The low fees charged by online agents can prove tempting but as Tracey Barnes found out, agents’ lack of local knowledge and reduced marketing options can end up costing homeowners both precious time and money.
When they found their dream home, Tracey Barnes and her husband wasted no time in placing their four bedroom property on the market.
“We’d successfully sold our previous property through an online agent, and with the fee being only £650 – albeit to be paid upfront – we felt that the support of a traditional agent wouldn’t be required. We’d done so much work to the house, we knew that it should sell quickly” says Tracey.
“However after a great sales pitch, everything changed with the agent becoming very pushy for her upfront fee. Alarm bells really started ringing when we’d paid and she immediately became difficult to get hold of – and as she was based in an entirely different town, you couldn’t just pop in. It felt like as soon as they had our money we got put to the back of the queue.
“After being on the market for a month with only one viewing, we knew that we had to bite the bullet and engage a different agent, losing out on the hundreds we’d paid upfront.
“We immediately instructed David James and couldn’t have made a better decision – the difference was unbelievable.
“James worked closely with us on the brochure content to ensure the house’s key features were showcased – with floorplans and mailing list marketing all part of the service. We came to the market on Friday, and within 24 hours had three viewings.
“One was secured entirely down to the team’s knowledge of individual buyers’ needs. Natasha was with clients at a nearby property and, knowing that our house had just come on, showed them round. They put in an offer first thing on the Monday and we agreed a sale price within a week of going on the market.
“The sales process was expertly handled by Michelle. We clicked instantly and she was always on the phone keeping us updated. We also utilised David James’ in-house mortgage and conveyancing services – we went from having no contact or support at all from the online agent, to a complete end-to-end service.
“David James made the whole process so easy. They were on the ball, very clued in, with real expertise. We couldn’t be more grateful to the team, they genuinely deliver what they promise and thanks to their success, we’re now living in our dream home.
“My advice to anyone tempted by a cheap online agent is that as much as they appear cheaper, it’s just not worth it. Our experience ended up costing us more than a traditional agent would have, as we lost our upfront fee and wasted valuable time. If you’re not getting results, cut your losses and get out of there.”
David James is the number one agent for the Gedling Borough – contact our team to see how the local property experts can help you make the move.
