Good Estate Agent in Tunbridge Wells?
Discussion
Hi tonker,
We're on our second estate agent. The first got us quite a few viewings but none of them were looking for our sort of property (three storey townhouse with a small garden) plus they never got back to us with feedback and there were another few niggles so we felt that we might be better off with someone else.
Price wise, we're selling it for what we bought it for in February this year, and that's £10k less than the mortgage valuation. Since we bought it we've made some improvements and it is competitively priced compared to other similar properties in the area.
I just get the feeling that our current agent isn't trying very hard.
We're on our second estate agent. The first got us quite a few viewings but none of them were looking for our sort of property (three storey townhouse with a small garden) plus they never got back to us with feedback and there were another few niggles so we felt that we might be better off with someone else.
Price wise, we're selling it for what we bought it for in February this year, and that's £10k less than the mortgage valuation. Since we bought it we've made some improvements and it is competitively priced compared to other similar properties in the area.
I just get the feeling that our current agent isn't trying very hard.
I don't think I can help you with your specific question but I'm guessing what you really want is help in selling your home (which may or may not require a new agent).
Have you had a good hard look at the way in which your property is being presented? How is the property displayed (if at all) in the agent's window? Is the agent's offices in a good part of town? How does the brochure look? Is there a floorplan on the brochure? What's the internet presence like? Are the photos genuinely well taken? Do you have a For Sale board? Pretend for a second you were a MOP walking down your road and saw a For Sale board outside your house. Would you think it would be worth a viewing? Or can you think of ways in which the physical property could be made more attractive (clean frontage, wheelie bins hidden round the side, crappy car off the drive, nicer curtains, uncluttered porch, flower pots, Engerland flag not on display etc). Have all the sales staff met you and been to the property?
It is a shame the previous agent didn't get you feedback from the viewings they arranged. Note to self, next time don't rely 100% on the agent to provide feedback. I would expect a good agent to provide viewing feedback, but if they don't supply it without prompting please take a bit of responsibility yourself and demand it. This is not a dig at you as I find it unacceptable to consistently have to ask for viewing feedback but I believe it can be so important in assessing the marketing of my property that I would go out of my way to find out what viewers REALLY think. No feedback is a reflection of the agent, but any feedback is a reflection of the property - which is probably more important to you.
Now try this; pretend to be a potential purchaser in your area. Ring your current agent and try to register. Give your Dad's name and address, make out you are under offer and are looking to spend a similar amount as your property is being marketed for. See how your agent reacts. At the end of the call write down your thoughts about how they handled you. Do you think they asked you the right questions, treated you correctly, showed interest in your requirements? Did they mention your property? Did they mention it as you would have wanted them to? Did they push for a viewing? In a day or two ask your Dad if he received any brochures from the agent. Did this include your property? Did you get any emails from them? Have they followed you up since?
Try requesting a viewing on your house via rightmove or your current agent's website. See how quickly they call you (the potential viewer) and you (the home owner) to arrange the appointment. See how they treat you (the potential viewer). Again, make notes about your thoughts.
Now, having done the above, make an appointment with the branch manager and go through your thoughts with them. It is entirely possible that the agent needs a buck up and your feedback to them will be greatly appreciated (honest). The BM probably doesn't spend enough time in the office to genuinely see how well or badly his staff treat viewers and his clients. And probably doesn't get to see his staff warts and all when he's around (as they may put on their best telephone manner when he's around). It may open his eyes.
It may be that the agent has lost enthusiasm for a "tired" property. Your conversation with the BM may bring around an uplift in their performance. It is getting near to Christmas now, so I would suggest a "sleepy" provincial area like yours may start to get a bit quiet around now so, subject to doing all the above, I would tell the agent they have the four weeks of January to pull their socks up or you're going elsewhere.
If you want help finding a better agent in the town try doing a bit of the above, and see who impresses most, then invite the agents round for a chat. Try if you can to get the BM to see you, not necessarily the spikey haired number two. It is possible you may have already had them round but invite them again (even the ones that you didn't get on with first time round as both parties may approach the situation differently now you have been on the market for a while).
Please be open and honest with the agents. Some (many/most) are class one tits but many are hard working, self motivated professionals who ultimately are only paid if they are successful and would appreciate a warm and open relationship with a client, rather than a hostile and untrusting one.
Send me a PM if you want any more constructive help.
Best of luck.
