Estate Agents and their percentages

[SueJ]

I am not at liberty to say, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised. There are 2 guys who have just taken it over, she met Adam, just ask for him.

[Mark]

oh please do tell us the percentage, otherwise your post comes across as oddly promotional about Pickwick Estates, (just by Dulwich library)

[Keef]

Sue is a local business woman, but not an estate agent to be fair to her, so don't think she has a vested interest.

[Mark]

fair enough but I didn't know Sue was a local business woman, I was just prying a bit more to see if would give out the percentage.

[*Bob*]

I've had a similar offer from an Estate Agent.

They too (to quote Sue) 'looked at each property on its own merits' and agreed a percentage.

In reality, what this meant was that if you had a really nice place which they knew they could shift in a week, they'd give you a really good rate, but they'd ask you not to spread it around, because naturally they didn't want all the people with the crappy places to sell lining-up to quote the same percentage.

[Keef]

Mark Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> fair enough but I didn't know Sue was a local business woman, I was just prying a bit more to see if would give out the percentage.

Susanne James.

[SueJ]

Thank you Keef. Mark I am a local business woman, my company is on Barry Road. Enough about me - I was really just so impressed with the way they greeted us, their approach and the deal on the table. I went to a few others on LL with my friend and found them all "samey". Also the chains generally were quite unhelpful and unable to negotiate, the big new one!! was desperately keen but again unable to negotiate. The only other one which impressed us was the one at the bottom of LL, Osborne something. The chap in there was lovely and offered a good % as sole agent but this was an offer which finished quite soon. I wrote earlier because Pickwick (just by Dulwich library)! were honestly just lovely and I think that is something that should be spoken about rather than kept a secret.

[Muttley]

> The only other one which impressed us was the one at the

> bottom of LL, Osborne something. The chap in

> there was lovely and offered a good % as sole

> agent

Did he offer you a coffee too? :)

[SueJ]

Muttley

I am quite new at the whole forum thing. After following your lead I read over the other posts. Quite interesting. I only said it how it was for us. Although in my opinion OS were a tad dim to think they could get away with it.

So there you go back to the good chaps near the library!

Bob, good luck with your place too.

[lozzyloz]

Back in 2006 we looked at 3 ED agents. Two chains one independent.

They all offered a discount of the published rate and essentially a similar marketing package. However, they knew the property would sell quickly. We squeezed the local agent for a 1% exclusive deal.

I did the marketing photos and we had 3 offers above the asking price within an hour on the morning it was marketed, one of which we accepted.

Should add that we showed it on the web and in property mags 10 days before we opened for viewing, so that prospective buyers were chomping at the bit and anxious to get in.

[Jeremy]

I looked at a property with Osbourne Stewart a few months ago, and when I showed an interest, they put the asking price up by 20K. I think it's still on the market.

Never again.

[mixulee]

for what it's worth. I found the Foxtons 0% Deal rather handy for bargaining down my commission to 1%. I was never intending to go with them but they didn't know that. None of the Lordship Lane estate agents said their fees were non-negotiable (and that includes the chains) but I think at the time they were panicking about Foxtons sucking in all the new vendors coming onto the market. But to *Bob*'s point this has as much to do with the fact that I had a bog standard 3 bed terraced house off Lordship Lane which they knew they could sell quickly (except then the housing market collapsed but we got there.. in the end and I definitely got my money's worth)..