Landlord Products / Services
Sorry to interrupt the regular schedule, but just a head’s up…
Boo!! Yopa isn’t currently running any promotions!
Unfortunately I don’t have any Yopa discount codes available at the moment, but as soon as I do, I’ll share them on here. In the meantime, here are a list of online estate agents that are running mouth-watering promos.
Okay, now back to the original blog post/review…
It’s becoming increasingly difficult impossible to get through a day without having a Yopa advert shoved in our faces, whether it be on TV, the radio, or on the side of a double-decker bus. They’ve even managed to throw enough money at Sir Mo Farah and lure him into their marketing campaigns.
Like a freaking plague of cockroaches, Yopa are EVERYWHERE.
We. Get. It. You’re an Online Estate Agent that sells property for a one-off fixed-fee, saving home-sellers thousands of pounds in agency fees in comparison to our local high-street agents.
But the question still remains, should you use Yopa’s £999 service while there are now so many other [cheaper] options? Perhaps my lousy Yopa review will tip you over the edge, one way or the other…
First and foremost, if you’re not exactly sure how the whole ‘online letting agent’ thing works, then I recommend jumping over to my online estate agent guide before continuing down this path. I think it’s important to understand the concept before shelling out on the product.
If you haven’t dispersed, I’m going to assume you get the concept, and now you want to understand Yopa’s proposition before pulling the trigger.
Wise!
Table of contents
- Overview of Yopa’s fixed-fee house-selling packages
- A quick overview of Yopa’s service
- How do Yopa compare to other online agents?
- What about the other MUCH cheaper online agents?
- Why is Yopa more expensive than most other online-only agents?
- Is Yopa worth paying extra for, or should I go for the cheaper online-only agent?
- Does Yopa have hidden fees?
- Yopa’s customer reviews
- How to get started with Yopa
Overview of Yopa’s fixed-fee house-selling packages
Before getting into the nitty-gritty, let’s take a look at the menu – the packages Yopa are currently offering to help you sell your home:
| Estate Agent | Rating | Duration | Includes / Notes | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yopa | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 months | Includes / NotesCore package
*Selling fee of £1,499 in a few specific London postcodes. | Price*£999 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
| Yopa | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 Months | Includes / NotesPremium package
*Selling fee of £2,097 in a few specific London postcodes. | Price*£1399 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
| Yopa | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 Months | Includes / NotesUltimate package
*Ultimate is not available in London. | Price*£1999 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
A quick overview of Yopa’s service
- They will provide you with a free in-person local property valuation to determine the value of your home!
- If you agree to use their service, you will get assigned with a local agent to oversee and manage the sale of your property
- Yopa will market your property on the biggest UK property portals (e.g. Rightmove & Zoopla) to generate enquiries
- Those who successfully sold with Yopa accepted an offer for 97.9% on average of their initial asking price
- At the time of writing this review, Yopa have an impressive TrustScore of 4.8/5 on TrustPilot and over 7000 reviews. Not too shabby at all.
You may have heard enough, and you’re ready to load up Yopa’s shopping cart!
Happy shopping. You can get started by booking a free property valuation.
But maybe you’re not completely sold. So let’s keep going…
How do Yopa compare to other online agents?
I’d be a blubbering buffoon amiss if I didn’t point out the fact that Yopa are not the only online estate agent offering the same kinda’ thing. I’m not necessarily saying the quality of service will be the same as all their competitors, but I am saying the feature-list will be very similar.
One of Yopa’s biggest rivals are a little known company that goes by the name Purplebricks. Yup, you’ve also probably heard of them due to their equally gigantic marketing budget!
Generally speaking, when home-sellers are contemplating Yopa, they’re also eyeing up Purplebricks for comparison (and vice versa). It’s the whole Nike Vs Adidas, Sony Vs Samsung, Windows Vs Mac, Blonde Vs Brunette, Mercedes Vs BMW debate.
In order to play fair, let’s take a gander at Purplebricks current menu…
| Estate Agent | Rating | Duration | Includes / Notes | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PurpleBricks | RatingTrustPilot Reviews | Duration 12 months | Includes / NotesPay now package
*Prices differ in London and surrounding areas. Use their "check fee" tool on their website to find out how much. | Price*£999 Inc VAT | Visit WebsiteBook Free In-Person Valuation |
Hmm’ummm.
Now, there’s a pickle and a half.
They’re near enough the same price, with exactly the same feature-list (when compared to the core service).
What to do?
In my opinion? Honestly, I don’t think there’s enough difference between them for one to have an objectively better offering. That’s the stone-cold truth. If Yopa is edging it for you for one reason or another, go for them. Do it.
