On 2 Jun 2004 08:38:41 -0700, (Eric Dockum)
wrote:

"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message ...
"Mike Mitchell" wrote in message
...
My house isn't selling, and I am just not getting enough viewers
through the door. Time to think about getting a different agent, I
reckon.

What do you think?

The house has been on the maket since the end of March and reduced
twice (I think the starting price was too high a valuation).

How many viewings does it take on average before a buyer is found and
how can I judge that I'm not jumping out of the frying pan into the
fire by moving to a different agent?

Is the market (South-East) as buoyant as many agents keep telling me?
Or are they all engaged in wishful thinking?


I would think about changing agents by now, or at least bollocking the
current one. I had about 10 or so viewings before I sold, so don't get
disheartened just yet.

Have a look at

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi...ortgages;actio
n=display;num=1082590973;start=0

it is a whole raft of suggestions for moving house, well worth a squizz!
10 should be good if the agent is on the ball in a selling market.
and the price is right.

A agent of my personal acquainance recons that if she carefully
discusses with the buyer what they want, she can tell a) if she has
houses suitable, and b) should be able to send them to 2 or 3, one of
which they will buy. Hence if the agent is screening the buyers well
you should only get a few viewings, no timewasters, and a sale. She
would also tell buyers if she had nothing on the books that would be
appropriate for them, rather than waste everyone's time by sending
them on pointless viewings. So the number of viewings isn't in itself
a good measure.

However, if you use an agent who, when a buyer walks in doesn't listen
to what the buyer is after, beware, this is a bad agent. However they
may send you people to view (who they already know won't buy), and
will be able to show you that they have sent details to lots of
people. If you ask your current agent how many people they have sent
details to you may be impressed. However if none of them make an
offer it is a waste of time. Also confirm that your house is indeed
being advertised sufficiently. Ask them why it isn't at the top of
the page in the newspaper, rather than at the bottom, etc.

If you can, sit in the Agency for a bit on a busy day. If the buyers
are being dealt with by a spotty youth, who then is giving them
details out, it may be that the buyers are not being screened
initially,... A good agency will be discussing with buyers what they
want.

A good agent will also know who is looking for what, and be able to
pull a few buyers out of the hat, so to speak. If the market is a
sellers market, a good agent should be able to do this. If you are
considering changing, you could describe the house to the new agent
and ask them if they have any buyers right now they know who would be
interested. Analyse the answer looking for evasion.

As to price, it may well be over priced. I have heard people say,
"Oh, that agent offered me 10.000 more, so I went with them", which
is of course nonsense, it is just an estimate, the agent isn't buying.
I assume you got several valuations, did you put the house on for the
highest number? It may be that the lowest valuation was correct, as a
fair assessment, and they actually knew several people awho were
interested at that price. Don't forget that the agent may personally
get paid by the number of take ons per month, so will tend to give
high valuations to get the business. In a rising market the house
will sell eventually, when the market has risen to catch up. As long
as the Agent can keep you on the books and quiet then you may not
detect that you are overpriced.

I think it was overpriced. But at least it's easier to reduce the
price. You cannot do anything about it if, like some I have known, you
sell your house so quickly you realise that it was undervalued. I have
reduced the price twice. It is now well inside the ball-park of other
properties in the area.

Key question therefore is - how quick do you want to sell?

Er, tomorrow? No, this evening? (It's not yet dark!) There are dozens
of fantastic properties for me to buy in Lincs, so finding a property
to buy is not going to be a problem. My RightMove shortlist is already
a very long list.

I would raise your concern to the agent, and ask what they plan to do.
They will be reviewing their "stock" every week for the advertising,
placement etc. I assume you are happy with the details they have made
, although as I said above, the details should be secondary as a good
agent discovers and matches the buyer to the seller first, and then
gives out the details. So many give you a whole pile of details and
let the buyer sink or swim. If the buyer goes to several agencies,
all doing the same, it becomes a random rather than guided process.

But they have assured me that they are doing everything
possible!Really the only way to tell now is to try another agent. If
he's just as good, I've lost nothing. If he's worse, then he can get
fired, too. But if he's better, I might just sell the property!

If you are considering using a different agent, you could consider
visiting a few posing as a buyer for your sort of house.

Sorry, that's not me, I'm afraid! I cannot "pose" to save my life.
They'd spot me a mile off. One reason why I'm not in films is I could
never have sex in front of the cameras. Oh, and I can't act either.

See how they
deal with you, do they try to understan what you are looking for - and
do they offer you properties equivalent to your own?

and, Yes, I married her.

Good luck! Sounds like a novel in the making...

MM