subject: Uk Estate Agents - Are They Really As Bad As We Think? [print this page] The UK estate agent is often a stereotyped figure, portrayed as someone who is money hungry and somewhat devious. This hasn't been helped by the fact that many UK estate agents do charge extortionate fees and have had a rough ride in the press lately. A lot of UK estate agents have also found themselves winding up because of the housing market crash which saw few estate agents being able to survive through this difficult time, and even fewer being able to recover once the market started to pick up ever so slightly.
The current trend in the property market now is the growing industry of online UK estate agents. Online estate agents and property portals appear to be so popular because they can allow both vendors and potential property buyers to take more control over each sale. Some even operate on a commission free basis, allowing property owners to pay a one-off fee to list their property, and then they won't take any commission from the final sale price.
Property portals could be the step forward for UK estate agents and could help to build a better reputation than often portrayed. Online UK estate agents can still operate in a similar manner, but at the same time allow users to take control of their own buying and selling property experience.
Some people may appreciate the service provided by estate agents because regardless of how much money they make and how greedy they may appear, an estate agent's job is to sell your house or find a house for you to buy. Online UK estate agents can still provide this type of service if their users wish. Many property portals have staff who are effectively estate agents and can act on a seller's behalf if the vendor so wishes.
With UK online estate agents, property buyers and sellers can get the best out of both worlds and receive a service that is tailored to suit them. Whether it's help from an estate agent, or wanting to sell property on 'for sale by owner' terms, UK estate agent property portals can provide the facilities needed. So in some respects, yes the UK estate agent is as bad as we think, but not all UK estate agents deserve to be tarnished with the same brush. Opting to buy or sell property with an online estate agent could make you change your mind about UK estate agents altogether.