Have you had a good hard look at the way in which your property is being presented? How is the property displayed (if at all) in the agent's window? Is the agent's offices in a good part of town? How does the brochure look? Is there a floorplan on the brochure? What's the internet presence like? Are the photos genuinely well taken? Do you have a For Sale board? Pretend for a second you were a MOP walking down your road and saw a For Sale board outside your house. Would you think it would be worth a viewing? Or can you think of ways in which the physical property could be made more attractive (clean frontage, wheelie bins hidden round the side, crappy car off the drive, nicer curtains, uncluttered porch, flower pots, Engerland flag not on display etc). Have all the sales staff met you and been to the property?
It is a shame the previous agent didn't get you feedback from the viewings they arranged. Note to self, next time don't rely 100% on the agent to provide feedback. I would expect a good agent to provide viewing feedback, but if they don't supply it without prompting please take a bit of responsibility yourself and demand it. This is not a dig at you as I find it unacceptable to consistently have to ask for viewing feedback but I believe it can be so important in assessing the marketing of my property that I would go out of my way to find out what viewers REALLY think. No feedback is a reflection of the agent, but any feedback is a reflection of the property - which is probably more important to you.
Now try this; pretend to be a potential purchaser in your area. Ring your current agent and try to register. Give your Dad's name and address, make out you are under offer and are looking to spend a similar amount as your property is being marketed for. See how your agent reacts. At the end of the call write down your thoughts about how they handled you. Do you think they asked you the right questions, treated you correctly, showed interest in your requirements? Did they mention your property? Did they mention it as you would have wanted them to? Did they push for a viewing? In a day or two ask your Dad if he received any brochures from the agent. Did this include your property? Did you get any emails from them? Have they followed you up since?
Try requesting a viewing on your house via rightmove or your current agent's website. See how quickly they call you (the potential viewer) and you (the home owner) to arrange the appointment. See how they treat you (the potential viewer). Again, make notes about your thoughts.
Now, having done the above, make an appointment with the branch manager and go through your thoughts with them. It is entirely possible that the agent needs a buck up and your feedback to them will be greatly appreciated (honest). The BM probably doesn't spend enough time in the office to genuinely see how well or badly his staff treat viewers and his clients. And probably doesn't get to see his staff warts and all when he's around (as they may put on their best telephone manner when he's around). It may open his eyes.
It may be that the agent has lost enthusiasm for a "tired" property. Your conversation with the BM may bring around an uplift in their performance. It is getting near to Christmas now, so I would suggest a "sleepy" provincial area like yours may start to get a bit quiet around now so, subject to doing all the above, I would tell the agent they have the four weeks of January to pull their socks up or you're going elsewhere.
If you want help finding a better agent in the town try doing a bit of the above, and see who impresses most, then invite the agents round for a chat. Try if you can to get the BM to see you, not necessarily the spikey haired number two. It is possible you may have already had them round but invite them again (even the ones that you didn't get on with first time round as both parties may approach the situation differently now you have been on the market for a while).
Please be open and honest with the agents. Some (many/most) are class one tits but many are hard working, self motivated professionals who ultimately are only paid if they are successful and would appreciate a warm and open relationship with a client, rather than a hostile and untrusting one.
Send me a PM if you want any more constructive help.
Best of luck.
I'm looking at buying a flat in Tunbridge wells as an investment so have been speaking to a few agents and found http://www.mcauleymiller.com/ to have a good knowledge of the property I phoned about and very pleasant, which as a potential purchaser I find important.
She actually knew and told me about the positive aspects of the property so many agents I've spoken to know how many bedrooms a property has an not a lot more.
She actually knew and told me about the positive aspects of the property so many agents I've spoken to know how many bedrooms a property has an not a lot more.
scenario8, thank you very much for your long and detailed reply. Greatly appreciated.
Taking your points in turn, our property is displayed in the agent's window in a similar fashion to all the others, which isn't bad. The agent is located centrally and should get a fair amount of passing pedestrians. The brochure looks nice and there is a floorplan. The house is on their website as well as rightmove and fish4homes etc. We're happy with the photos. Our house is in a one year old development set back from the main road so the for sale board is at the entrance to the development as opposed to outside our house as the only people who would see our house is us or our neighbours. The development is well maintained and there is no clutter outside the house. Everyone here has "nice" cars, ie no chavved up Saxos or similar. The only sales person to visit the property was the branch manager.
