Why Only Your Local High Street Estate Agent can Meet the Needs of Today’s Home Buyer and Seller.

Thinking of selling your home? Who’re you going to call… housebusters?

Unfortunately, the trend for using a property site that may only exist online and unlikely to have a real physical presence can prove an expensive bust up in the long-run.

The process of selling a property, from valuation to completion, is essentially bespoke. There are more than 1,700 streets and an estimated 102,000 houses in Redbridge borough, of which, around two thirds (64 per cent) are owner occupied (Census 2011). No two homes are exactly identical and no houseowner is exactly the same in how they engage with the task of moving home. The relationship between the house seller and your agent is crucial.

The critical decision every property owner must make at each step of the way absolutely depends on the quality of information provided by your estate agent and the way they go about selling your property.

Insider knowledge, experience and skills

It may be commonly believed that what everybody wants is to simply sell their home as quickly as possible at the best possible price. In some cases, reducing the process to simply negotiating a price can often end up badly for the seller. If the agent has not been thorough and diligent from the start in applying the necessary insider knowledge, experience and skills, a property will not be sold in the way that was expected.

Preparing to place your property on the market must begin with a comprehensive valuation from an experienced high street agent with a detailed knowledge of the entire area, and who is up to date with all the movements in the marketplace, day by day – even hour by hour. It’s where the relationship between the agent and seller must start if the outcome is to be a win-win for all parties involved.

Ability to properly evaluate any number of key factors

We have all heard the stories of agents who fail to keep in contact with the seller who leaves them none the wiser over exactly how pro-active they are in marketing their property. The longer the house stays on the market, the more likely the price may become the sole leveraging tool. By this time, both agent and seller are likely to be keen to simply see the house sold.

In recent years, a type of online property site has emerged, which simply arranges to send a “local” agent to carry out a quick valuation. The aim is to get the house on the market so it can be quickly sold, often without the estate agent’s traditional full-service approach.

A professional agent should be able to complete a successful sale, either within or just outside, the expected time and asking price if they have conducted the required, full-service active approach to valuation, preparation, marketing and negotiation. Much will depend on their ability to properly evaluate any number of key factors including, property condition and furnishing, garden and surrounding land, its exact location, nearby amenities, prevailing market conditions and future area developments.

The asking price… may not be the only key concern

As with homes and their owners, not all prospective buyers are the same. Their reasons for looking to move into a particular type of property in a specific area can be similar but their priorities may vary. The asking price, is of course, high up on the list but may not be the only key concern. Other factors, such as room size, energy efficiency, garden, parking space, proximity to a school or motorway, can all play their part in securing the sale.

Redbridge borough is in the midst of major regeneration that will be given a significant uplift by the arrival of Crossrail. The demands of the today’s up and coming home buyer and seller will require to be met with the kind of experience, knowledge, and service engagement that only an established Redbridge area estate agent has proven over the years they can provide.