On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 14:25:35 +0100, "Owain"
wrote:

"Mike Mitchell" wrote
| 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?

Unless the agent is really lazy or incompetent, there isn't usually much to
choose between them. (I worked in an estate agency once.)

No, I disagree. I have had amazingly good approaches from an agent in
Lincs, who regularly calls to see how I'm progressing. Many other
agents up there also know of my desire to sell quickly and move to
Lincs, but none has bothered to call. I have to keep reminding most of
them to keep me on their databases. Not this one! They are right on
the ball. Sure, I know they want to sell me one of their properties,
but that's their job. I think their clients with something to sell
must be getting a pretty good deal. Anyway, being part of the
MoveWithUs chain they have now put me in touch with their agent
locally to me, so I shall be making a decision over the next few days.

What you could do is get a relative/friend/colleage to masquerade as a
potential buyer and go in and see how the agent treats them and whether your
property is actively marketed, the agent might be trying to sell another
property harder because he knows he'll get a mortgage from the other
vendor's purchase, or because selling another property means that vendor can
buy another property which the agent is also trying to sell.

You should also find out from the agency how many schedules they've given
out and what the reasons were for not viewing. If people are saying "It
looks like a busy road" then get another photo taken without cars in front
of the house.

It is most definitely NOT a busy road! That was just an excuse. Kids
play in the street all the time. It's as quiet as a churchyard here.

The other thing is your property may simply be out of character or location
for that agency.

Here you could be much closer to the mark, I think. Naturally I have
been observing which properties sell and which ones do not. The
prospective new agent has a different mix of properties. We will see.

No point is using an agency the other side of town because
your brother's dating the typist, or because you thought their schedules
were particularly tastefully presented in parchment folders with tassels; if
the bulk of the agency's business is Lux Exec Det in Upper Scrummingham they
won't have many clients looking for Ex LA Ideal 1st Time Buy in Sewage Farm
Meadows.

Yep, that's the kind of thing which led me to thinking you could be
much closer to the mark! Sewage Farm Meadows is a bit strong, though!

Consider all the other houses which have sold in your street
recently

There haven't been, at least, not recently. About 18 months ago, three
sold within a week or two of going on the market.

- which agencies' boards were outside and are you using an agency
that is popular with people looking for your type of property in your area.

I'll give it until next Monday so that the new lower price has been
advertised for two weeks, and if there is no pickup in interest, I
fire up the word processor!

MM