Can you recommend an Estate Agent?

[mearly]

We are selling a property in the area and would like recommendations for Estate Agents, or indeed the names of those agents best avoided. Any pointers welcomed, thank-you.

[loubelou]

Hello,

So far for me Haart have been quick to respond and helpful.

I'm looking to buy - so if you want to sell your property to me - do shout ;)

Lou

[Jo Rachel Glover]

Acorn were good - Jonathan on London Rd

Jo

[ObsessedwithOlives]

Jo Rachel Glover Wrote:

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> Acorn were good - Jonathan on London Rd

> Jo

London Road is a bit out of the area. If you want a local East Dulwich Agent I found Pedders very good. I recently sold my flat through them.

[thubay1]

Reference more :

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[nikki73]

bad experience with winkworth both as potential seller and buyer. wouldn't show up to viewings etc.

[Jacqui5254]

Thats a shame nikki73, I have had nothing but help and kindness from winkworths staff. I found them very professional.

[Akwng]

Winkworth rubbish tried to put us in a car with another couple to view a property

a sales tactic -we refused to do anymore viewings after that .Woman manager there

very rude and strange .

kinleighs sold through them was fine not sure about buying

pedders made us wait a week for an answer when we made an offer for a property in a attempt to bring price

up we werent impressed

The majority of estate agents are sharks who are wiling to sell their own mothers to get their commision.

[monica]

I found both Winkworth and Peddar really helpful, when I was buying. Found my lovely home with Dominic at Winkworth. Extremely efficient and always returned my calls/emails promptly. Ross at Peddar was also very good and really sweet. Bless him :)

[Chirpie]

I would recommend pickwicks. We sold our house in west Norwood through them and bought from them too in east dulwich. The purchase took a year due to untold issues and I found them supportive throughout. We were literally on the phone every day for 12 months and I wasn't always easy to deal with!

[kristymac1]

We recently sold through Bushells and they were great - very responsive, polite and professional. They also made sure they had all the information from all sides. If we were to sell again (please God no ;-)) I would go straight to Bushells.

We bought through Winkworth and they were pretty good too, despite the aggresive 'personality' of the woman manager.

We had bad experience with Pickwicks, found them to be underhand and dishonest. KFH were pleasant enough but a bit unreliable with viewing appointments. Haart were ok but had little on their books in our price range and kept trying to get us to view properties ?100K over budget....

Good luck!

[dirty tree]

Bought through Bushells who were professional all the way.

If we had to sell ( think i'd have a stroke!) i would go with them in an instance.

Don't waste your time with Foxton's . They are a complete joke. Every EA cliche rolled into one.Didn't even bother to turn up to viewings we booked with them!

[Gidget]

kristymac1 Wrote:

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> We recently sold through Bushells and they were

> great - very responsive, polite and professional.

> They also made sure they had all the information

> from all sides. If we were to sell again (please

> God no ;-)) I would go straight to Bushells.

> We bought through Winkworth and they were pretty

> good too, despite the aggresive 'personality' of

> the woman manager.

> We had bad experience with Pickwicks, found them

> to be underhand and dishonest. KFH were pleasant

> enough but a bit unreliable with viewing

> appointments. Haart were ok but had little on

> their books in our price range and kept trying to

> get us to view properties ?100K over budget....

>

> Good luck!

Strange about Pickwicks as they usually have such good feedback. What did they do that was underhand? I have found in the past it is usually one person at an agency who is dishonest, not the whole agency. If they were actually dishonest then they should be reported to the NAEA.

[Monkey]

Another vote for bushells. Sold our flat when nothing was selling back in 2009, just in time for our new baby's arrival. Thank you again, bushells. Lady who looked after us is called Nicole.

[DulwichGlobetrotter]

we looked for over a year and experienced most of the ED agents. Main point is that they represent the seller and want to get the highest price so buyer beware... Here's our opinion of them based purely on our experience from last year as a buyer (we have no experience as sellers!):

1. Foxtons: Awful. Poor selection of overpriced properties. When we did use them for a viewing they didn't turn up and the heavily pregnant owner showed us the house instead and explained to us she was going to sack them for multiple failings.

