Online Estate Agents: Why They Are The Best Way To Sell Your Home (UK)

by PropertyBlawg on January 23, 2013

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Guest post regarding online estate agents in the UK.

The traditional way of looking for a new property has gone out the window. Almost literally. Why would you go and traipse around looking at the properties in the windows of various estate agents when you can stay in the comfort of your own home and browse hundreds and hundreds of properties on the internet.

The Internet

Leads generated through the internet have now become the main way that estate agents drive sales. Approximately 90% of people now search the internet for properties, rather than the physical high street estate agent offices. So those who don’t embrace the internet and all the ways it can enhance buying and selling this way are likely to get left behind.

Buying

There are many property listing websites that collate listings from different estate agents, making searching for a new home to buy or even rent so much easier than it would have been if you had to visit every estate agent in your area. Property websites enable the search to be refined by area, price, type of property, number of bedrooms and by keywords, so you are able to find exactly what you want. The listings are comprehensive and often include local information, market research and things like Google maps, so you can find it in relation to where you live now as well as certain landmarks like restaurants. They also offer the option to get in contact with the property lister, so you can ask questions and veto the property before you’ve even stepped inside, making the search simpler, easier and stress-free.

Selling

If you are truly committed to selling your home, then an online estate agent, such as the House Network, that utilises the internet to make it work for you is now the best way to do it. Offering a fixed online fee, they offer packages where you pay for the amount of exposure and number of services such as a virtual tour option on your listing. For example, some online estate agents have a certain amount of portals that properties are listed on, but then you pay more for a listing on a more popular site. This can often work out cheaper than a traditional high street agent, and can often be more likely to end in a sale. They are essentially the same as an estate agent, but geared towards the use of the internet to drive the sale of your home. For example, those who are signed up to email-alert on certain listing portals will instantly receive your listings if it matches your requirements.

They can also help you with the legal side, offering a conveyance service as well as ordering you an EPC if you don’t already own one.

Online estate agents have the reputation of not being very easy to get hold of, however, choose a reputable company and they will value you and your property just as much if not more as a traditional high street estate agent. They also do not host viewings, and while some might argue that this is a good thing as potential buyers are able to get an instant answer to their questions, some sellers may not be physically able to be in their property to show others around.

PropertyBlawg

PropertyBlawg

Property Law Blogger at PropertyBlawg
Property Blawg is a property law blog covering property law in the UK and beyond, and the post above has been published because of the high value associated with the author's work. Contact us if you'd like to get published today. Powered by YouBlawg.
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