In recent years there has been an expansion of options available when you sell your home and choose an estate agent. The choice broadly falls into two categories; the online model or the high street agent. The choice you make will have an impact on the eventual outcome, as well as on the journey you experience when selling your home. So, what is the difference between the two?
A high street agent, like ourselves, tends to offer several additional services that the online agents don’t. For example:

• A high street agent offers the consumer the best of both worlds - not only will your property be advertised in the online world, using the national property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, but it will also be advertised in branch on the high street, and in some cases in the local newspapers. A high street agent ensures they reach the widest possible audience and find the best buyers for your property.
• A local agent will have staff who live within the area, who are highly experienced and have a wealth of knowledge regarding property prices, market conditions, buyer demand and marketing strategies. All of these are crucial in helping you achieve a premium price for your home. On top of this, they will be able to recommend the best tradespeople, solicitors and financial advisors who can help ensure a smooth transaction.
• A local agent should take a more proactive approach to selling your property, rather than adopting a ‘put it online and hope’ way of selling. A good agent will have a pool of buyers they have taken time to build a relationship with, and will be able to match buyers to property within the first 30 days of marketing, ensuring you sell for the best possible price in the shortest time.
• Most online agents will ask you for the selling fee upfront; they are paid for putting the property on the market, irrespective of results. High street agents are mostly paid on results; if a sale isn’t achieved, a fee generally won’t be paid. This encourages a high street agent to sell your house and achieve the highest value as quickly as possible.

One last point to make - your property is not only your single largest asset (usually), it is also your home. Selling your home can be difficult, and at times, a stressful experience. Who would you rather help guide you through this; somebody who you can visit and talk face to face? Someone you can build a relationship with? Someone who will explore all avenues to sell your home including the local press? Or would you rather deal with a call centre, where it is doubtful you will speak to the same person twice, and an agent you have already paid, who will only use the virtual world to sell your real home?

Paul Doyle – Manager of PFK Estate Agency, Carlisle