TV personality Kirstie Allsopp has sprung to the defence of full service estate agents.
The co-presenter of Location, Location, Location said that she has “yet to see any evidence” that using an online estate agent is a good idea.
She made the remark yesterday on Twitter, adding that properties cannot be valued online.
She was tweeting in response to a number of other comments made online, including: “The purchase and lettings market needs disrupting; if online can do that and improve the established players then great”.
Another person joined in saying: “We tried one once. Total waste of time.”
Someone else said: “We sold our house in less than 7 days and the savings on the fees were fabulous!”
To that, Kirstie replied: “Sold? You mean it’s under offer surely? Actually selling in 7 days is unheard of.”
Kirstie has 395,000 followers on Twitter.
Comments (44)
TV personality makes assumption about industry in which she has no knowledge.
Regardless if I agree with her or not is an irrelevance btw, just like her comments being seen as ‘news’.
Given her main role is dealing with property and property professionals and has bought and sold numerous properties herself i think she is pretty well placed to make comment and is nice balanced view as opposed to a so called digital expert or high street agent.
“I have yet to see any evidence why using an online agent is a good idea”
Other than giving sellers the option to save £1000’s and all the other reasons why there is now a choice?
Sounds like she has a personal, invested reason to state such nonsense. I’d like to hear what Terry Wogan has to say.
Oh dear DE you do show yourself up having no grasp on our industry!
“Other than giving sellers the option to save £1000’s and all the other reasons why there is now a choice?” – Ever heard the phrase stepping over the pounds to pick up pennies?
Onliners = Less chance getting the correct valuation
= They do not have a database of buyers they call out to, lees people know about it.
= They do not progress the sale so more chance of an abortive sale which could potentially cost thousands.
= They charge £175 per hour for viewings, Some properties need 20 or 30 viewings!
= They are not interested in negging the best deal as they have their money up front, they do not care if you accept the offer or not.
So yes well done you have saved maybe £1500 on a fee but could cost you 20k if all the above are taken into account.
I must say DE i am getting suspicious of your postings. You only seem to be a DE when comes to online agents!
There are many other stories that involve Digital services and offerings but you never seem to comment …… Strange ……
Don’t be so paranoid, Smile. I have no affiliation with any kind of or any specific agent. You haven’t got to lecture me on how amazing high street agents are or what a rip off and abomination online agents are – there are good, bad and terrible versions of both and I won’t defend any of them.
I like to challenge unsubstantiated nonsense when I see it.
I’d like to see Kirsty’s evidence for seeing no evidence in the value of on-line agents. Otherwise it’s just hearsay. And if it’s hearsay, then why is it being reported as news?
Again – Terry Wogan has bought and sold many houses. He’s a rich man, yet I’d have literally no interest in his take on the market.
Coincidence? No.
And on that – I can’t remember one other on-line agent story I have commented on – if you can find one, you get a prize.
Smile – you’re stating the very worst case scenarios regarding online agents. You should do some mystery shopping. You’ll see that you’re quite far off the mark.
Makes a change from online agents saying high street agents charge 2.5% and spend have expensive high street offices and thats how they save money.
All of those together are the very worst case but several together are the norm and can cost sellers thousands.
I have mystery shopped, and also heard first hand from sellers who have tried to use online liters, Does not paint a pretty picture.
Smile ,you put these forward like they are in stone , ask Foxtons sellers how accurate the valuations they give are … If they are nagging the best deal. Truth is quite a few in our industry have got so sloppy with the way they do business that the general public see what we do as over priced. This has allowed online agents a presence. If everyone was doing a bang up job they wouldn’t even get a sniff … End off
I think you are being a little naive Danny. I think you will find foxtons are pretty good at valuations hence why their market share is so large. People are quick to judge Foxtons as aggressive and yes maybe as a buyer they are but who do they work for buyer or seller? End OF.
@Digital expert – well 99.8% of agents are online, be they traditional Hg St or online only.
Correct Trevor. Every agent is an online agent – that’s how the public see you all. Just with varying degrees of service & quality.
She also has a programme showing how to have a Home-made Christmas, but you wouldn’t want her building you a manger, would you?
“TV personality makes assumption about industry in which she has no knowledge.”
Arrogant Techie doing the very same. What’s your point?
My point was in my comment, Peebee. Catch up.
I’d rather keep my distance, thanks.
You could end up with a virus!
I’d be more concerned about overloading his motherboard!
The difference between a computer and ‘Digital Expert’?
You only have to punch information into the computer once.
;o)
Graph: http://bit.ly/1QsMCim (copy and paste into your browser)
On-line agents sold just 40% of all instructions v 72% for all other agents (average figures)
These figures cover eleven postcode out-codes for the past twelve months. They speak volumes.
It would be interesting to see what other agents in other areas find when they interrogate their Zoopla or Rightmove area insight data. That information took me less than ten minutes to source and produce in a graph on Excel. Go on, you know you want to do it for your area too. Then come back on here and post your findings.
Well said Kirsty. We’ve now got ourselves into a situation where the government is inadvertently pushing the industry towards “online”, people in the know have to stand up and make their views known.
