Why the agent with the ‘most properties for sale’ is not necessarily the best agent for you!

We’ve heard it all before, market leading Estate Agents stating “we have listed the most properties for sale in your area” in fact, we both came from market leading agents covering Haslemere and Grayshott, and whilst having the most properties for sale is a fabulous bragging tool (and certainly keeps you busy) is it actually a benefit to you, the seller?

We recall servicing sometimes up to 60-70 residential clients at any one time, and although an Estate Agent’s office may have 4-5 members of staff each doing their bit (viewings assistant, valuer, negotiator, administrator, sales progressor) our time was spread incredibly thin.

So what is the benefit to using an agent with an abundance of stock?

Cross selling - if an agent has a number of properties for sale of similar size and price, then one viewer can turn into several viewings. It’s typical for agents to try to book potential buyers in to see multiple properties, even if they only initially enquired about one. Is this good practice, or is this simply trying to achieve targets set by bosses and wasting a sellers time by asking them to prepare for a viewing, when the buyer isn’t really that interested?

We must acknowledge the old fashioned ways of advertising are dead and buried, whether that be the property section in the local paper, or an Estate Agents window display - even the need for a physical office is in question since we showed our ability to work from home, thanks to COVID 19. The world has gone digital, love it or hate it, we are now an online Amazon culture.

See it, want it, click it, got it.

If all properties are equally and adequately advertised, using modern methods and traditional portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, Primelocation & OnTheMarket) there is no reason for any property to be missed by any potential buyer.

Any agent telling you their office is inundated with ‘walk-in applicants’ are simply telling fibs!

And so we hear you ask, what are the benefits of using an agent with lower stock levels? We have one answer, TIME!

When we decided to do this, go it alone, we knew we wanted to limit the number of clients we had at any one time, to ensure we are providing the BEST service possible to each and every one. We know that this industry has a bad reputation for not being the most attentive or responsive, and so this is where we wanted to focus our efforts.

We like to nurture the relationship we have with our sellers (being that a client/agent relationship lasts on average between 6-9 months) we find this helps us gain the trust of our clients and they therefore, take on board the advice we have to offer, to get their home sold!

We allocate a large amount of time to ensure every property is photo ready before it hits the market. We'll make beds, clean bathrooms, dispose of rubbish etc. all for the perfect marketing shots, and we feel this truly sets us apart.

We update our clients on current market conditions, send them weekly property performance reports, updates on new enquiries, viewing feedback & offers, properties that may suit their onward move, assistance with legal paperwork etc - the list goes on and on…. If you are one of sixty clients, how many times could you have those meaningful conversations?

And finally, we rarely limit viewing times (only if requested by our clients) meaning each potential buyer has the opportunity to fully explore the property, without the expectation to be in and out in 15 minutes - people spend more time test driving a car!

So with all that being said, is the agent with the most property for sale, really the best agent for you?

Written by Abby Wheeler

Director