Local or Online Estate Agent? Who do you choose?

Reasons why you should use a local agent to sell property

Ready to put your home on the market but choosing the right estate agent is getting too overwhelming. What about an online agent? Should you pay for an upfront fee?Or do you approach a high street agent with an established physical presence in their local community, years of experience and unparalleled sales knowledge?

We’ve put together some reasons why Lawler and Co think a local high street estate agent is best, and in many cases provides better value for money than other offerings.

Getting the best Price!

Ever heard the saying you get what you pay for? Well, when it comes to estate agents, the same principle applies. In fact, plumping for the cheapest upfront option might be a false economy because it may cost you money in the long run.

Why? With the right tools and unrivalled street-by-street knowledge of an area, nothing beats an established local agent. We don’t just sit back and let the sale take care of itself because we’ve already been paid, as is sometimes the case with DIY or very low-cost agents. We use our expertise and in depth local knowledge to achieve the highest possible sales amount for your property.

We have an up-to-date database of local buyers who are looking for specifics such as proximity to the local schools, transport links and leisure facilities. When a well-matched property is on our books, we’ll proactively approach people who we think would be interested in viewing it. Having access to this sort of local data can make all the difference when it comes to selling a property for the right price. Some one popping into one of our offices and having a chat can also offer this opportunity!

Viewings are a must!

Viewings are one of the most crucial aspects of selling a property and while some people are comfortable in showing would-be buyers around their home, others have neither the time nor the inclination. True, some online estate agents do offer accompanied viewings but you’ll typically have to pay extra for the privilege. With all things currently restricted due to Covid19, we are now happy to provide 360 virtual tours of properties.

Check that your online agent is prepared to negotiate on your behalf: many don’t and will leave it up to you. You’ll have to decide if you’re absolutely comfortable in squeezing your buyer for the asking price you want or handling any last-minute paperwork problems.

Think Local

Choosing to market your property through a local estate agent opens up a network of trusted community contacts and services – from builders and tradespeople to conveyancers and independent mortgage advisers, all of whom will be happy to meet you face-to-face. It also means you won’t have to hand over one of the most important decisions of your life to someone on the other side of a computer.

Those hidden extras

Upfront fees may seem tempting at first glance but check very carefully to see if there aren’t any hidden extras, all of which can soon mount up. Some agents charging extra for photography, ‘for sale’ boards and, as mentioned previously, viewings.

An unbeatable combination

It’s said that not having a physical shop front and operating purely online is the future of estate agency. With over 20 years of experience in selling homes in Hazel Grove, Marple, Poynton and surrounding areas we know that having an accessible office that’s bright, welcoming and modern attracts footfall. We’re happy to be a focal point in our local community and having a physical location where people can drop by, chat to the team and find out what’s new on our books is incredibly important.

That doesn’t mean that we neglect our online presence, however. We advertise on many online platforms and like to also use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The difference is that, unlike a purely online estate agent, we don’t solely rely on these property portals to achieve sales. We like to think we offer the best of all worlds.

Our local knowledge together with our professional, dedicated sales team and marketing expertise means that our clients can feel confident and assured, you have chosen the correct estate agent to give you detailed accurate market advise on preparing your property for sale or rent for the best price

If you would like to speak to a member of our team and find out what your home is worth, please contact one of the offices below

Marple Office

36 Stockport Road
Marple
Stockport
SK6 6AB

Tel: 0161 914 7620
marple@lawlerandcompany.co.uk

Hazel Grove Office

128 London Road
Hazel Grove
Stockport
SK7 4DJ

Tel: 0161 300 7144
hazelgrove@lawlerandcompany.co.uk

Poynton Office

60 Park Lane
Poynton
Cheshire
SK12 1RE

Tel: 01625 448 001
poynton@lawlerandcompany.co.uk

How much is your property worth? Is the price right?

How do you know what the right price is to put your house on the market for? Is the valuation correct? The ups and downs of the property market over the past decade makes assessing a suitable asking price a bit more difficult. It involves not only the state of the market, but also factors including the property’s condition, the level of demand, and – of course – location.

Some vendors want to try their luck at getting the highest price but overvaluing a property is the most common mistake to make and can cost a vendor dear, sitting on the market for longer than necessary and comparable homes looking to appear to be bargains when they are just priced correctly. Overpricing your property may not sell yours but may sell your neighbours!

There are ways to make sure your home goes on sale at just the right price. Here are some tips to help:

Sales prices in the area
Study the sales prices in your street and its immediate surroundings, concentrating on the last six months. The information is freely available on property websites and will give you a reasonably up to date idea of the state of the local market. Rather than look at the asking prices concentrate on the actual selling price.

Price differentials – Be aware
No two houses are the same so don’t assume you will get as much for your home as your neighbours got for theirs only last month. It is perfectly feasible for homes that sit side by side to be worth significantly different amounts.

Location Location Location
Homes close to excellent schools or transport links will sell at a premium, If they are also in good condition, with a high specification – eg with sash windows and/or engineered wood floors – they might also top local ceiling prices.

Square Footage rather than number of rooms
Estate agents base their valuations on the square footage of a property rather than the number of rooms. If your one-bedroom apartment is larger than average, buyers will pay more for it. On the downside, if it is a bit poky, a bit run down, or suffers from a blight such as being on a busy road or near the railway tracks, you’re going to have to trim your expectations.

Invest in your property
If you’ve invested in your property you can expect to get some of your money back, especially if you have added floor space. It goes without saying that a property that has enlarged or had several home improvements will achieve more than a basic like for like nieghbouring property. However be mindful that not all improvements equal an increase in price. Improvements that are too tailored to your likes could people off the increase in price.

Shop around for your Valuation.
Get valuations from at least three agents. Ask them to provide examples of what similar properties have sold for – they will have even more up to date information than the online portals.

Highest Valuation isn’t always best!
Don’t necessarily go with the highest valuation you receive. If a valuation seems too good to be true, it probably is. The first six to eight weeks are the optimum selling time.

If you are considering a move please call into one of our friendly offices or telephone your local branch and we can arrange for one of our valuers to visit your home and provide a free no obligation valuation. Click here for more information.

Are you waiting to go on the market?

Are you wating to find somewhere before going on the market?

This is a question we hear time and time again when we are going out on valuations, and we understand that it is a big decision to decide to move without sight of anything you would like to buy. However, our advise would always be to test the market with your property and if you do sell quickly then we are here to help you find your onward purchase.

There is a shortage of properties hitting the market across the whole of Stockport, one possible reason for this could be that home owners are waiting to see their onward purchase before putting their house up for sale, causing a stagnation in the available stock. If sellers can be encouraged to market their property before finding somewhere, then the stock of available properties will increase across the board, meaning that you have a greater chance of finding somewhere for your onward move.