Negotiating estate agents' fees
Discussion
Morning all,
Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
o.versteer said:
Morning all,
Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
i've never paid more than 1%, so at the moment I would be looking for .75% multi agent, if they are desperate they'll take it.Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
o.versteer said:
Morning all,
Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
I suppose it depends if you want them to actually make an effort to sell your property, adverts cost money. Whenever I sell a property I agree a fair fee with the agent, not try and get their services for bugger all.Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
whitechief said:
I suppose it depends if you want them to actually make an effort to sell your property, adverts cost money. Whenever I sell a property I agree a fair fee with the agent, not try and get their services for bugger all.
Nail on the head here, that's what concerns me. I don't want them to push other properties and not mine because they make more money on them. In this market that's a fairly real scenario I think, I just wanted to know if I'd be a complete mug to pay 2% 
I've always found this an interesting one. If you are in the market for a house in a particular area, you go look at what's available and make your decision. Surely a bit of blarney/shiny advert/smarm on behalf of the EA is neither here nor there when it comes to the decision of which one to buy? Or am I overestimating the intelligence of the house buying public?
Conversely, if you have your house up for sale with an agent, you get your uncle to ring up and say they are looking for a house of a similar spec to yours. If the agent doesn't mention yours, they you have cause to investigate why not, no?
Conversely, if you have your house up for sale with an agent, you get your uncle to ring up and say they are looking for a house of a similar spec to yours. If the agent doesn't mention yours, they you have cause to investigate why not, no?
HI all
i have always wanted to draw up a contract/agreement with estate agents including things like if they dont call me when i think they should then i will knock 0.10% 0ff their bill or if they just generally p*ss me off i will take 0.20% off and so on. the problem with that is they are all so up themselves and always make me feel i am the one doing all the work, if i did manage to get them to sign such a contract they would end up paying me to sell my house!!
No i dont like them much!!
Andy
i have always wanted to draw up a contract/agreement with estate agents including things like if they dont call me when i think they should then i will knock 0.10% 0ff their bill or if they just generally p*ss me off i will take 0.20% off and so on. the problem with that is they are all so up themselves and always make me feel i am the one doing all the work, if i did manage to get them to sign such a contract they would end up paying me to sell my house!!
No i dont like them much!!
Andy
schmokin1 said:
I've always found this an interesting one. If you are in the market for a house in a particular area, you go look at what's available and make your decision. Surely a bit of blarney/shiny advert/smarm on behalf of the EA is neither here nor there when it comes to the decision of which one to buy? Or am I overestimating the intelligence of the house buying public?
Conversely, if you have your house up for sale with an agent, you get your uncle to ring up and say they are looking for a house of a similar spec to yours. If the agent doesn't mention yours, they you have cause to investigate why not, no?
I don't think an agent would fail to mention your property if they had and enquiry. Conversely, if you have your house up for sale with an agent, you get your uncle to ring up and say they are looking for a house of a similar spec to yours. If the agent doesn't mention yours, they you have cause to investigate why not, no?
I have sold a few charatcer and quirky properties over the years and the agents have got me front page advertorials in the local property news etc, and spent money on marketing the property for me. I don't think that would have happened if I'd said I'm only going to pay you .75%.
GuildfordPaul said:
o.versteer said:
Morning all,
Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
i've never paid more than 1%, so at the moment I would be looking for .75% multi agent, if they are desperate they'll take it.Quick question - in this market, is there any way to negotiate with estate agents? I want to put my house on the market, and they all charge around 2%. I'd like to get them down a bit, but is that realistic at all?
I'm happy to haggle for anything really but am unsure about how to approach this particular situation, having not done it before. I've asked one outright and he said no, so fair enough, I'll move on to another one, but is it in any way realistic or are houses so hard to shift these days that they'll just stick with their guns?
Any thoughts much appreciated! And yes, I know it's madnesss to put the house on the market now.
schmokin1 said:
screw the gits down to the minimum - they kept their fees at 1.5 to 2% all through the rising market, trousering massive increases in fees for sod all extra work so they deserve to take the pain like everyone else....!
There is no rationale in that statement whatsoeverschmokin1 said:
screw the gits down to the minimum - they kept their fees at 1.5 to 2% all through the rising market, trousering massive increases in fees for sod all extra work so they deserve to take the pain like everyone else....!
Errr sales volumes are down 60%+ and with lower prices so I'd say they've been about the worst hit business of late.Odd post.
Two similar houses, similar price, same agent, one at 1% and one at 2%, which one is the agent going to push.
In today's market you have to be realistic, both in your pricing and in the agents commission.
On my last house sale (2001) the agent sold out house in 24 hours for absolute top dollar price, I didn't begrudge paying them their stated commission, as far as I was concerned they had done their job and done it well, they knew the market, knew their buyers, priced our house 50K above any other valuations we had, job done.
davidyu
In today's market you have to be realistic, both in your pricing and in the agents commission.
On my last house sale (2001) the agent sold out house in 24 hours for absolute top dollar price, I didn't begrudge paying them their stated commission, as far as I was concerned they had done their job and done it well, they knew the market, knew their buyers, priced our house 50K above any other valuations we had, job done.
davidyu
anonymous said:
[redacted]
On a flat structure of 2%, they would get just £200 extra for every extra £10k they get for your house - so littel or no incentive.
Structuring a deal where they make a real chunk of every extra £10k they get you - makes you a lot more.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff