Online estate agents seem to be popping up all over the web, offering flat fees and low rates and generally promising the earth. But do they really offer value for money? And how do online estate agents stack up against traditional, face-to-face estate agents like me?

You get what you pay for

While the low rates offered by online estate agents may seem tempting, it’s important to check that you’re getting the same package as you would from a conventional East London estate agency like Dockleys. In some cases, all the online agency might be offering you will be a mention on their website, while photographs, floor plans, sales boards and accompanied viewings are all charged as extras, or even left out altogether.

Equally, these low fees often have to be paid upfront, at the start of the house selling process, meaning that if you don’t manage to sell your house through the online agent, the money you’ve forked out will be gone for good.

Another area to examine is the completion rate. Traditional estate agents complete an average of 84% of their property sales, while the average completion rate for online agents sits at just 50%. This has serious implications if you have been asked by an online agent to pay fees upfront as you will end up out of pocket; even if you don’t pay anything, it’s still a potential delay to the sale of your house or apartment.

What does Dockleys offer to people selling property in East London?

Dockleys is a traditional estate agency, and we do everything we can to make sure you get the best possible service. We have an office as well as a website, as well as great local knowledge that a nationwide online agency simply can’t compete with.

I love getting to know the Dockleys clients and I’m fairly sure they enjoy getting to know me too! By meeting sellers and finding out what their goals are (quick sale, best price, right price or something else), my team and I can tailor the marketing to reach the right buyers and make the sale a success. Depending on the property and the aspirations of the sellers, I might contact a potential buyer directly or use a specific social media platform to make sure your property is seen by the right audience, employing the right approach to get the best results.

I’ve been an East London estate agent for over a decade, and I’d recommend everyone to use a traditional, face-to-face estate agent when selling a house. Agencies like Dockleys offer a better service and better value for money than most online agencies. To find out more about how we sell property, give me, Adam Dockley, a call today on 020 3633 4440.

PS – I put loads of properties on Instagram  – check them out here…