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You’re not alone. Although this is the most common technique to adopt, it often ends up causing the seller a lot of unnecessary stress. From over-valued properties, badly taken photographs to inaccurate house details and cancelled viewings, many sellers are left with unsold houses and empty pockets. Olivia Rose Estates wants to change that and help you get the quick, hassle-free sale you deserve.

If you think back to 10 years ago, Estate Agents were the go to method for homeowners looking to sell their properties. Nowadays, there is a plethora of routes that you can take.

In this post I label the biggest shortcomings of current Estate Agent practices and in doing so, explain why Olivia Rose Estates offers real value to homeowners.

At Olivia Rose Estates our main priority is and always will be customer satisfaction. We have noticed that Estate Agents are failing their customers in many ways. This post is written in the hope that it helps homeowners from losing out on time and money. I have labelled the 6 key areas which you need to be wary of and will go in to further detail on each below.

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This may not sound like a negative to you. If you are selling a product and have two offers, naturally, you take the higher amount. But when dealing with property, this is not the best way to go.
The bottom line is, estate agents want your business. As the demand for their service has declined rapidly, they’ll do anything to secure another customer. Ask yourself, what will attract a customer the most?
Offer more money!

The first step to counteract this is to do your own research. If you are aware of the average local price for a house of your size, you can work out whether the Estate Agent is being realistic. The company are simply hoping that you will be overwhelmed by the extra pound signs and as a result, choose to enlist your property with them. Unfortunately, high unrealistic starting prices can have big negative impacts on the sale of your property.

For example, educated buyers will be instantly put off by the price, leading to fewer viewings. Fewer viewings results in a slower sale cycle and you having to leave your property listed for longer. Later down the line, the Estate Agent will be forced to reduce your asking price simply to secure extra viewings. This puts the homeowner in a much worse position. Leaving your property up for a long period of time will suggest to a buyer that you are desperate for a sale and so, they are more likely to offer lower than the true value.
A higher asking price may seem appealing at first, but as the wait for a sale drags on and the price lowers, you’ll think to yourself..
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It is a well known fact within the industry that Estate Agents use fake viewings to ease pressure on themselves and justify a higher asking price. In some companies, it has become common place and has even been encouraged by higher management in difficult periods.

As a homeowner, it can be demoralising to have an influx of early viewings but no offers on the table. The company is gambling on the fact that the initial hope it provides will keep you interested in listing your property with them for a longer period. Over time though, the viewings will become less frequent and most property owners begin to realise that this was a ‘trick of the trade.’

It’s very hard to tell if an Estate Agent is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Nevertheless, if an employee promises you viewings before signing a contract, it is likely to be a ploy to gain your business.

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Another false incentive provided by Estate Agents revolves around the idea of a database of potential buyers. They will often say that they know plenty of people looking for a property just like yours. If it sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is!

Agents may well have a database full of names from the local area but there is no guarantee that these will be interested in your property. It’s much more likely that this database contains the details of buyers, sellers and previous clients. Be careful and don’t be afraid to ask for evidence when a company makes claims like these.

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????, ??? ???’? ??? ????????? ????????? That’s a good question. It gives the impression of a lower fee, and in theory, it can be reclaimed by certain businesses selling off assets. However, most high street estate agents deal with individual customers, so they are supposed to advertise rates including VAT. According to the Property Ombudsman Code of Practice for estate agents, all estate agents should have been quoting prices including VAT for any quote from 1 October 2016.

However, research shows that this isn’t always the case:

56% of estate agents quoted prices without VAT and had to be asked whether the price included VAT

20% of agents quoted prices without VAT, but stated that it was plus VAT

24% of agents quoted prices including VAT

Therefore, if you do get a quote from the high street estate agent, make sure you always ask whether the price includes VAT. If it doesn’t, add an extra 20% to their fee.

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Contract lockdown refers to a technique that is actually used in many industries to retain customers. Within the property sector, companies will write in the small print that the homeowner is locked in for 6 months and cannot use any other property agencies in this time. If you sign this and are not happy with the service you are being provided, you will normally be forced to pay a set fee to break the contract. Olivia Rose Estates see this as extremely immoral and will always be up front and truthful with our customers. One thing is for sure, confidentiality is guaranteed and there is no obligation at any time.

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For Estate Agents, photography is an essential part of the house selling process. The images they take are used to advertise your property online and in store. The photos taken, more often than not, are not up to a high standard and can result in your property being overlooked. It’s important that all photographs of your property are clear and are ideally taken on a bright day, especially for those external images.

There are certain things that you can do as the homeowner to negate these risks. Ensure that your property is clean and any clutter (like kids toys) is placed neatly away. You want to try to include images that enable buyers to visualise themselves inside your property enjoying the space. If they can do this, they are much more likely to book a viewing and in doing so, are much more likely to make an offer!

To conclude, there are a number of negatives to going with your standard Estate Agent. If you are going to, then please do your research and ensure that they are going to put your needs first. But there are other options that can be quicker, easier and still lucrative for homeowners.

At Olivia Rose Estate we are here to help you sell your house fast. We can offer a guaranteed cash purchase for your property in a timescale that suits you. It could be a couple of weeks, or even just a few days. You no longer have to pay estate agents fees and deal with the potential long delays of a traditional sale process. It is not uncommon for house sales and purchases to fall through due to broken chains or mortgages not being approved at the last minute.

We will help guide you through the process of selling your home, whatever your reason for selling. From the initial valuation to the final completion date, rest assured you are being guided by trusted property professionals who are here to help you get the most out of your house sale and ensure you have a hassle-free experience.