Almost every customer whose property is sold through easyProperty decides against doing their own sales progression.
That includes the vendors who have opted for the cheapest package where sales progression is not offered, although customers are able to switch to a more expensive package later where it is included.
Founder Robert Ellice told EYE yesterday: “Virtually everyone has a package with sales progression once they have gone under offer.”
The thorny topic of high street agents having to do sales progression for buyers who have sold their own homes through an online agent was recently raised on EYE.
However, easyProperty yesterday emailed out advice about sales progression, emphasising that the firm can and does offer the service – and pointing customers in the direction of its two pricier packages.
Sales progressor Baljinder Kandola talks about the subject here.
And she makes it plain that sales progression isn’t easy.
“It can be a fairly long process without a progressor,” she says, adding: “One of the hardest thing to do is buy and sell a property.”
She goes on: “If you don’t have a sales progression, it’s often very hard to manage.”
She also warns: “The biggest pitfall is often when the buyer and the seller communicate with each other … That’s why I think it’s sometimes best to leave it in the agent’s hands as they can do all the negotiations for you.”
There is quite a marked difference in price for easyProperty customers.
The cheapest pay-up-front model where vendors do their own viewings and their own progression costs £475.
A package where the vendor does their own viewings but where sales progression is included costs £825.
The most expensive package offering a service that includes viewings – specifically ten hosted viewing slots – and sales progression is £1,500.
The cheapest package does however offer the ability to upgrade to sales progression, suggesting that almost all vendors who have chosen this option find themselves out of their depth.
Comments (7)
From what I can see this is an upselling exercise by easyproperty. They agree a sale and then, at the point when the owner knows that they have a secure sale, they upsell other products (sales progression). If you have agreed a sale and for a couple of hundred pounds can have the online agent do the chasing it is an easy upsell.
Either way the agent looks good – if they don’t take sales progression they did exactly what they advertise (sell the house) if they upsell they get a couple of hundred pounds for sales progression too. (which they undoubtedly will do very little)
so to advertise your house it is £475, to chase the sale costs £350 and you could add 10 viewings at a cost of £675 (to make the £1500). Once they have a sale agreed the upselling is easy.
I’m not condoning this but offering the upsell once the property is sold isn’t a bad idea. It’s probably the easiest upsell, It’s like selling a car with no tyres. Youre gonna need tyres so you may as well get them here too. Especially when the upsell is just a fraction of the money that you gain from the sale.
Straight from their website “You host the viewings yourself and get the deal to completion once an offer is agreed. We do the rest” – WHAT REST? there is nothing else – oh sorry they arranged the viewings and recorded the offer from the buyers. At least they aren’t trying to hide the fact that sales progression isn’t in their basic package unlike other online agents.
You pay for what you get. Customers using on-line bucket cheap options are looking at just that. Paying as little as possible and not realising the old saying “you get what you pay for”. So what do they do when the reality hits home, have to cough up £1,500 plus and suddenly they are not as cheap and arguable still not as good as the local high street agent.
If only Which? or Watchdog would get involved!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t sales progression one of the key roles of an estate agent? It shouldn’t be part of the premium package, it should be a basic component.
I don’t want to go to a barber and pay for the privilege of him using scissors, or a painter and him using a paintbrush, nor should I be expected to pay over and above the basic rate for my estate agent (and that’s what you are!!) to progress a sale.
We have Yopa still to come guys
Agency is changing – every agent is essentially an online agent nowadays – the agents themselves just don’t accept it yet
The rise of the realtor model in the states will change everything – not these faceless national brands
Yopa* the new dominant force in National estate agency, backed by fabulously wealthy family connections and a slick advertising campaign have, over the last 6 months, listed just 106 properties, with 178 currently on the market.
*who have blocked me on Twitter since I pointed out their nearest ‘local’ agent lived over 100 miles away from me
Given EasyProperty have only listed 159 properties in the past 6 months Nationally, I wouldn’t imagine their sales progression department* is particularly stretched
*or any other department for that matter
I had forgotten about easy property are they still going?