If you are beginning to think that your estate agent is not performing, you may be wondering whether it’s time to change estate agents – especially when you’re trying to sell your house as quickly as possible. It should ring alarm bells if your estate agent continuously keeps making excuses about why your home may be failing to sell, as well as making excuses to your potential buyers.
However much you may want to change estate agency because your estate agent is not performing, you should carefully consider your decision. After all, you will still be liable for estate agent costs, so it is a decision you shouldn’t make in a hurry.
The common tricks estate agents pull on homeowners
It is a known fact that estate agents are prone to pulling a few tricks – therefore, it is important to be aware of them to know when the wool is being pulled over your eyes.
As a general rule, the first 8 weeks of your property being on the market should be the busiest time and drum up interest. However, if this isn’t the case and your estate agent is making excuses already, it may be time to start questioning why your home isn’t selling – is it your home or your estate agent?
Evaluate whether your home is prepared for potential buyers looking at your home. For instance, does your home look appealing or smell nice? These can help to increase the likelihood of people making an offer on your house. If you believe your home is perfectly fine, and have asked friends and family for advice, it may be that your estate agent is simply not performing well.
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Bear in mind, these are the common excuses estate agents make when a house is failing to sell:
- “With so much uncertainty in the air, the market has become very slow.”
- “It is the wrong season to sell. Things should pick up in a few months.”
- “The weather has caused everyone to stay home rather than make viewings.”
- “Your current tenants are putting off prospective buyers.”
- “Your home needs freshening up as clients are choosing refurbished properties instead.”
- “The price is too high. Let’s talk about bringing the price down.”
The same goes for if your estate agent is making excuses to potential buyers as well, by cancelling viewings. This may be the reason why you have had very little interest in your home.
Commonly estate agents are often found making any of the following excuses:
- “Sorry, my car broke down. Can we rearrange the viewing?”
- “The owner has changed the keys and has not given us the new set yet. Can we reschedule?”
- “I’m stuck in traffic but I’m on my way,” they say, from the office.
- “Another estate agent has taken the keys and did not return them on time.”
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“My estate agent is not performing? Should I change estate agents?”
If this sounds familiar, the first step is to speak with your estate agent and voice your concerns. It is worth following these steps:
- Check your contract to find out if you are liable for any fees by cancelling.
- Check the terms in the contract. Can you change to another estate agent? There may be an exclusivity clause in the contract that runs for a set amount of time.
If your estate agent can resolve these issues and you can reach a mutual agreement, it would save a lot of time, stress and hassle. For example, you can request to be informed every time someone views the home or request to hear feedback.
If you are still concerned about the competency of your estate agents but don’t want to leave, it may be a good idea to set up security cameras, so you can keep an eye on when estate agents are coming to your home. This may be the best idea if you believe your estate agent is lying about viewings at your home whilst you are not there.
However, if their poor performance continues, or you no longer trust them, you may have no choice but to change estate agents – or risk failing to sell your house. For some homeowners, this may be a serious issue if they were hoping for a quick house sale or their home has been on the market for a long time as often buyers are put off by houses which have been on the market for a long time.
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What are my other options?
If you are now weary of other estate agencies, you may even want to choose an entirely different selling route altogether. If you have enough time on your hands, you could sell the property yourself to avoid the tricks real estate agents play. Alternatively, you could even put your home up for auction.
It is also worth considering selling your home through a ‘we buy any house’ scheme whereby a company, such as Fast Sale Homes, offers cash in return for your home. However, bear in mind that some companies are prone to scamming users, so it is vital to keep your wits about you and do your research beforehand.
Feature image credit: Dom J / Shutterstock