2. KFH: Overpriced and keen on having competitive viewings and "offers in excess of" to shift properties but that's what estate agents do to get higher prices. We had one bad experience with one agent who has since moved on where we made a competitive but lower than asking price offer which was rejected and the house subsequently sold for less than our offer without us being contacted to see if we wanted to renew our offer. I don't know why. We used a new KFH agent after that who was excellent.

3. Winkworths: Liked them a lot. As a buyer they had a pretty aggressive office manager whose aim was to keep the price high but, to be fair, that's their job. All in all, I found them to be a professional outfit with a good selection of properties in different price ranges. I would use them.

4. Pedder: Personally I didn't like them. We didn't find many houses to view through them. One chap I dealt with was horribly arrogant but there's people like that everywhere, especially in estate agency! Lots of arrogant, patronising and dismissive "guidance" about how we should offer more money because we don't understand the market... I wouldn't want to rely on a chap like that to sell my property.

5. Haart: Good professional outfit. Typically their prices seemed to have more bearing to actual sales prices achieved in the market.

6. Truepennys: Nice bunch but horribly overpriced stock in my view. They had lots of jazzily decorated properties.

7. Bushells: Another good professional outfit. Didn't find too many houses to view through them but what they did they did very well.

We did ad hoc viewing with a number of the other agents without much comment to make though.

[laurajaynewoodhouse]

I have only dealt with Ludlow Thompson. I found them to be incompetant and dishonest. They actually lied to our faces to get us to sign a contract.

[Gidget]

Dulwich Globetrotter,

Estate agents are only as good as the people they have working there. Certain agents like Haart and Bushells have had the same people working at their ED offices for a long while. They have the aim to keep the price high for a short while only, to suss out the people on their books, because what they really want is their commission. Keeping the price high for a long period to time is not useful to them because it delays that pinging into their bank account. Them getting you another twenty or thirty grand doesn't give them a whole lot more on a commission rate of 1.5 percent so they want to sell it asap. You would think they would have the sellers interest at heart, but based on the many conversations I have had with various of them they tell you things as a buyer that they should not be telling you if indeed they are supposed to be acting in the best interests of the seller. Both ends are usually played against the middle in order to secure their cut.

There is a lot of money in the back pocket being taken by rogue (or not so rogue) agents, who will indicate to a buyer that if you cross their palm with silver then they will make sure they get a house for you. Sealed bids can be manipulated in that way. All other offers can be made to disappear in return for you giving someone a bung. That is probably what happened in the case of your higher offer not securing you a property you wanted.

Would like to know if there is anyone out there who has been happy with their dealings with Foxtons, either buyer or seller as your experience seems typical. Foxtons were taken to court a while back for having illegal contracts.

[Gidget]

laurajaynewoodhouse Wrote:

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> I have only dealt with Ludlow Thompson. I found

> them to be incompetant and dishonest. They

> actually lied to our faces to get us to sign a

> contract.

Was that for a rental contract?

[gwod]

I would recommend Pickwick Estates, when they were selling our house I found them helpful, hardworking and effective..... Might be why they're the only agent expanding their business recently. Good luck with your sale.

[lane lover]

gwod Wrote:

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> I would recommend Pickwick Estates, when they were

> selling our house I found them helpful,

> hardworking and effective..... Might be why

> they're the only agent expanding their business

> recently. Good luck with your sale.

I had the opposite experience from Pickwick Estates: and would not use them again. Pickwicks have expanded from a small base, and its not necessarily a sign of good service. Foxtons are still expanding, but I cant say they are exactly popular.

[Pip3]

Pickwicks are fantastic. They are a small business and I they really care about the buyer and seller. Would thoroughly recommend them to anyone. The MD still does viewings that's how much theyove their jobs and care.

[sedm]

I gave my details to a few estate agents in East Dulwich last year when I was looking for a house, but Winkworth were by far the most pro-active in helping me find a property.

They were bordering on the pushy side, but then that is their job and I'd much prefer having someone like that selling my house!

[lorraineliyanage]

Another vote for Pickwicks in East Dulwich, the service is great and not at all pushy.

[originaled]

I recommend Property In, an independent run by Steve Smith on Lordship Lane.

Real personal, go the extra mile service. I bought through them years ago and am about to let my house with them. 0208 693 8000.

Opposite experience with Foxtons, who couldn't be bothered, cold and corporate.

[peterjames]

Pickwicks!!

I have dealt with them on various occasions and I found that they reliable and thorough.

They genuinely care.