Are Bigger Chain Estate Agencies Better?
In the areas that we cover if there’s one thing that there is absolutely no shortage of, it’s estate agencies but the dilemma which property owners face is do they entrust their property to a large chain agency or are they better off with a small independent firm?
Of course you would expect us to say that you are much better off with a small independent agent but it is for very good reasons.
We are about people not numbers
If you want to be treated like a number then a large chain agency is the way to go. We deliver a personal service tailored to you and your needs and won’t treat you like just another client. We also deal with less volume of property at any one time so you can rest assured that we will be focussed on you and selling or renting your property.
We don’t suffer high staff turnover
Some larger estate agencies have such high staff turnover they may as well install a revolving door for their staff! Over the years we have seen some agencies branch managers change almost once a year which is a shocking situation. As individuals we’ve been working in this area for over 35 years so there's no question that we are committed to serving you and not disappearing until the job is done.
We have in depth local knowledge
Our local knowledge is unquestionable. The funniest story we heard about a large chain estate agency was when a client told us she visited the large chain estate agency at the top of her road to invite them to value her house. When the member of staff said that he didn’t know where her road was she knew immediately that they weren’t the people to deal with.
We have much more experience
Our individual 35 plus years of experience gives you an all round better experience. There’s not much we haven’t already seen or dealt with but if something new arises we are adept at sorting things out.
We listen more and speak less
We were always taught that in estate agency you should use your ears and mouth in the ratio that they were created ie: 2:1. Unfortunately the feedback we get from customers is that the majority of estate agents they deal with don’t listen properly and are intent on just talking for the sake of it.
Realistic Valuations
We always try to provide realistic valuations based on facts rather than make believe. A lot of estate agency valuers are targeted just to get listings which can lead to them enticing property owners with bullish claims of what can be achieved just to get the property owner to sign on the dotted line. Situations can also arise where a valuer has lost out to the competition on previous valuations due to the other agents higher valuations and as a result they start to give higher valuations on subsequent valuations themselves.
Giving you the best advice for your circumstances
Property owners need comprehensive unbiased advice based on their circumstances. Some people should sell immediately, some people should sell at a later date and some people should not sell and consider renting instead. We are best placed to offer this level of advice, in an unbiased way, because we can present all the options considering the pros and cons of each one. Most companies have separate valuers for sales and lettings who will present the case only for one or the other even if that option is not in your best interests. They also only think about today and hitting their target so they will push you to list the property immediately. We’ve been around for years so whether you’re ready to list now or in a couple of years we would rather provide you with good honest advice today and do business with you at a later date when the time is right for you.