Online estate agent or high street: how to actually decide
Online agent or high street? Having worked for both before running my own franchise, here is the honest way to decide, without the sales pitch from either side.
I have worked for traditional high street agents and for online agents, and I now run my own franchise. So when people ask me which is better, I can give an answer that is not a sales pitch for whichever one I happen to work for.
The honest version is that the label matters far less than the person.
What people think the choice is
The usual story is that high street means service and online means cheap. It is not that simple. Nearly every buyer now starts their search online, on Rightmove, Zoopla and the other portals. Both kinds of agent list on exactly the same portals and draw from exactly the same pool of buyers. The shop window on the high street is not where your buyer is looking. Your buyer is on their phone.
So the old idea that you are paying a percentage for a physical office that generates buyers is largely out of date. The office does not find your buyer. The portals do.
What the choice actually is
The real question is who is handling your specific sale, and how they are paid. A percentage fee can run to many thousands of pounds on an average home. A fixed transparent fee can deliver the same full service for a fraction of that, and the difference stays in your pocket.
But a low fee with a weak agent is no bargain. And a high fee does not guarantee a good one. What you actually want is a named person who knows your area, presents your home properly, qualifies buyers before they waste your time, and negotiates hard on your behalf. That person can sit inside either model.
How to decide
Ignore the label. Ask the agent, whoever they are, five things. Can you show me the sold prices that justify your valuation. What is your plan for the first two weeks. How will you present and market the home. What exactly are your fees and what do I get. How do you handle offers and negotiation.
A good agent has clear, confident answers whether they work online or from a shop. A weak one keeps steering you back to the headline number.
If you want a fixed, transparent fee, full service, and a named local agent who will tell you the truth about your price, book a free valuation and judge me on those five questions.
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