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estate agents
In The News This Week
Consumer journalist Rebecca Gamble brings you the top stories homeowners, home buyers and sellers need to know about from across this week's news outlets...
Buyers feel forced into using estate agents’ in-house brokers, report warns
Pressure selling by estate agents hit the headlines again this week. We look at the latest data, changes afoot, and what you can do if you feel under pressure to use the agent's in-house mortgage broker - or risk losing out on that house.
Why are some sellers being hit with two bills for selling one house?
As consumers continue to get stung by estate agent claims for double commission, we look at recent coverage for our members, and changes in estate agent guidance that should see consumers put first
Five questions to ask your estate agent
Spring is in the air and many of us are starting to think about moving home. If you are preparing to sell, you’ll soon have estate agents giving you their sales pitch for why you should use them. But how do you work out which agent will be best for you?
Getting ready to sell your house in March
Spring is the most popular season to market homes. If you’re preparing to sell your home here’s what you need to do before the "For Sale" sign goes up.
What’s happening with online estate agents?
With Emoov the latest online estate agent to hit the headlines, we take a look at what's happening in the sector.
82% of UK adults support government plans for estate agent regulation
With the Government announcing at the weekend plans to improve the home buying and selling process, our annual HomeOwner Survey, sponsored by BLP Insurance and polled by YouGov, looks at whether homeowners and sellers agree with some of the Government's ideas.
More than 90 per cent of home sellers choose high street agents over new breed of online rivals
Homeowners are still overwhelmingly opting for their local high-street agent when selling their home, despite the emergence of the new breed of online agents, latest research has revealed.
Failed home sales cost homeowners over £500m a year
With news today that over £500m a year is wasted on failed attempts to buy and sell properties in the UK, here at the HomeOwners Alliance we are calling for the introduction of reservation agreements to help protect homeowners' hard earned cash.
Consumers fail to check facts and figures when appointing estate agents
Consumers are leaving themselves at risk of getting a bad deal when choosing an estate agent because they’re not paying attention to facts and figures, research from Best Estate Agent Finder has revealed.
How estate agents turn people off
Gaudy cars, over familiarity and poor time keeping - consumer journalist Christine Toner takes a look at what’s most likely to put home buyers and sellers off estate agents.
Luxury homes struggling to sell, new research shows
Our Best Estate Agent Finder data shows that properties that are worth £2 million or more are struggling to sell.
Rightmove and Zoopla Aren’t the Only Places to Advertise Your Property…Think Facebook!
Your property is on Rightmove and Zoopla. But what about Facebook? We invite online estate agents Sellmyhome to tell us about how they are adding Facebook to their marketing strategy to advertise your property
Are all estate agents the same?
Russell Quirk ponders if agents are all the same and how the process of choosing an estate agent has changed over time.
House Sale Scam – Protect Yourself from Property Fraud Today
Property fraud is becoming an increasingly worrying issue. We take a look at the steps you can take to protect your property or land from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged.
Why don’t estate agents tell us the real value of our homes?
How do you know whether your home – or one you are buying - is actually good value? You might put in an offer on a 3 bedroom house, but there is a big difference between 3 spacious bedrooms of over 200 square foot each, and three hutches of about 50 square feet.
You can switch your energy supplier or bank – but why not your estate agent?
Switching is an accepted part of life as a consumer. If we're not happy, we act with our feet and go elsewhere. Well, except when it comes to selling your home with a high street agent where people continue to be trapped....
Compare local estate agents with our new estateagent4me tool
Selling your property? Compare local estate agents in just a few easy steps...
Property Tech Debate – Online vs High Street Estate Agents
Our CEO Paula Higgins chaired the 2015 Property Tech debate between online and offline estate agents - watch the debate and read our verdict.
Estate Agent Today: “HomeOwners Alliance – an organisation to watch”
CMA issues warning to estate and lettings agents
The CMA has published an open letter to estate and lettings agents warning that they may be at risk of breaking competition law.
Downsizers worry about cost, upheaval and legal processes of moving house
Older people are put off downsizing because of the cost, upheaval and legal processes involved according to recent research. Here we take a closer look at the major concerns and offer top tips and unbiased expert advice to reduce the stress.
New property portal “OnTheMarket” blow to consumers
From the end of January a new property portal "On The Market" will launch, splitting the marketing of your property between Rightmove and Zoopla. We explain what's happening, why it's bad news for consumers and what you can do...