Change Estate Agent or Stick

[TulipsfromAmsterdam]

We have to give 28 days notice to estate agent to end contract. It is sole selling rights and has lots of conditions even if we change agents.
In 8 weeks we have only had 4 viewing and no offers.
We need to decide whether it is worth trying a new agent or if the viewings are down to the market as current agent advises.
The new agent recommends a lower price which we will go with. Current agent resists lowering the price though we have pushed it and reduced by £15000 without success.
Unsure if changing will make any difference or if it is market conditions and will have same people looking anyway.

I'm not sure how much difference the estate agent makes. Most people house hunt on Rightmove or zoopla. When we bought our last house I didn't really know who the agent was until after we had set our hearts on the place. I guess some might have a better database of people actively looking but then if you are looking you search the property sites.

I'd love to know if others think this as well though.

We currently have a house for sale and not a single viewing in two weeks.

Your current estate agent sounds rubbish if he is just shrugging his shoulders about the lack of viewings and saying 'it's the market'. If it is the market, and it may well be, then you need to lower your price to meet the market demand. I don't know what sort of percentage reduction 15,000k was but it clearly wasn't enough to bring in potential buyers. If the new agent is recommending a lower price, that in itself may bring in viewings, depending on the amount of the reduction. Apart from pricing, some agents do take better photos, market better, chase things up better and provide much better after offer service.

Did you get several valuations initially? What did they all suggest? Which agent seemed most switched on wrt to tactics and knowledge of the market? Who is selling the most properties in your area? Are things moving generally or is this a problem particular to your house?
I would have a good think about it, interview a few more agents if you haven't already and then make a decision. From what you have said so far, changing agents and a further reduction might help.

Our house has been on the market for 4 weeks, 11 viewings, and no offers. We're being told it's the market too, as well as some modernisation required, which we're considering dropping the price by £10K to accommodate.

We'll be seeing out our contract and then re-listing in the new year with a new agent if we don't sell by around September time. While I accept the market is slow, I think you know when an agent is actively pushing your property, and we don't feel ours is. Sounds like yours might be the same with their attitude.

Thanks for the replies. They have helped me to reach a decision to give notice.
We had two agents, one said we could achieve £355,000 easily, the other said offers over £325,000 to hopefully achieve £330,000. The photos weren’t the best and we asked for the video to be taken down as it didn’t do anything to help. It felt rushed so going to try new agent from September and be better prepared for photos and 3D tour. Will also be more realistic regarding price and hope we can move forwards with a house we like.

You need to ask the EA for their TwentyEA Insights stats. These will show which ones over-price and which ones maximise the return.

Never sign up for more than 8/12 weeks. If the EA is any good, and you follow their advice on price, then they'll get it away.

It will be mostly about the price. I would even think you might need to take the £325 with a pinch of salt at the moment. Only 4 viewings in 2 months means it's quite a bit over imo

I would agree with that. Sellers who are getting no viewings or very few over long periods of time are probably very over priced. If only around 10% over priced, buyers will feel more comfortable making offers. If 20 or 30% over priced, many won't even bother to view as they think there is no chance that their offer might be accepted.
If I were you @TulipsfromAmsterdam, I would change agent and lower the price sooner rather than waiting. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I would change. We listed beginning of May and had 3 viewings and no offers. Relisted 3 weeks ago and we've had 11 viewings and 2 offers. Great communication and really clear feedback. It's like night and day, yes the market is slow and it is a buyers market but I feel really good about my new agents advice and approach whereas I felt our first agent whacked the property on rightmove and that was about it.

We have viewed a few properties now - one which has been on the market since June 2023, one since May 2024 and one since April 2025. Way overpriced! We offered on the latter and they wanted full asking - I said good luck and it’s still on the market 🤦🏼‍♀️

EAs are not helping in this situation!

We’ve been on the market for six weeks, we’ve had three viewings and no offers.
We had valuations from three estate agents. The first said offers over £335,000, that the market was buoyant and that we’d be seeing for sale signs going up all over the area and they’d be quickly replaced by sold signs. He was very wrong. There aren’t many for sale and very few of those are SSTC.

The second said we could expect offers around £325,000.

We went with the third who valued it at £320,000 as that seemed more realistic, an identical house three doors away quickly sold for £330,000 last Summer, that was sold by our agent. Houses on our estate usually sell within a week or two but some have been on the market since January and out of the nine houses up for sale this year only one has sold so far. Six out of the nine have been reduced, with one of the six being reduced twice and still not selling.

Incidentally we called into a sales office on a new build estate in the area where we plan to eventually move to. We went in just on the off chance to see if they had some brochures as it was 10 minutes before they closed on a Sunday afternoon and we were the first people who had visited that day.

After 8 weeks and only 4 viewings it definitely sounds like you should reduce the price to try to generate new interest.

Your EA should be proactively suggesting that. I would be reducing the price now, not waiting until September.

Seriously - sole selling rights, not sole agency?

With sole selling rights the EA would be laughing all the way to the bank if you were to sell to anyone not introduced by him; he would still be entitled to his fee if the sale was agreed within the duration of the contract.

Are the current agency on a percentage and the new one on a fixed fee ?

Both fixed fees.
Admit I made a huge mistake with the agent I chose. The new one seems more aware of the current market so will give them a go as soon as possible.

If you are interested in the new build, do they do part exchange? I know a few friends hwo have done this, they didnt necessary get the price they wanted, but it was close and reduced the stresses of selling on the open market.