The adage that you get what you pay for often rings true, ask anyone whose ever bought cheap beer...it generally comes with a totally free severe headache and a night on the tiles. Going for a cheaper agent isn't necessarily the best idea then and could come with an equally severe headache. From our point of view local knowledge and qualified staff you can actually meet, trumps price any day. But can you have the best of both, a cheap price and local knowledge? Is using a low fee agency only a bad idea if their business model is exactly the same as the one charging a 2% fee?
This week, we've seen the first person join us specifically to benefit from what we've set out to do with our business model. They've switched to us and saved, all be it at the point of sale, £4,500. This is allowing them to put right a few bits and pieces that had been hampering a sale with their previous agent. The agent had been doing a good job, but inflexibility on the contracted fee meant the property couldn't be improved to increase the chance of a sale at a price the vendor wanted. Our 1% fee has meant the improvements can now be made. Having a realistic valuation, the property will now probably sell fairly quickly in the new year and at the desired price. We'll bank a decent ammount for a few weeks work and everyone's happy. With a sluggish sales market, are agencies really still happy to throw away business for the sake of being flexible, as though its 2004? Surely its better to sell quickly, keep the vendor happy, not waste staff time on a property going nowhere, and take a lower fee, than it is to be stubborn and lose business entirely?
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