Do I get another estate agent?

I think a scammer picked this thread to post on and that put it in the 'active' list and we started to respond without checking dates.

Blimey where did this jump up from?? I think Luckygirl has already moved ??

How much have other houses in your area been selling at? Rightmove have a House Prices section to their site. You can put the name of streets with similar houses into the box and it will list which houses have sold, when and for how much. It can be six months out of date,

Even though you have reduced your price the house could still be over priced.

If you do not like the photos, go round and take your own and insist the estate agenet uses them. That is what DD did, her viewings immediately perked up. make sure the outdoor ones reflect the current season. If the pictures show everything in flower, it tells potential buyers that you have been on the market at least six months and they may wonder why.

I think Luckygirl is already home and dry with no need for finance.

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Good luck, I hope the video makes a difference. The builder sounds decent too which bodes well for the house you have set your heart on.

Good news, the builder is prepared to wait a few weeks.
Those online video viewings are pretty good. I like following the arrows round the houses! With that in mind, try to make your property flow by removing obstacles like small tables by pushing them against walls. If you have nice views, open patio doors. And yes, as you say tidy up and declutter. Good luck!

Update: builder has sold all the properties on the site except mine, which he is prepared to hold for me for a few weeks to see if |I can get a serious buyer on board. I have reduced the price again and taken some decent photos which are now on the websites. I do not think there is anything more that I can do.

Agent is coming to do a video of my place to create a virtual viewing possibility - sounds great but I will have to tidy up!!!!

I am looking at a couple of other new-builds very nearby to my target location, so that I can create a fall-back situation. I also wanted to look at one opposite that is inhabited and I am not allowed to visit unless I am in a "proceedable position."

Luckygirl the advantage of changing agents is that you would get your property to the top of the pile on rightmove. Change of agents means the house is newly listed and looks like it is fresh to the market.
I agree with those who say EAs are busy, busy and eager to get sales back on track.
Shame solicitors are still working at snail's pace!

In Wales they are only allowed to do viewings on empty dwellings still - GDD works for one. They have had a lot of interest from people wishing to buy but as yet They cannot view the houses.

Mine sold when we took new photos a d bought white bedding.

There's nothing to stop you getting another estate agents opinion. Invite them round and see what they say re price and saleability etc. It doesn't mean you have to go with them but their advice/ opinion could be valuable.

Sorry Framilode, I repeated the point you made about a dual agency.

Does your Estate Agent do virtual tours of the homes on its books? My DIL works at an estate agents and since she returned to work they have been very busy especially with homes with a virtual tour, one went under offer on the strength of the virtual tour alone. Her boss has become very proficient at doing the virtual tours and giving a commentary in which he draws the viewer’s attention to special features, your garden and the view would be special features and they may not be so apparent in pictures. You may not have had as many viewings as You expected ad under the government guidelines people are not encouraged to view homes unless their home is under offer, some agents are not sticking to this but hers is. There is nothing to stop you having more than one agent but you will most likely have to pay more commission on any sale. Good luck and I hope you get the house you want.

Could you approach your estate agent about having a dual agency. Many agents will agree to this and it also puts them in competition against each other. The fee will be larger to whoever sells it for you but still a lot less than reducing the price.

I have already reduced the price by £10k; and the photo business is a bit of a can of worms. Their original photos were so bad that I had to have several discussions about them. They did not even show the view, which is the real selling point! Some have been changed now, including adding some that I have taken. I used to be a photographer, so the original scrappy photos were hard to swallow! I think if I mention them to him again he will explode!

I do not know why there are so few viewings - there have only been four so far; but of those 2 wanted to buy, then had to withdraw.

I would think seriously about reducing the price, if you are able to.
We all like to think we are getting a bit of a bargain, and if potential buyers see ‘Price Reduced Today’ or similar on Rightmove, might encourage them to have a viewing.

Luckygirl - you should re-post this on the House buying and selling thread under House and Home. Everyone on there is or has been involved in this process over the past year, and we all share our knowledge and experiences.

How about asking your agent to take some more pictures of your property especially the garden?

I expect the garden is looking a lot more colourful than it did if it first went on the market in March, especially if the new photos are taken on a sunny day.

The new pictures, maybe including the view you mentioned could well generate more interest.

I would be tempted to stay with the present agent, especially as he has persuaded the developer of your new house to hold it for you.

Ultimately though you may have to consider lowering the price slightly if you could afford to.

It’s probable a lot of people are wary of moving house at the moment if they are at all concerned about job security.

I have a friend who is an estate agent and his company has been extremely busy since they were able to work again - not enough hours in the day, so the market isn't slow, at least in our area. They are due to have a record month, as are other agents in the area. There are other tactics that agents can do to promote house sales other than waiting for buyers to find them. If the price is right, there's really no excuse in my opinion. I sincerely hope it works out for you. It's such a worrying time.

What a shame that you have to move house yet again after finding this lovely house Luckygirl.
The market will be slow for a while, but will pick up again and it sounds as though you may have to just sit it out.
If you do lose the new house, there will be plenty more, and you will be in a strong position having sold by then.Good luck.
There are lazy agents but I think at the moment they will all be doing the utmost to keep their jobs, it’s not normal times.

The builder has 8 properties on this small estate, and 6 have been sold. The one I want and the one next door are still available. There is a For Sale board outside the one, but not the one I want. He will not accept a deposit or any sort of holding fee, but has agreed not to put a board out.

I am concerned that if I use a different agent, then the current agent will stop trying to get builder to play ball. The only thing that is in favour is that the agent gets two sales if he can keep the house on the market till mine sells.

Also, I wonder if having a new (or 2) agent really helps at all as most of the searching is done on the internet now and my bungalow is up there on several sites already.

I'd be getting in touch with the builder myself for a good chat. I expect that everything is moving very slowly at the moment.

I'd never just believe what an estate agent says (sorry) without checking the facts. (I used to know one.)

Does the builder have many other unsold properties? If so, it may be no problem to reserve yours. Have you considered other ways of selling e.g. Purple Bricks, private advert or auction?