What about the other MUCH cheaper online agents?
Of course, Yopa and Purplebricks are not the only online estate agents around, so you may have heard of some of the others. There are actually too many to choose from, which is kind of a pain. None are quite as popular as the two front-runners mentioned, but a couple of worthy challengers’ are loitering nonetheless.
In my online estate agent guide I’ve listed a dozen or so online agents to choose from – you may notice a few other recognisable faces (e.g. Strike (formerly Housesimple), Visum) – each varying in price (and quality).
It’s important to understand why there is such a vast difference in price between some of the agents!
Remember, Yopa and Purplebricks are Hybrid agents!
The thing you’ll quickly notice is that the online agents are categorised into two types: “Online-only” and “Hybrid”
Hybrid agents are typically significantly more expensive than an online-only agents (e.g. Strike & Visum), but that’s because they provide a bigger bang for your buck, so the price difference isn’t entirely based on brand power. Thank Goodness.
Yopa costs £999, while you’ll find the online-only agents starting from £99. Now that’s pretty jarring and it does raise questions, and rightly so.
Why the premium? What am I paying extra for? Is it worth it? Should I just go with a cheaper online agent?
Why is Yopa more expensive than most other online-only agents?
Yes, let’s tackle the crux of the issue. And I’ll try not to ramble (even though history dictates I’ll fail, miserably!).
Yopa, like other hybrid agents, are based on a model that offers features you would expect from an online agent and a traditional high-street agent.
Most online agents operate purely online, meaning their service is managed through their website and typically phone-support; they won’t have a physical office/branch which you can bust into and cause a riot for providing a shambolic service, nor will they have localised agents zipping around in their flashy MINI Coopers. Of course, that’s why online estate agents are so much cheaper than the traditional high-street agent cowboys- the overheads are minuscule in comparison.
Yopa have ripped chunks off the online agency model and chunks off the high-street model… and squashed it all together to make a mutant, à la “Hybrid” Essentially, you’re left with the best of both worlds, which is:
- Local agent
Yopa will provide you with a dedicated local agent! Yes, “local”, and this is what the extra £300 is really about, and that’s the feature which has been snatched from the high-street model. You can catch a glimpse of their mugs over on the Yopa agent page, so you can see exactly who you would be dealing with. Such beautiful people.The agents are professional and dedicated Yopa estate agents, they’re not moonlighting or working around their full-time job. So to clarify, they will NOT have a high-street shop presence, but will provide local physical presence and support because they’ll be located near you (you’ll probably only meet them once though, and that’s during the property valuation).
If you’re interested in getting a free valuation from Yopa (there’s no obligation to continue thereon), your prospective ‘local agent’ will visit your property to get the ball rolling. If you then wish to use Yopa’s service, your new-best-friend-agent will guide/support you through the sale until completion. That will include the initiation of marketing your property; professional photos, floorplan, a ‘For Sale’ sign and then throwing your property advert onto the likes of Rightmove, Zoopla and PrimeLocation to start generating enquiries.
If you also want your agent to take the viewings, they can, but at an extra cost of £300 (i.e. it’s not included in the basic £999 package), and that’s when you’ll have the opportunity to meet your new mate again.
You with me? Good!
- Online agent
I’ve already mentioned that Yopa, like every other online agent, does not have a high-street shop front or local branch. Essentially, that’s what classifies them as an online agent, or at least partially.You can arrange everything online via their website, including payment, and access to a 24/7 dashboard, which will allow you to view/process all your enquiries 24/7.
Is Yopa worth paying extra for, or should I go for the cheaper online-only agent?
Yes.
Well, maybe.
It depends.
This is how I look at it: if you want the assistance of a local agent to support you through the entire process of selling your home and relieve you from some of the work-load (after all, your time is precious), then yes, in my opinion the “hybrid” model is worth stumping up the extra cash for, even if you have to do so begrudgingly. However, if you’re confident you can do without the local assistance, then a cheaper online-only agent is probably the better option. However, I do want to make a few crucial points before you pull-the-trigger and make your decision:
- Don’t be THAT Dad
Using an online agent, including a “hybrid” one, is already going to save you a shitload of cash comparative to a high-street agency. You’re already winning here.So I wouldn’t try to whittle down the costs of selling a home to the point of creating a false-economy. What I mean by that is, don’t focus on JUST saving money by taking on a project which you’re ill-prepared for. A good analogy is when an unqualified Dad tries to hopelessly save costs when repairing the leaky dishwasher when the extent of his qualifications is streaming a few ‘how-to’ videos on YouTube. In most cases, the end result will be a bodge-job, and eventually lead to more expenses to fix-the-fix.
