Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sole agency and multi agency?
As it implies, sole agency means you instruct one agency to sell your property and multi means you instruct multiple agencies. Under a sole agency agreement, you are only allowed to market with that agent, usually for a set amount of time. For this reason, sole agency contracts are usually cheaper. Do not forget you would normally need to give at least two weeks notice in writing before you can change agents.

Why do agents ask for sole agency contracts?
Because it does in fact cost quite alot of money to market a property and it can be frustrating to spend the time and effort to then have the property withdrawn from you. Most agents offer a no sale no fee contract so you only have to pay if they sell it. Effectively this means the work they do is free unless they sell the property.

Why do agents charge so much?
This is obviously a matter of opinion! Apart from the reasons specified above, the UK agents actually charge less than nearly every other country. If every person had to pay a non refundable fee upfront to market a property, then this would drastically reduce fees. Until that time, as an agent we have to spend money on offices, advertising, marketing and staff, with no guarantee of payment until exchange of contracts.

When do I pay you?
Only if we sell your property and it progresses to exchange of contracts. Your solicitor will usually take care of this for you.

Should I put my property on the market before I find another property I like?
Absolutely. A mistake many people make is to wait until they find something before commencing marketing on their own. You will probably lose the home you want to buy. No matter what any agent tells you, there is no guarantee you will be able to sell your property quickly.

What if something comes up on the survey?
Sometimes you can be unaware of problems to a property until a surveyor inspects it. We will help negotiate any problems that arise as that’s what we are there for. We will organise any reports that may need to be done.

What about Seller’s packs? (HIP’s)
These are compulsory for three or more bedroomed properties. You can find out more by clicking here.

If I find a buyer, what guarantee is there that they will not pull out or ask for a reduction later on?
Quite honestly, no guarantee at all. It happens, but not as often as people think. We do all we can to avoid ‘timewasters’ and buyers who are not progressing at an acceptable rate.

Why shouldn’t I use an internet site to sell my property and save myself money?
We love the internet and believe it to have changed the way property is sold. But there is no comparison between an Estate Agent and a property website and hopefully this marketing guide has shown you the difference.

So once my property is under offer, is that your job done?
Pay a cheap fee and that just might be the case. But we want the sale to go through so it’s important to us to keep in contact with everybody in the chain until the property exchanges contracts. Selling it is just a fraction of the job. The most time consuming part of our job is the weeks after when we work hard to make sure the sale goes through.

I want to sell through you, how quickly can you get it on the market?
Today! The power of digital photography and computers means we can have all the details prepared and mailed out to our extensive database of potential buyers by the end of the same day we come out to see you. Click here to book a valuation.