With regards to the previous agent, we did indeed do a lot of chasing for feedback. We normally left it a couple of days and if we hadn't heard, one of us would give them a ring. They always had the feedback for us so it's not like the viewer hadn't let them know their thoughts.
I never thought about a "ghost" customer, or pretending to be one myself, but need to think about who would be the right person to do that for us.
I agree with your sentiment that the agent has lost interest in a property which has been on their books for several months and I appreciate the time of year makes for a slow market. It's just annoying that nothing came of August-November.
My wife and I can afford to stay in the property until someone buys it. We're not desperate to move out. However, we can't afford to drop much money so the next step suggested by the agent of slashing £20k off isn't viable. I'm sure that a chimpanzee could sell a house if it were cheap enough.
I'm certainly open and honest with agents. There's no point in being anything else. I tell them what I think and have already given them a kick up the arse because I didn't feel they were doing enough to sell the house.
loltolhurst - it's off St John's Road, between the Shell and BP garages opposite the church. Ours is on for £350k, so if you know someone else who wants to pay £420k for it, that would be most agreeable.
andye30m3 - thanks for that. I shall give them a call. As for your investment plans, I may have something for you so I've sent you an email. I hope that's OK.
Thank you all for the replies.
Taking your points in turn, our property is displayed in the agent's window in a similar fashion to all the others, which isn't bad. The agent is located centrally and should get a fair amount of passing pedestrians. The brochure looks nice and there is a floorplan. The house is on their website as well as rightmove and fish4homes etc. We're happy with the photos. Our house is in a one year old development set back from the main road so the for sale board is at the entrance to the development as opposed to outside our house as the only people who would see our house is us or our neighbours. The development is well maintained and there is no clutter outside the house. Everyone here has "nice" cars, ie no chavved up Saxos or similar. The only sales person to visit the property was the branch manager.
With regards to the previous agent, we did indeed do a lot of chasing for feedback. We normally left it a couple of days and if we hadn't heard, one of us would give them a ring. They always had the feedback for us so it's not like the viewer hadn't let them know their thoughts.
I never thought about a "ghost" customer, or pretending to be one myself, but need to think about who would be the right person to do that for us.
I agree with your sentiment that the agent has lost interest in a property which has been on their books for several months and I appreciate the time of year makes for a slow market. It's just annoying that nothing came of August-November.
My wife and I can afford to stay in the property until someone buys it. We're not desperate to move out. However, we can't afford to drop much money so the next step suggested by the agent of slashing £20k off isn't viable. I'm sure that a chimpanzee could sell a house if it were cheap enough.
I'm certainly open and honest with agents. There's no point in being anything else. I tell them what I think and have already given them a kick up the arse because I didn't feel they were doing enough to sell the house.
loltolhurst - it's off St John's Road, between the Shell and BP garages opposite the church. Ours is on for £350k, so if you know someone else who wants to pay £420k for it, that would be most agreeable.
andye30m3 - thanks for that. I shall give them a call. As for your investment plans, I may have something for you so I've sent you an email. I hope that's OK.
Thank you all for the replies.
ah one of those funky "green" looking flats? I could never live there as id keep going to the mns in the bp station late at night! is it in one of the estate agents on the old high street as thats the place id go to look for such properties - particularly barrets seem to have the new build ones more. tbh though right move is where i'd look. The thing that would put me off there bar the late night munchies at mns is living between 2 petrol stations although the flats themselves look nice and i believe sold quickly when new. If its the ones im thinking of i didnt know there were townhouses there wonder if others do?
The for sale sign says townhouse on it so even if you didn't know the site consisted of more than just flats, hopefully the sign would put you right!Slight update. The useless estate agent has been binned as the agreed period has ended and I've been to see a few others. One of them, Bracketts, seems quite good (as much as you can tell from a brief chat) and I'm waiting on a couple of others coming round. Hoping to get it all done and dusted by the end of the week.
jamesson said:
Slight update. The useless estate agent has been binned as the agreed period has ended and I've been to see a few others. One of them, Bracketts, seems quite good (as much as you can tell from a brief chat) and I'm waiting on a couple of others coming round. Hoping to get it all done and dusted by the end of the week.
bracketts seem to specialise in the newer builds so could be good - as long as its advertised on the old high street you should be ok.what are the photos etc like do u have a link to the old advert?
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