Think twice before cutting corners online

Peter Buckingham of Andrew Granger & Co discusses online agents.

Moving home is a costly business so it’s tempting to look at ways to save money but beware of false economies. Selling your home online through one of the growing number of low cost online agents might be one of them.

Yes, it appears quick, convenient and cheap but those come at a price because there are plenty of disadvantages that won’t necessarily be that obvious when you commit to using an online agent.
For starters, online agents keep their costs down by confining the advertising to online channels. They literally have no shop window nor do they advertise in newspapers and magazines, meaning your property won’t reach many potential buyers. With a high-street agent such as Andrew Granger & Co, you get the opportunity to utilise many different channels, online and offline, to attract more buyers, and the more demand there is for your property, the higher the price it will command.

Secondly, online agents are in the cloud, not on the ground. By contrast, here at Andrew Granger & Co, we know our patch. We have potential buyers on our mailing lists ready to buy a property like yours in your area. To ensure our customers’ properties reach the largest possible audience, we use local advertising, have more than one website and publish editorial features. We also have a London office, produce high quality property brochures with professional photography and floor plans, and our town centre offices in Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough are open seven days a week.

Using a trusted high-street agent means you can take advantage of an accompanied viewing service as well as support, advice and guidance wherever you need it from someone who really cares. We can help you make sure your property is on the market at the right price as well as ensuring buyers have been checked out financially.

Many people believe that once a sale has been agreed, that’s the end of the story but actually, that is only half the job done. Seeing the transaction over the line by ensuring your buyer has applied for their mortgage, helping you diagnose the contents of the buyer’s survey and using our skills to keep the sale on track at the right price are all part of the package you receive with us, and are not generally offered by online services. We will also make sure solicitors are progressing the conveyancing correctly and deal with any matters that arise from solicitors and surveyors.

The cheap price tag of online agents may seem tempting but remember, as with so many things in life, you generally get what you pay for. When you look at online services, the only conclusion is that they can charge so little because they do so little.

For more property and lettings advice give our Leicester office a call on 0116 242 9922 or email leicester@andrewgranger.co.uk