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Purple Bricks v Traditional Estate Agents



shingle

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2004
3,128
Lewes
Hello Chaps

Trying to sell mum's house in Patcham and trying to keep the expenditure/fees down to a minimum, so has anyone got any experience dealing with purple bricks versus a traditional estate agent.

Purple bricks fees are so much lower than a traditional estate agent, but will it end up being a false economy.

Thanks in advance for any advice
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
Trying to sell mum's house in Patcham and trying to keep the expenditure/fees down to a minimum, so has anyone got any experience dealing with purple bricks versus a traditional estate agent.
Yes I have. Used for renting a flat in London, they made no effort to get viewings, so ditched them fast.

Purple bricks fees are so much lower than a traditional estate agent, but will it end up being a false economy.
No one can guarantee the answer. The price of the property in its location may be very well established, and it sell for the same price regardless. Or it may be that you get a fair bit more with a decent agent fighting for you. I'd rather have a decent agent (agree a low fee), but it does depend on the property.
 


Diablo

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 22, 2014
4,173
lewes
think about it, good local knowledge, good local staff,good local advertising etc etc........ House say £250k local agents at 1% £2500.....they are more likely to get closer to the asking price than purple bricks.

Unless of course you get lucky and many people want property then P bricks may do as well,but if this happens should you have been asking more?.

Stick with good local agent is my advice.
 




Smirko

Well-known member
Aug 19, 2011
1,528
Brighton
Used PB, no problem arranged all viewings, added extras if you want a for sale board etc, sold very quickly, Hollingbury area so will prob be same PB agent, saved thousands.
 




Diablo

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 22, 2014
4,173
lewes
Used PB, no problem arranged all viewings, added extras if you want a for sale board etc, sold very quickly, Hollingbury area so will prob be same PB agent, saved thousands.

You undoubtedly saved thousands on selling fees but they may have well cost you more thousands on selling price.
 


Bad Ash

Unregistered User
Jul 18, 2003
1,900
Housewares
When selling my house PB were one of the 3 agents I had round, but I ended up using a normal local agent. For me what I couldn't really get round was that once you signed up with them they received the full fee up front, and there was no motiviation for them to drive the sale through to completion, unlike a normal agent. If their pricing structure was 50% up front and 50% on completion I would be much more inclined to try them.
 


Lurchy

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2014
2,341
You undoubtedly saved thousands on selling fees but they may have well cost you more thousands on selling price.

That's why you get three agents round to do a house valuing and also check out how comparable properties went for nearby before putting it on the market.
 




Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
When selling my house PB were one of the 3 agents I had round, but I ended up using a normal local agent. For me what I couldn't really get round was that once you signed up with them they received the full fee up front
What? No thanks.
 




Bad Ash

Unregistered User
Jul 18, 2003
1,900
Housewares
What? No thanks.

OK, I've had a quick look at the website and realised/remembered that technically I lied. They advertise that they don't charge an 'up front' fee (because they allow you a certin time period to pay it), but you are commited to the flat fee as soon as you instruct them, and owe the full amount whether they sell the house or not.

If you want them to conduct the viewings then you have to pay an additional fee.
 




Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
I dislike all Estate Agents, but what really gets to me is if they have a queue of people wanting to live in a particular area, then when a house goes up for sale they only have to make 1 phone call and the sale goes through smoothly but they still get their full fee of say £2500-£3500 for practicly doing nothing, I would like to see a much smaller fee when this happens.
Regarding valuations, many agents play on people's greed (I get that people want as much as they can, but you usually know how much your house is worth) but they over value, get you signed up, then cannot sell for that price and tell you to lower the asking price, I would much rather choose an agent that gives a more honest, realistic original valuation.
And no sell, no fee is a must.
I once had a property with an agent for months, totally useless, was not allowed to go to anyone else so I found a buyer in days, but they still wanted a fee, I told them to **** off.
 
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papajaff

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2005
3,968
Brighton
I too dislike estate agents and the smug shits charge far too much for what they do. The sooner these shysters are put out of business by online selling the better.

