If you’re looking for a fast, affordable way to sell your home, then keep reading. You’re in the right place! We’ll walk you through the world of online property sales and make sure you’re familiar with all of the best agents on the scene.
What is an online estate agent?
Utilising the convenience on modern technologies to advertise and sell your properties, online agents are one of the most effective and efficient substitutes for your typical high street estate agents. They add a level of flexibility and control to your sale that you just won’t get through other means.
How do they work?
Most will have apps for your smartphone or a website that you can go to where you can contact them. They offer a variety of services not too dissimilar from high street agents. A lot of online agents will group these services together into deals, giving you the choice of which services you want and those that you don’t. They offer fixed prices at much lower prices to your typical agent. Instead of relying on commission, they rely on payment per service. Most will require you to pay their fee’s upfront, meaning they can create opportunities for people who are rich on time, but not on money.
How do online agents conduct viewings and valuations?
Oftentimes, people selling their property will handle it on their own. Online agents have a tendency to leave sellers to deal with most of the negotiations. However, you can always decide how much your agent helps you with this process. One thing to keep in mind however, is that additional tasks require additional costs. In order to value your home, online agents will rely on the local property experts they hire, online data and algorithms, or may even just list the property at whatever price YOU think its worth.
Top Online Estate Agents
The prices used in this article are of course subject to change, so we recommend to check their respective websites to confirm what they are.
Fees: Call 0333 344 7772
Combining the traditional values of a high street agent, with the conveniences of the online world. Offering to display your property to 180 million property searchers a month, and also listing your property to various sites, papers and online portals. Boasting an average surplus of 4.6% on their final selling price compared to valuation, they manage this because they stand firm on their valuations and don’t negotiate selling price with buyers. They make sure they get you the perfect deal from their huge waiting list of buyers.
2. Emoov
Fees: From £895
No matter what you need for your property sale, Emoov will guide you every step of the way. It provides very similar services to your typical high street agent, but at a significantly lower price. They will visit and provide an accurate valuation. No matter which package you choose you will always get high quality, professional photos of your property and a detailed floor plan. They promise to advertise your home to millions of buyers month on month. They started in 2011, but are now one of the biggest online estate management services right here in the UK.
3. Strike
Fees: From £995
Strike make themselves stand apart from the rest for offering a ‘no sale, no fee’ policy at the lowest possible price point. With no upfront costs, you can get a valuation, photographs and floorplans, as well as having your house listed on major sites in a matter of days. They offer plenty of options, and even offer standard rates of around £300 for unlimited accompanied viewings or £35 if you wish to pay for a specific visit. Conveyancing is also available but will mean that you will be incurring extra charges.
4. Tepilo
Fees: From £895
Set up originally by Sarah Beeny in 2009 as a hybrid agency, Tepilo relaunched in 2013 as an online-online estate agent. Priding themselves on their highly-trained team of property aspects as well as their user friendly website. They are highly praised for their teams of experts that are dedicated to helping you every step of the way. They also have an app that allows you to see all of your transactions and receive notifications when any progress has been made.
5. Purplebricks
Fees: From £899
Highly-trusted throughout the UK, US, Australia and Canada, Purplebricks are an online giant that employs local property experts and provides free valuations. Their fees are fixed, which can be payed upfront or after 10 months, all without any additional cost. They provide photographs of the property, support from a UK based team, as well as listing your property on popular websites. You’ll have to conduct viewings yourself or you can pay an extra £300 to have this all done for you.
6. Doorsteps
Fees: From £99
Founded in 2016, Doorsteps has grown to be the 6th largest online estate agent in the UK. They offer three tiers of property deals, all with no commission fees. It’s lowest offering of £99, considered the lowest in the industry, comes with a property evaluation, listings on all major sites and also a personal account manager. In their other deals, they offer professional photography, a 2D floorplan, a multitude of online listings including featured positions on popular sites as well as a physical ‘For Sale’ signs and social media promotion. You will however have to conduct all of the viewings yourself, which isn’t bad when you factor in the cost.
Fees: From £99
Founded in 2010, My Online Estate Agent arrange everything online without expensive commissions or fees. Offering all the same basic services as other online estate agents and a few more. Once you’ve made contact, they’ll send an agent to visit your property before it’s listed on the market. Providing support at every step of the process, like any other online agent, you’ll need to show people around your property.
8. 99Home
Fees: From £99
Valuing quality, integrity and service affordability, 99Home offers free and accurate property valuations with widespread exposure across all of the leading portals. They provide professional photography, detailed floor plans, inventory service and the use of advanced software for marketing and property management. Their experience, access to reliable resources and partnerships allow them to ensure an efficient sale, letting or property managing process to their clients.
9. SellMyHome
An up and coming star in the field of online property management, these guys can offer a wide range of services. They can provide professional photos, floor plans, property valuations, listings on popular sites, and also allow for flexibility in their payment methods. Allowing you to pay via direct debit in six instalments as well as a no sale, no fee payment option. They also allow unlimited accompanied viewings for a small cost.
Making their start as a high street agent before going online in 2015, Griffin Residential is one of the most cost-effective home selling packages with flexibility in payment methods available too. In under 30 minutes, you can have your property posted to over 200 listings nationally. It also allows you to track and update inquiries with their unique messaging system. They offer various add-ons which can be something as small as provision of a For Sale board to a full estate agency service.
11. Yopa
Yopa will assign a local agent manager to you, no matter which tier of their service you decide to go with. With three service packages, and no upfront payment regardless of which one you choose. Depending on which choice you made, you can pay in six installments or in a lump sum after you’ve sold it. They’ll provide you with a valuation, floorplans, full listings on leading site and professional photographs. Unlike the other online agents, Yopa will handle all of the buyer negotiations and you can also pay for their viewings service for the standard £300. They offer a lot of other add-on services that will come at a small cost.
12. Upad
The largest online lettings agency in the UK, offering great value for money and gives you total control over the marketing process, beginning to end. They offer reliable advice and tips for how to manage your adverts, helping you find tenants quickly. Most people can find a tenant in just a few hours using this platform.
13. Property Solvers
Fees: 1.25% for the Super Saver; 1.95% for the Premium Package
Need to sell your property fast? Property solvers is the agent for you, they don’t offer a fixed fee, you can cancel at any time and don’t have to pay a penny unless your property actually sells. They can get it done as early as 7 days, but for only 75% of its’ market value. They offer other services where they will sell your property at its’ actual price, but still faster than other agents. You’ll get floor plans, photos, listing, virtual reality tours and featured listings on key sites.
The popularity of online estate agents has grown considerably in the last few years. A lot of high street agents have caught on and started to move online as well. Choosing the most suitable agent to sell your property can be tiresome and time-consuming. If you need to sell your house fast interested in an alternative solution to an estate agent, a professional house buying company is the way to go! North East House Buyers are based in the North East of England and can help deliver a quick sale without the hassle of using an estate agent. Give us a call on 0191 462 0160!