If you were
to ask anyone who has bought and sold a few properties what they thought about
the service they received, many would report being unhappy. Don’t get me wrong
the Property Ombudsman Scheme is very good at offering guidance when it comes
to the more legal and financial matters. But, come on, surely you would expect
companies dealing with your most expensive asset and your hard earned money to
be at least operating legally! So let’s believe that many Estate Agents do
operate within the various codes of practice and get to what this article is
really about.
Customer Service
The majority
of complaints I have read about on-line and elsewhere “generally” refer to a
breakdown in communication, at worse a care-less attitude. Since the turn of
the year I have personally spoken to 75 property sellers who complained about:
1.
Of
Traditional Estate Agents, there is never anyone in the office to speak to when
I get in from work or at the weekend.
2.
The
photographer are taken by a “young kid” with at worst a tablet PC and a best a
compact camera.
3.
Of
on-line Estate Agents, they pester you to sign with them, then are difficult to
get in touch with, some want to list properties at well below reasonable market
value.
4.
Of
on-line Estate Agents, if you like doing business face to face, you’re out of
luck!
5.
Of
all Estate Agents, there is a lack of responsibility as to where the seller is
in the process, as regards searches, etc.
Not an
exhaustive list, but one that guarantees to make the buying and selling of
property a stressful experience. But this is not what anyone wants, buying a
new home, moving on, should be a joyful, exciting experience, nothing less!
How do you Ensure Good Customer Service?
1.
Think
about when you are likely to want to talk to your Estate Agents, if you work 9
to 5 make sure they are open until later in the evening.
2.
Ask
if there will be a specific person who will be your contact point, someone who
is aware of the position at all stages of your sale.
3.
Type
into Google “complaints against XX Your Estate Agent XX” to see how they fair.
About the company “Passionate with Property”
This Estate Agents was specifically set up to make the selling of your property a joyful
experience. How? Well they are on-line which means they charge lower
commissions, BUT they have local agents on the ground where you are, who you
can speak to 7 days a week, 9am to 9pm. If this sounds like the type of
pleasurable experience you want when selling your house, see their website:
