Five reliable real estate agencies in England

Five reliable real estate agencies in England

Selling the property can be one of the most stressful things ever. But, unfortunately, it usually goes with buying a new one, and you won't be keen on repeating the whole house moving process often.

Traditionally, to sell your home, you have to ask some local real estate agent to come and evaluate it and then choose one to sell to you. They usually charge a small percentage of the sale value in exchange for their services. But even 1.5% of £300,000 equals £4,500, which is a lot, a number that might be better spent on your new home.

For example, when you search for your dream home, you'll likely use Rightmove, Zoopla, and the other apps and the websites to see what's for sale. And since other buyers are doing the same, it makes sense to list your property on these portals and in front of the potential buyers.

But unlike selling the car on eBay, you can't list your own home for sale on Rightmove or Zoopla: you still need a real estate agent.

While High Street real estate agents post your home on these portals, you can choose an online real estate agent instead.

Prices vary, but the cheapest - which starts completely free - virtually makes you your real estate agent, viewing and negotiating offers directly with buyers. Of course, if that sounds too cumbersome, there are more expensive flat fee packages where the real estate agent handles these things. But you can still avoid that huge discount a traditional real estate agent takes.

Purplebriks

Pros

• custom app
• firm
  

Cons

• relatively expensive
  
  

Additional fee to see the real estate agent in person

Purplebriks is one of the UK's largest online property agents and operates as a hybrid service. The company has local real estate experts who know their areas well and can provide you with a free home appraisal.
Prices have gone up this year, and the Purplebricks now charges £1,199 (or £1,999 in and around London) either at the start of the engagement or deferred for ten months at no additional cost. These fees include the local expert, photography of your property that can be used for listings, support from a team in the UK, and listing your home or apartment on Rightmove, Zoopla, and other popular sites.

You'll need to do the viewings yourself, although Purplebriks does provide an online portal where potential buyers can book them. If that doesn't satisfy you, you can pay £300 (£399 in London) for Purplebriks to send one of the agents to handle the viewing instead.

The dedicated Purplebriks app allows you to receive feedback from views and even accept offers on the property, making it easy to manage the sale wherever you are. There is also transfer support that makes the last few parts of the process less complicated.

2. Strike

Pros

• It can be used entirely for free
• Pay only if your property is sold
  

Cons

• Most plugins cost money.

Can you sell your home for free? This is what Strike stands for in ads. Known as Housesimple since its inception in 2007 until its rebranding in 2020, it offers almost all the services you will need without paying a penny.
Strike provides expert assessment, floor plans, billboards for sale, and negotiation of professional offers and listings on Rightmove and Zoopla. The company will also offer "customized support through to completion."

How can he give all of this for free? Well, there are two types of premium services that you can pay for. The Hosted Shows service (£699, £899 for some London postcodes) means you don't have to do it yourself. At the same time, the Performance Pack adds professional photos, video trailers, and a premium listing on the Rightmove for £599 (£799) for some homes in London).

Strike also has partnerships that offer the mortgage advice and removal services, so get paid if you choose to use these services. However, the basic service is provided entirely free of charge.
We can't guarantee how good this current iteration will be, although a member of the technical advisor team used the service when it is known as the Housesimple. They found the experience seamless, despite being the part of a long and complex chain.

The professional photographer they sent was great, uploading details was straightforward, and arranging views or accepting and rejecting offers was easy.

3. Yopa

Pros

• local agents
• Pay in advance or later
  

Cons
Some of the most expensive competitors

It may sound like a drinkable yogurt brand, but Yopa is a well-respected real estate agent hybrid. Unlike competitors, the company offers a local agent who can manage your sales, no matter what tier you choose. There are three packages on offer, two of which do not require payment until after the sale is completed. For £999 (£1499 at some London locations), the primary service includes an appraisal, professional photos and floor plans of your property, a complete listing on Zoopla, Rightmove, Prime Location, and more, plus all negotiations with buyers Yopa handles.

You can buy a few additional services, including unlimited companion views, featured listings on top real estate sites, transportation (quotes on the app), and everything that can be paid for in installments over six months.
It's the same for the Premium package, with the only price difference - £1,999 or £2,999 in the some London locations - and the fact that it is paid out once your home sale is complete. You will also get unlimited views and premium listings on Zoopla and Rightmove.

4. Doorsteps

Pros

• Four packages to choose from
  

Cons

• Photography and floor plan are not included in the basic package
• The £99 denomination is no longer available
  

Doorsteps have been around since 2016. It has quickly grown into a remarkable online real estate agency, earning industry awards.

One of the reasons for their historical popularity has been the standard package, priced at £99. But, unfortunately, this is gone and has been replaced by a DIY deal which is basically the same thing but now costs £499.
You get a "Free" evaluation, listings on Rightmove and Zoopla the same day you book, a For Sale panel, and complete negotiations and sales progress support. But you will take photos, arrange your floor plan, write your description, and show the people around you. Other online agents charge lower fees for this type of service.
The £199 package is no longer available. The next step is the £799 'Quick Sale Deal,' which adds professional photography and the First Place in Rightmove for your zip code.

Finally, there's a £799 option, which means the Doorsteps will host the shows for you. In all the other levels you'll have to do it yourself, but this is cheaper than before: it used to cost £999.

5. SellMyHome

Pros

• Excellent Trustpilot reviews
  

Cons

• The entry-level package is relatively expensive.

SellMyHome is another online real estate agent that offers a variety of the packages and payment options.
Like Doorsteps, it has changed the offering so you can no longer get the basic package that used to cost £150 a month (with an additional £250 setup fee). Alternatively, the basic level costs £800 (excluding VAT), or there is £1800 (excluding VAT). Again, there is no sale and no fee option.

The Basic plan buys you an online assessment, professional photos, a virtual tour, short videos, and a floor plan to accompany your listing on Rightmove, Zoopla, PrimeLocation, and several other popular sites. Other perks include buyer and offer management tools, a dedicated account manager, monthly performance reports, and a memorandum of sale (if the property is sold, that is).

SellMyHome will also create a transcript for the listing after asking you questions about your home.
The standard package is what it sounds like, with the fee of 0.75% of the final sale price and the minimum of £1,899 (or £1,999 in London). It includes accompanying scenes (usually an extra £500) and a physical (personal) appraisal.

It might be the little more expensive than some competitors, but all of the SellMyHome packages still undercut retail agents considerably. And while it only has 500 reviews on Trustpilot, the average rating of 4.8 - and the reviews themselves - show that those who have used it are very happy with the service they have received.