The 3 Ps When Using an Online Estate Agent
When it comes to selling your home online we believe there are 3 very important factors that make the difference between a successful sale or months with no enquiries at all. These factors are Price, Presentation and Personal Touch. Is the property valued correctly? Has the property been skilfully photographed with a full description and floor plan? Are enquiries responded to in a timely manner with the owner showing an interest in the sales process?
Price
It has long been the standard for High Street Agents to pitch a higher valuation to a potential vendor just to secure the instruction, this is because valuers are paid on property instructions not sales. It is then left up to the office negotiators, after a period of very little activity, to try to gain a price reduction. The main draw back of this approach is the amount of time wasted, stress caused and ultimately the disappointment when the seller realises that their house is not worth as much as they thought.
It doesn’t matter what type of agent you are using, it pays to be informed and as such there are a number of free online valuation tools that allow sellers to value their own properties without any previous knowledge of property pricing. There are three sites that we would recommend using when valuing your own property
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-value.html
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/?search_source=top_nav
https://www.mouseprice.com/house-prices
All three sites allow you to monitor current prices in your area for properties of a similar size and specification to your own. They also list properties that are currently for sale in your area and provide an estimated value based on the previous sale price and date of each property.
Of course, they are many reasons why a property similar to yours could command a higher or lower asking price, very rarely are two properties identical. You need to cast a critical and unbiased eye over the other properties on the market and compare them to your own and look for reasons for price differentials. Do they have a newly fitted kitchen, off road parking or a larger garden? Has the property been well maintained or newly decorated? These are just a few examples, but the list goes on.
One last point of reference is https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices.html
This will tell you exactly which houses have sold in the area and for how much.
Presentation
Regarding the presentation, we are not talking about de-cluttering or kerb appeal, what we are talking about here is the first impression, the images and description that will make a potential purchaser want to investigate further. Keep in mind that a property purchase is probably one of the biggest decisions some people take in their lives so a property that is well presented and ticks all the boxes will give a purchaser more reassurance.
In a recent study that tracked eye movements, it was found that 95% of the participants first looked at the property photos. For this reason, we would recommend a professional property photographer who is experienced in highlighting the best features of your home. It’s important to focus on key spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms but also great quality exterior shots can make or break a listing. There’s a noticeable difference between a photo taken on a phone or amateur camera and one taken by a professional property photographer.
Once you have captured the interest of the potential viewer, failing to describe the property in detail can limit the effectiveness of your listing. The opening statement is your first chance to describe all the qualities of the home, it needs to be detailed without being over the top or too technical. Use the first paragraph to give a general over view of the accommodation whilst highlighting the best features such as the outstanding views, large kitchen/diner or double garage. In this space you could also mention the local schools or amenities nearby.
Next comes the individual room descriptions, we always like to include room measurements when describing the rooms, purchasers have to think about fitting furniture in. When describing the rooms, you can be more detailed, for example how many plug sockets or are the wardrobes built in etc. list the fittings in the kitchen and any white goods that may be included.
Personal Touch
The person most qualified to sell your property online is you. Starting with responding to queries and booking appointments. Over the year’s I’ve seen so many potential purchasers lost through questions going unanswered or viewings not confirmed. It’s great to see the new generation of online agents using 24-hour messaging to connect sellers and buyers and cutting down the risk of mis communication.
Once the viewing is confirmed give the house a quick once over and your all set, you know when the boiler was last serviced and how much insulation is in the roof, you know how much gas you use and when the dustman collects the rubbish. In fact, you know all about the house as you live there so who better. We have another 3 P’s here, be positive, be personable and be prepared. The most important part of the viewing process is to just be relaxed, don’t get stressed or put yourself under undue pressure, purchasers tend to pick up on negative vibes. If the Property is right for them, it’ll sell itself.
For a payment of just £295 inc vat, your property will be marketed on Rightmove, Zoopla, On The Market and many other websites for up to 12 months. If needed we can provide property photo’s, full description and floor plan as well. All enquiries are notified via email and sms messaging and you have 24 hours access to your account to respond to any potential buyers.
Check out Emoov. and give yourself the best chance of selling your property at the price you want and save thousands in agency fees.
Prices are correct as of 12 September 2024 and are subject to change without notice. Some services may require subscriptions. Please check here for latest prices.
