The Personal Touch: Best high street estate agents ‘significantly outperform online rivals’

Top high street estate agents achieve far greater results for their customers than online-only rivals, new research has found.

A study by the HomeOwners’ Alliance reveals the best 1,000 high street agents successfully sell 82.42 per cent of the properties they list compared with just 51.98 per cent of those marketed by online firms.

In addition, a high street agent needs an average of only 21 days to sell a property, while an online company takes 43. A high-performing estate agent typically achieved 100.35 per cent of the asking price, while somebody selling with an online-only company will have to settle for 95.85 per cent.

Kevin Shaw, national sales director at property specialist Leaders, says: “These figures show the importance of not only choosing the best estate agent to sell your home, but also the benefits of picking a traditional agent over a newer online provider.

The benefits of picking a traditional agent over a newer online provider

“The best high street agents achieve an extra 4.5 per cent of the asking price when agreeing a sale, which can be worth tens of thousands of pounds to sellers, far outweighing the slightly greater fee attached to using a traditional firm.

“Most sellers need to ask themselves whether they can afford to overlook a quality estate agent who will get the best possible price for their home. It’s also worth remembering that if a high street agent does not sell a property they do not usually command a fee, whereas the majority of online agents require upfront fees that are paid regardless of any success.”

The results also show a difference in the results achieved by the top 1,000 high street agents and lower-ranked companies, underlining the importance of choosing the best agents in the industry. Sellers should consider factors such as experience, reputation, local knowledge and a proven track record of success.

Kevin adds: “Of course, everybody has different priorities, but to get the best price and achieve the quickest sale a top high street agent will always be the best choice.”

For more information on selling a property and how to realise your ambitions in the market contact your local Leaders branch or visit leaders.co.uk.