Landlord Products / Services
There’s a common misconception about the service online estate agents offer; specifically that their service is limited to shoving your property onto Rightmove & Zoopla to generate enquiries – and that’s it.
Perhaps that’s how limited they used to be back in the Stone Age, but these days, many offer so much more, including hosted/accompanied viewings.
Originally, there was quite a big difference in service being offered between online agents and high-street agents, even though the objective of selling a home has always been the intent.
In a nutshell, online estate agents were geared towards sellers that simply required a means of getting their property listed onto Rightmove & Zoopla to generate enquiries, and then prepared to do the legwork e.g arrange and conduct the viewings, negotiate the sale etc.
But I guess, somewhere along the line, online agents cottoned onto the fact that a thoroughly stripped down service left a huge gap between them and the alternative (the traditional high-street agent), meaning there was a whole bunch of alienated people, somewhere in the middle, that also wanted to benefit from low prices, while willing to pay extra for some of the bells and whistles!
Long story short: a gap was identified, and now many online agents offer accompanied viewings (along with a bunch of other additional junk), while still being able to provide a much cheaper offering than the traditional high-street agents. Some online agents are actually able to offer the exact same service as you’d expect from a high-street, only without the presence of a local branch.
Online estate agents that offer hosted/accompanied viewings
The “Hosted viewings” search filter has been automatically applied, so by default you only see the online agents that offer the service, but feel free to select additional filters. The total prices will automatically adjust as you select and deselect the filters, and then order the agents based on the lowest price for the overall package.
Please note, the prices shown have exclusive discount codes and offers applied where available.
Search Filters
Require any of the following?
- Rightmove listing
Rightmove listingAdvertise property on Rightmove (The UK's largest property portal)
X
- Zoopla listing
Zoopla listingAdvertise property on Zoopla (The UK's second largest property portal)
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- EPC
EPCAn Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is needed when a property sold in the UK. They are valid for 10 years, so if you already have a valid one you do not to order another.
X
- Photograghs
PhotograghsThe agent will arrange for a photographer to visit your property to take pictures, which can be used with your adverts. Good quality photos are important in making your property look attractive and can increase enquiries.
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- Floorplan
FloorplanThe agent will arrange for a professionally produced floorplan showing the layout and room sizes of your property. Many buyers find floorplans useful when viewing property details online.
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- Negotiation
NegotiationThe agent will help to negotiate with potential buyers on your behalf. If you are confident in negotiating then you may not need this service.
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- For sale sign
For sale signThe agent will arrange for a 'For Sale' sign to be placed outside your property to attract passer-buyers.
X
- In-person valuation
In-person valuationThe agent will arrange for a local expert to visit your property to conduct a proper valuation. Please note, some agents offer "free, no obligation valuations"
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- Hosted viewings
Hosted viewingsA local agent will take viewings and show potential buyers around your property. Please note, some agents limit how many viewings they will take, so please read the T&C's carefully.
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- No sale, no fee
No sale, no feeIf the agent doesn't sell your home, you don't pay their fee. (T&C's may apply, so please read carefully).
X
| Estate Agent | Rating | Duration | Includes / Notes | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I Am The Agent | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 30 days | Includes / NotesIATA Taster Sales package
| PriceDiscount available£309.1 Inc VAT | Visit Website10% Discount Code: propinv21 |
Visum | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 1 month | Includes / NotesBasic package
| PriceDiscount available£429 Inc VAT | Visit Website£15 Discount Code: PIP1 |
PurpleBricks | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 6 months | Includes / NotesFree package
*YES, Purplebricks now offer a 100% free house-selling service, no strings attached. | PriceFree*Free + £899 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
Yopa | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 months | Includes / NotesCore package
*Selling fee of £1,499 in a few specific London postcodes. | Price*£1299 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
Please note, I try my best to keep the information of each service up-to-date, but you should read the T&C's from their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
How does hosted viewings work with an online agent?
It generally works the same as you’d expect from your local high-street agent, where prospective buyers request viewings, and then your online agent will schedule in a suitable time and day with you.
One point that might be worth bearing in mind is that some online agents, like 99Homes, outsource viewings to third party companies (i.e. the person(s) taking the viewings won’t work directly for the agency), while others, like YOPA, use their own local agents.
Does it make a difference? It might do! The online agents that outsource viewings may not allocate an agent that is local to the area, so they won’t be able to provide local knowledge, which prospective buyers may require.
However, if your main concern is simply having someone else show prospective buyers around your property, then it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. If the potential lack of local knowledge is a concern, it might be worth finding out who will be conducting your viewings and how local they are to the area BEFORE choosing your agent.
What if I want to do the viewings myself? How does that work?
First and foremost, remove the “hosted viewings” search filter so you can see how much cheaper the packages are without the add-on (hosted viewings is actually one of the most expensive add-ons).
The arrangement of the viewings is pretty straightforward – you simply arrange the viewings directly with the buyer (usually through an online dashboard on the agent’s website). During the viewing, you’re expected to independently show the buyer around your property and answer any questions they may have.
Nothing unexpected or revolutionary about the process, I hope.
Are you willing to pay more for viewings?
I guess that’s what it really boils down to!
Needless to say, viewings are an imperative step of the house selling process, so someone needs host them.
Many sellers prefer conducting the viewings themselves, or at least, they’re able and willing, which makes many of the super cost-effective ‘standard’ packages the perfect solution, as many of them don’t include hosted viewings.
However, for those of you that don’t quite want to pay high-street agent prices and don’t have the time or interest in taking viewings, you’ll notice several options available in the table above, but obviously you’ll have to cough up a little extra above the base price for the privilege. On average, it costs an additional £200 for hosted-viewings, so ultimately you need to decide whether it’s worth it, or if you’d rather save the money and do the viewings yourself. Your call!
One word of warning before you snap up a hosted viewing package with your online agent of choice! Make sure you check the terms of the ‘hosted viewing’ add-on, because many of them are strapped with limitations. For example, IamTheAgent charge £130 extra for viewings, but that only permits a 1 hour block session (i.e. you’ll get multiple viewings with in one hour only), while 99home (one of the cheapest and highest rated online agents) offer a £300 hosting package which permits up to 8 viewings! Yopa offers unlimited hosted viewings from £300.
I’d love to hear what you decide to do, and who you decide to work with… comments below!
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