My point? As much as we all religiously love to believe that an estate agent’s job can be just as equally fulfilled by a chimp (if not better), they mostly do have the knowledge and experience which will allow for an optimal selling experience.
If you actually would benefit from the added local support, don’t talk yourself into being the bodge-job Dad. The law of averages dictates you’ll cause havoc and it will end in tears.
- All Online Agents will provide support
I don’t want to provide a false illusion, so let me clarify something (before someone jumps on my hairy back and causes a scene).No matter which online agent you decide to choose, if at all any that is, they will ALL provide support (as far as I’m aware).
Yopa’s local agent will provide a physical and local presence, and that will understandably be comforting for many (unless they’re a sleaseball idiot). However, the online agents that don’t offer a local dedicated agent will also provide support and guidance, but most likely by a dedicated account manager in a support centre somewhere. Regardless of which online agent you opt for, you will never be left to fend for yourself.
In any case, definitely read the T&C’s of whichever agent you’re interested in working with, and find out exactly what level of support you will receive! Most crucially, don’t be afraid to ask questions, preferably by email so you can prove what was promised to you.
Does Yopa have hidden fees?
In short, no. As with almost all online agents, Yopa’s business model – and the basis of their appeal – is that they charge a one-off fixed fee.
However, I gotta’ say, some of their optional extra services, specifically their mortgage brokering and conveyancing, don’t seem like great offerings, and they almost feel like a hidden tax (if opted for).
Upselling these additional services is a huge money-maker for online agents, which is why they’re notorious for applying a hard-sales approach when it comes to shifting them.
From my experience (and based on a lot of feedback I’ve read), online agents in general don’t offer the best mortgage brokering and conveyancing services, in terms of quality and value. For example, Yopa’s Premium and Ultimate packages come with a discounted mortgage brokerage fee feature – calling that a “feature” is ballsy, because most mortgage brokers these days don’t even charge a brokerage fee, because they earn their commission directly from the lender. The fact Yopa’s recommended broker charges a brokerage fee in the first place tells me that ain’t a great deal.
As for conveyancing services, I’ve heard too many nightmare stories from people that have used services recommended by online agents (this isn’t specific to Yopa) for it to be a coincidence. It just seems like the services aren’t very good, and I’m guessing that’s because online agents send their preferred conveyancer large volumes of work and take a significant commission for each referral, and that ultimately results in lower quality service.
Personally, I wouldn’t use mortgage brokerage or conveyancing services offered by any online agent – I would source my own suppliers.
My recommendations:
- Mortgage broker – I’ve been recommending and personally using the online mortgage broker Habito recently. They’re completely free (as they should be!) and they search the whole market for deals, which includes more than 20,000 mortgages from 90 lenders. You can read my full Habito review if you’re interested.
- Conveyancing – I’ve always believed that using a local and recommended Conveyancing service from a trusted friend or family member is the way to go. Alternatively, use a comparison service like ReallyMoving.com – they can quickly provide 4 quotes from expert SRA or CLC regulated conveyancing solicitors and Licensed Conveyancers (average saving is £365).
- Moving services – if you require a moving service, you can also get multiple quotes from ReallyMoving.com;s comparison tool.
Yopa’s customer reviews
We live in a world where it’s never been easier to complain about piss-poor service. Rightly or annoyingly so, we all have a louder voice in this digital age.
The sad reality is, we humans are more compelled to leave negative feedback than positive ones. I’m still undecided on whether empowering us is a terribly good thing, or a terribly catastrophic thing. Either way, it does have its obvious advantages.
If someone has been sold a questionable piece of cod from Dave’s Fish Palace, you can bet your left nutsack on the fact that you’ll be able to read about it somewhere, even if it’s ticked away in the darkest depths of the internet – it will be somewhere.
So if you’re happy to put a monetary value on objective reviews/ratings from the general public, which people seem to be, maybe Yopa is money well spent (or saved, depending on how you look at it). Credit where credit due, because their TrustPilot rating is sweet as a nut.
So, are you interested or what? How to get started with Yopa…
As mentioned in the opening overview, Yopa provide free property valuations (conducted by one of their local agents), so that’s probably a good starting point. Just to clarify, there are no obligations to use their services after receiving your valuation!
Book a FREE Valuation with Yopa Today
Tell me about YOUR experience
As a matter of interest, have you used Yopa or any other online agent? What’s your experience been? If you’re looking to use an online agent, who are you going to use and why?
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.
Surprisingly YOPA worked for me and my wife, and this is coming from an old git that's reluctant to embrace technology.