Paul, the government only gave ‘online agents’ as an example. The main point in the Gov paper was new online INNOVATION for the industry.
What have online agents innovated Trevor? Other than taking away the professional and full service a high street agent offers? Hardly innovative more like regressive
Thats what Im saying Smile. The gov paper used ‘online agents’ as an example. It ALSO mentions INNOVATION in general. There are ways tbat traditional agents can progress such as MLS higher fees to allow sharing B2B between traditionals which must be better for consumers.
The national media won’t see it that way Trevor and online listers are already claiming it as a PR win.
But traditional agents could operate different and get fees up again Paul so long as a better than budget message is put out there.
Agents need to sell on service again that average onliners call centres wont be able to match consumer advice wise.
I think the government are promoting “online innovation” in an attempt to bring down fees as opposed to raise them aernt they Trevor?
The trouble is that not enough from the industry get through to Government.
I was with government officials a couple of weeks back and made clear that cheap isn’t always best and that higher fees (justified) for greater consumer service levels holds a lot of water.
There’s a lot to be said for old fashioned agency that too few are saying Paul. there’s more to agency than bringing agents clients properties to 1-2-3-4 portals and calling that alone service..
“…there’s more to agency than bringing agents clients properties to 1-2-3-4 portals and calling that alone service..”
So… that being the case, get down off your increasingly wobbly podium on the subject of portals.
Well done Kirsty, you were always my favourite! Have a word with that chap Phil and get him away from Zoopla!
Wouldn’t go anywhere near saying that, smile please – but I might retract 2% of the negative things I’ve said about her in the past!
As far as her mate goes I think he and Z are the perfect partnership and best left alone to mutually massage their respective egos! ;o)
Sorry link here re AVRMs
http://www.mortgageintroducer.com/mortgages/254370/5/Industry_in_depth/SPECIAL_FEATURE:_Assessing_AVMs.htm
Kirsty mentions in her article valuations cant be done online (AVMs) which I agree with. But AVRMs move to a next level of valuation user logic
Good article on AVRMs the nexg stage from AVMs
I love her. This lady talks sense !
Free promotion for online agents to her 345k followers. Fantastic!
What is the best way to contact you Stephen? I’ve been asking about to see who has your mobile number.
Why so? I’m sure you can find one of my contact options, Roz has it
oh my…. glass half full and all that!
Do you class a New Property Instruction as “another one not sold on the books” or “the next potential sale”
Good on Kirstie for speaking her mind (or tweeting it) we should be thankful we have someone prepared to argue our defence as she clearly did with the comments she got from some.
It isn’t fair to lump all agents without traditional offices in with the area rep passive intermediary agencies.
We have a very respected online agent here in North Devon who deals with a niche market of high end coastal properties, such agents shouldn’t be labelled in broad brush with the passive intermediary internet listers.
Those who have no need for an office because there are no agent offices in the 4 or 5 select locations and because the purchasers don’t visit the local towns shouldn’t be ostracised for offering a service that meets the needs of wealthy vendors and applicants.
The market in at least two local villages is price wise up 20-30% because a single agent has stuck her neck out on valuations knowing she has buyers waiting, she isn’t valuing remotely, she accompanies viewings and achieves results at one time were thought impossible. That is a very different business from the area rep agency that listed and sold a property £15,000 under value to a single applicant who had to wait two weeks to arrange a viewing , and so Ms Allsop needs to show a little more care to differentiate two entirely opposite ends of the industry spectrum.
I think an on line or high street agency that covers a particular niche will work so don’t go lumping all agents or all on line together.
Generally speaking we all know on line agents (generally) don’t have an in depth knowledge of a particular local market which is why I often find myself talking to a potential vendor who is trying to work out a sensible asking price before he then uses the on line option to try and save money. In effect the on line agents rely on local talent for the price but they don’t want to pay our wages for doing their job for them.
If Mr O wants on line agents to make a real mark he needs to address this kind of unfair business practice.
In the same way the passive intermediaries/ internet listers have learned to piggy back your valuations you need to change the way you deliver your valuation detail.
A subtle change in the way you advise on value will address how many suspect valuations are used to power your competition.
I agree Robert. There are a few very good examples coming through that go that extra mile compared to some average traditional agents.
For sure future agency can learn much from the best traditionals and the best online only achievers
However tongue-in-cheek that comment may be, for once Stephen, I disagree with you.
On-line agents can fool some of the people, some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.
There is clear and growing evidence from across the UK that many on-line agents claims made to potential customers and investors simply do not stand up to any form of evidence based scrutiny.
Rightly or wrongly, the public trusts Kirstie and Phil as property experts and their views are listened to. On-line also has some big name backers but, these are people who tend to hail from big business and entrepreneurs who, the public probably view as backing on-line agents for the purposes of making money for themselves and their investors, rather than adding value to them as consumers.
Every single consumer website of any repute all call for local knowledge when choosing an estate agent, even the ones supported by on-line agents.
The simple fact is, on-line agency does not work well for anyone apart from a handful of individuals and the people at the very top.
Interesting thread on Money saving Expert site, providing a far more balanced view than their Trust Pilot reviews… I wonder why that is!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4973625#topofpage