I had to sell my house last year and because my hands were tied by the ex twatt of mine, I had to deal with these ****ers. And they always try and act like they are your best mates. I stipulated no for sale sign but once the place was sold, the little ****ish **** went all sulky because I refused a sold sign up outside. Told the little twatt it was 5 grand to advertise on my property.

****ish ***** all of them.
 


peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 11, 2009
11,233
Hello Chaps

Trying to sell mum's house in Patcham and trying to keep the expenditure/fees down to a minimum, so has anyone got any experience dealing with purple bricks versus a traditional estate agent.

Purple bricks fees are so much lower than a traditional estate agent, but will it end up being a false economy.

Thanks in advance for any advice

I can thoroughly recommend emoov, they were brilliant, came out a did evaluation (we also got locals) floorplans, really good app where you can state your availability and, they have 5 star rating on trustpilot https://www.emoov.co.uk/, I have used them twice and will continue to do so, why waste 2 grand, hardly anyone walks into a high street agent anymore, its all searched for online....... Another one I havent used personally, but my old man sold his place last year, using a company called hatched, and they have an option that costs nothing upfront and £900 only on sale, usual rightmove, zoopla etc https://www.hatched.co.uk/ good luck,
 




DJ NOBO

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2004
6,310
Wiltshire
What's the going rate percentage for estate agents to sell these days? I always thought it was about 1.5 so when they offered 1.25 I took it without haggling. I'm wondering if I should have pushed them down.

And for the op - I thought purple bricks looked like more hassle than its worth. I would imagine if it wasn't a straight forward sale it could become a bit of a mare
 


wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patreon
Aug 10, 2007
13,585
Melbourne
Estate agent advised an 'offers in the region of' type pricing which I would never haver thought of. The price was about what I expected, but I was open to lower offers as is the normal way of doing things. The agent achieved 3% above the figure! That was last summer, I believe the market is not quite as strong as it was back then. And seriously, blame Brexit for that.
 


martin tyler

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2013
5,826
Used them and they were decent. Guy who came around had decent knowledge of the area having lived local. Price not an issue either in terms of selling price. Got more than the asking/valuation of others and was sold quickly.. The up front fee thing I gambled on. Not perfect and people are right that some people having been paid knowing they won't get more are less motivated to sell. Didn't have this issue with the person who did mine but have heard people have issues with this. I would use again personally but I'd also understand those who prefer it to use this service
 


Bad Ash

Unregistered User
Jul 18, 2003
1,900
Housewares
What's the going rate percentage for estate agents to sell these days? I always thought it was about 1.5 so when they offered 1.25 I took it without haggling. I'm wondering if I should have pushed them down.

1.5% sounds about right for an average where I live, but I was offered 1% without haggling other than to say I had spoken to other agents. ON top of that we were offered a 10% friends & family discount as my wife works with someone who's Dad was an agent. So it might be worth asking if anyone know an agent they can refer you to?
 




Mr Bridger

Sound of the suburbs
Feb 25, 2013
4,408
Earth
Renovating a house at the moment to sell and got PB round to see what it is all about. Although the fee is around £800 inc vat mark, that was for just the online stuff, so it meant me doing all the viewings. They wanted another £300 for them to do the viewings.
When they valued it, he said he had good local knowledge ( yeah right) but he is valuation was £20-£30k difference from the local estate agents.
So thinking about it, he would have got a quick sale which doesn't matter to him as it's not percentage based.
With the other agents I asked them to beat the fee's of the previous agent and so far I'm down to 0.8%.
 


Raleigh Chopper

New member
Sep 1, 2011
12,054
Plymouth
I don't get 'offers'.
If I sell something for a genuine price, then that is how much I want for it, not £2000 or more less than the selling price.
I go from agent to agent to get the best fee, then return to tell them that your competition is prepared to accept X and see what they say.
I also put some of my own stipulations into the contract like no sell no fee, if I have no viewings in 2 weeks I can go somewhere else and you get nothing.
If they want your business and know they can sell it they will accept it.
 



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