goes in to showing people around to let random people just nose around my house 😳)

My home is in a sought after location and is presented well (imho)and it’s priced really well.(I reduced almost one week ago) I just feel like I’m getting no where with PB and feel like people may be put off with everything that has gone on with them? I’ve already paid the fee upfront to PB last year but had too much messing from buyers pulling out that we paused it until now. The market went crazy in spring 2022 in my area!

Would you swap EA and go with a more local one who can vet the viewers and be a little more pro active in some way and hopefully stop the time wasters? Or is my house just sh*te and no one wants to buy it lol 😂

It's not that "your house is just shite" I'm sure

You are just asking too much for it.. that's the only reason for lack of interest, in the current climate you need to be on it with offering a good deal. Buyers know prices have further to fall. If it looks like you are kite flying you just won't get much interest. If it looks like a bargain you will get viewings. Personally I don't think a change to a local agency will make much difference. As long as its appearing on Rightmove, that's enough.

I would always use a local agent - online ones do not have a good reputation.

Personally I don't think a change to a local agency will make much difference. As long as its appearing on Rightmove, that's enough

The involvement of PurpleBricks can often discourage prospective buyers.

It amazes me that people entrust the sale of an asset frequently worth several hundred thousand pounds to a firm with such a poor reputation for actually managing to complete the task you've employed them to carry out.

I've not sold in months and I have an immaculate home in a popular location. Local EA is so pro active. I've got another viewing in a few minutes. He sends the details to people who wouldn't normally view my house and the person most interested only viewed because he encouraged her. She's not completed her chain though. Definitely avoid PB!

A quick browse on here will show you many people are not willing to purchase a house that is on the market with Purple Bricks.

And given the current market with higher mortgage rates, its much more a buyers market than a sellers.

Not all online agents are the same.
We used Esale and they were excellent esaleuk.com

Purple bricks are known for being rubbish

I would switch from Purple Bricks to frankly anybody else.

I totally agree with you all. It’s very much a buyers market at the moment and after viewing multiple threads here I was really worried about PB being my chosen EA 😓 @DrySherry my house is really reasonably priced there is another house for sale on our road without the extensions and finish we have and our houses are priced the same. I reduced last week due to purple bricks revaluing it and maybe being a little too eager with what they said. So I’m £10k cheaper than when it sold twice in spring/summer last year. Thank you so much for all of your feedback it’s helping 🥰

Wouldn't touch purple bricks as a buyer or seller. They are truly shit. Haven't they been bought out now?

@Winterisalmostover I have a gut feeling this will happen if I switch to a local EA 😩 DH doesn’t agree with me. We have already paid and it’s gutting to think we have to pay again when we lost so much last year trying to sell and buy and both properties we offered on we had surveys done on both and they pulled out one sold private and one delisted 2 weeks later for £20k more 🥹

@cocksstrideintheevening yes 🫣 they been bought by Strike for £1 apparently. Which scares me because before I found MN I had no idea 😓

PB were absolutely terrible when we were looking to move. Tried to view 5 properties with them after getting an offer on ours. Couldn't get into one. Bought through a local agent.

I hate PB.

@Toooldtoworry it's strange because the vendor gets all the requests for booking and confirms or reschedules them. I do like that part being able to reschedule and agree on dates myself but I just feel like you get what you pay for and I would much rather the EA do all that for me. I feel like kicking myself for using them!

Definitely use a local agent. Using PB would massively put me off as a buyer.

I thought PB had gone under?

@SweetAndSourChick3n I’m going to let the 4 weeks go by and then make the decision. I just need to get DH on board with switching 🙃 @SaturdayGiraffe no they’re still here but they’ve been bought out by Strike 😅 The whole thing is making me even more anxious than I already am. 🥹

As your time with PB is limited and they've done naff all, you could reduce the asking by £500, which would pop it back into people's Rightmove inboxes.

I would totally recommend Remax, they are the biggest property seller in Europe and are now in the UK, however they offer a very bespoke personalised service, drone footage etc.

@KievLoverTwo i reduced by £20k almost a week ago 😅I’m now the same price as another property in the road only my house is much more modern with new kitchen extension and dining room extension. We’re actually priced cheaper than a lot in the very local area. It’s baffling me and making me think maybe it’s because I’m listed with PB 🫣

@girlmeetsboy thanks for the recommendation. I’m going to enquire with a couple of local EA’s here in my village. I will wait until the 4 weeks pass with PB and evaluate what we will do from there 😅

Perhaps it's theirs that's overpriced, not yours. I would get another 2 or 3 agents around ASAP to value it, and settle somewhere in the middle. If you tell them you're not happy with PB, I am sure they will want to help you.

@KievLoverTwo thank you so much for this advice. I will call EA tomorrow and get some valuations booked and do what you’ve suggested that’s a great idea. 👍🏼

The thing we learnt was that high st agents overprice to get you and tie you in for 12 weeks at least then they tell you to reduce it but you are tied in! Where are you roughly based OP?

@girlmeetsboy yes it’s very sneaky what they do isn’t it 😩 I’m in Merseyside. the market is really quiet here at the moment only the odd house is going SSTC

I always agree price with EA. We won’t agree to over pricing. You are paying the EA so take some control over the process.