With The Existence Of Rightmove, What Is The Point Of Estate Agents?

[fellow]

Now that nearly every house is advertised on Rightmove, and similar websites, what is the point of the estate agents? What do they do that the seller can't do themselves?

[Number79]

What do they do that the seller can't do themselves?

....advertise your place on rightmove because RM wont allow you to yourself

[Fairies Wear Boots]

....advertise your place on rightmove because RM wont allow you to yourself

That is a bit of joke.

I honestly don't know why anyone would bother going with multiple agents, surely people look on rightmove and contact agent if they want to view it. Going to an estate agent and saying "what have you got?" sounds like another era.

[phead]

....advertise your place on rightmove because RM wont allow you to yourself

True, there is always the halfway of using someone like http://www.mypropertyforsale.co.uk . Still £350 ish , but cheaper than X%.

[athom]

That is a bit of joke.

I honestly don't know why anyone would bother going with multiple agents, surely people look on rightmove and contact agent if they want to view it. Going to an estate agent and saying "what have you got?" sounds like another era.

Not everyone uses the internet you know. Seriously, seems unthinkable if like me you use it in some way for nearly everything but some people don't have a clue about computers or the internet still, i guess that is only a significant of over 50s but that is still a fair proportion of the house buying public, in fact perhaps these days that is the only house buying public

[Number79]

True, there is always the halfway of using someone like http://www.mypropertyforsale.co.uk . Still £350 ish , but cheaper than X%.

They may be cheaper but I have never come across them before and am sure that few of us have come across many of these smaller outfits. The seem pretty pointless and a waste of cash imo.

It is probably worth registering yourself as a business to list your gaff on rightmove though.

"Richys property development" wouldnt be hard to set up and I bet RM listing fees are a fraction of what an EA wants to handle a few phone calls.

Imagine listing your own number and having the advantage of being able to speak with potential buyers and know their positions that would be fun.

[fallingbuzzard]

The agent keeps the seller and the buyer happy by being selective about the information that flows between the two parties, which increases the chance of the link in the chain staying together. This is the area where agents can add value, everything else is plain vanilla. When people select agents, they should be asking for a stat on what % of accepted offers get to completion because thats what is worth the commission.

Now that nearly every house is advertised on Rightmove, and similar websites, what is the point of the estate agents? What do they do that the seller can't do themselves?

[Tenubracon]

Now that nearly every house is advertised on Rightmove, and similar websites, what is the point of the estate agents? What do they do that the seller can't do themselves?

It supports sales of hair gel and bad suits, and gives half wits something to do to keep them off the streets.

[Number79]

It supports sales of hair gel and bad suits, and gives half wits something to do to keep them off the streets.

we were talking estate agent not parliament

[Executive Sadman]

To provide work for those who cant cut it in recruitment agencies, probably.

[darwin]

we were talking estate agent not parliament

[Cherubium]

Someone has to set a silly asking price, show buyers around and tell them that several other buyers are about to snap it up (in my recent experience, it's often foreign money or a Russian syndicate).

Less cheekily, valuation, advertising, handling viewings and local expertise are worth something. But whether the high street store front estate agent comes out the end of the next big housing crunch intact is open to question IMO. It's already common in America for realtors to work from home.

[abbot26]

I had another wonderful experience with a local EA on Thursday. A new house had just come on the books with them, it hadn't got onto rightmove at the time I just happened to drive past it on the way to taking my other half to the hospital. I called in just before 9 in the morning,, spoke to a lifeless looking character about this house, he started telling me how wonderful it was, after 30 seconds or so I asked him if he had been in there and he said he hadn't. Wow, fantastic start!

Anyway I persisted and explained that I wanted to have a look at it but it had to be that very morning as my other half was in having an operation and I was expecting to get a call from the hospital in the afternoon to go and collect her. They call me back at about 1 in the afternoon, "can you make it at 3 the EA asks ?". I think to myself do people have to pay these fecking idiots just to put their houses on rightmove, do they really really have to put up with utter incompetence ? I go on and tell him what I had already explained 4 hours earlier, he then says tomorrow ? Yes no problem, but I work until 1 so it has to be after that. He calls me back an hour later, "can you make 11:30 he says ?"

Now, call me picky, but is this EA stupid or does he not understand that 11:30 is actually before 13:00. I did think about going round with a clock and going through it with them all but decided it really wasn't worth the effort. I told him I was working, he started to rattle on so I cut in and told him I'd get back to them to arrange something another time.

I won't be making arrangements to see this house, I'm not willing to deal with these retards, I'm going to sit back and wait a little longer in my little rented place. As my boss would say 'FU*K EM'

[ratatat]

show buyers around

Do they even do this much? Always had the sellers show me around or have been given the keys to show myself about if its empty, not complaining though, less cretin exposure.

[hpc-craig]

Do they even do this much? Always had the sellers show me around or have been given the keys to show myself about if its empty, not complaining though, less cretin exposure.

We've found that most of them like to 'show us round'. I find it off putting as you have constant battering about how the windows let in lots of light and the benefits of a separate shower and bath.

Anyway, who needs Rightmove even. All houses should be listed on eBay (or something similar). Upto 30 day auctions, all viewings have to be carried out in that time period. No reserves. Houses would sell for market value and sellers could get on with their lives.

[tim123]

....advertise your place on rightmove because RM wont allow you to yourself

There are "internet" only EAs who charge a low fixed fee for doing nothing more than putting your property onto web sites.

Of the two properties in my search area that have used them, neither have sold even though (IMHO) they are more competitively priced than the ones through normal EAs.

Make of that what you will

tim