Just Need to Vent about EA

[LateButNotTooLate]

I'm not being unreasonable am I? We had a couple of local EAs over to value the house in April. Decided to go with the one that mainly deals with 'country' properties, which ours is. Instructed them on the 19th April, received first stuff to sign via email on the 20th, inc. marketing package at £240 which we had to pay upfront. No problem. We were then told the photographer had no availability until the 1st May, so we had to wait. It was frustrating but we were told once the photographer had been we'd be on the market within 48 hours, so just before the bank holiday weekend.

Last Friday, before the bank holiday weekend, we tried to call the EA as we hoped we might have viewings over the weekend. No answer. Still not on the market. I emailed the EA to ask what was happening - no response. Tuesday morning I miss a call and get an email saying photographs arrived on Saturday and he was putting together the draft details. I received the draft brochure and it's terrible. Lots of factual errors (eg "newly fitted kitchen" when it's 24 years old), and the photo of our sitting room, which is one of the main selling points, is awful - only shows a 3rd of the room and the colours are weird. I replied with a list of amendments that needed to be made. I receive a call yesterday - amendments made, photo changed, could I approve? Couple more tweaks and we're good to go. I received an email this morning - all good, property set to go 'live'. I've been busy today so hadn't checked but trusted we were finally on the market. Checked this evening on Rightmove and on the EA website and we're not there, so I've emailed again asking what the issue is and now I have to find time to call them in the morning. Tomorrow is the 10th May, so it will be 3 weeks since we first instructed them. This can't be normal.

Our last house we sold through Purple Bricks 8 years ago. The guy who came out to value took the photos, we were on the market 48 hours later and sold within a week at full asking price. We thought this time we'd go with a "proper" EA as this house is more niche.

I'm so annoyed we've wasted 3 weeks of prime selling season, and if we hadn't already spent £240 we'd be taking our business elsewhere. I'd instruct a 2nd agent but I always think sellers look a bit desperate listed with more than one EA. Hoping the photographs and drone footage belong to us and we can possibly drop this agent and use our photo package with a different EA.

After a week of shit from various businesses and service providers, the EA being just the latest, I despair at the poor standards we have to accept in this country. They all talk the talk but can't deliver. If anyone can recommend a good EA in Worcestershire please let me know!

I could take a pretty good guess at who this is! We had a bad experience with them too. All their viewings were no show or last minute cancellations.

I would take this as a sign and change. If they're non communicative and hard to contact, that could be disastrous when it comes to getting viewings, sales and then moving forwards with moving.

One thing I would say, is most properties are taking months to sell at the moment so I wouldn't worry about prime time. But personally yes, I'd swap to an agent who actually wants your house in the market and does a good job.

I think I am seeing it as a sign. I need to establish who owns the rights to the images and hopefully we can use them with another agent. If we can't then I think we have to swallow the loss and jump anyway. It's so difficult to know who to use though as they all talk the talk. This guy was so positive and enthusiastic and now 3 weeks later we're not even on the market.

EA's have a bad rep for a reason. Largely people with no sales training, no empathy and no professionalism. Waiting to be hounded by all those who are great in this industry and I commend you for being able to be great when so many of you are so awful. As per OP's experience. They are not alone. A good experience is unique as per mine, our wider family and friends would testify. And none of us favourably.

Work out what £240 is as a percentage of your house price / the new house price, and cut your losses - it's nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Trust your gut and leave them asap, pictures or no pictures.

You’ve chosen a dud EA - most don’t charge for marketing but only get paid anything once the property is sold.

I would check how long your contract is and if there is any way you can exit it early. Next time choose a better EA.

I've never heard of a charge upfront for marketing, that's designed to keep you because you don't want to write that off as a loss. Ask them if they are serious about selling your property. It sounds like they aren't! Don't expect a big house in the country to go in a week though, BTW.

I’ve only heard it about cheap online EAs not proper EAs. Think possibly OP has tried to sell her house via the cheapest local EA rather than choosing the best one but maybe I’m wrong about that.

Definitely not a cheap EA. Not the most expensive locally but not a budget option. I looked at Trust Pilot reviews too, but as they have a few branches across our county most of the reviews weren't specific to the branch we're using, but the ones that were were good.

The photographer is a professional, not inhouse, and he was here for 1.5 hours, so I imagine he demands payment upfront from the EA. He showed me a lot of the photo's and the drone footage and it all looked great, so I'm perplexed why the EA did such poor editing.

So disappointing.

It's just not usual for the client to have to pay for the photos though, even if the photographer does stay a long time.

I'm mainly pointing this out for other people reading this - it's a red flag if an EA asks you to pay anything upfront. All the marketing costs should be theirs which gives them more motivation to sell houses as quickly as possible.

We were then told the photographer had no availability until the 1st May, so we had to wait

I'm afraid that would have been my cue to take my business elsewhere.

How long have to signed up for?

When you met with them to discuss a sale, did you ask them how long it would be from the conversation you were having to a 'go live' date?

EA's are usually guys in their 20s who want commission. They rarely know what they are doing or anything about houses. It's quite a transient career. If it's one of the big companies you might want to talk to the Sales Negotiator - usually a mid 30's woman in the office who will have some understanding of the law being paid just above minimum wage. She will be able to help you far more than the 20 something who wants his commission in before his holiday.

We paid for the photos, video etc when we sold and relocated during lockdown, I think it’s pretty normal now tbh. Edit: this was a national High Street EA.

Which national high street EA is this?

@Twiglets1 William H Brown’s

This is shocking. I'm buying and selling at the moment and I have nothing but good things to say about the estate agents I'm dealing with (and I work in sales). I would cut my losses and find another agent.

Thank you. Must admit I’m surprised a high street EA wouldn’t include photos as standard, everyone I know who has moved has had that included in the overall package. It may be that some EAs charge a lower basic fee and then add on extra costs for professional photos, floor plan etc.

Personally I prefer the no sale no fee approach, especially in a stagnant market.