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Online agent trials pay-as-you-go fee structure
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
An online estate agent has announced an innovative service aimed at property sellers.
HouseSimple has launched a weekly pay-as-you-go estate agent scheme, whereby sellers pay from £9 per week in order to market their home. There is also a £495 ‘success fee’ if their property goes on to be sold.
The agent says that this will run with its existing fixed-fee option, where customers pay £395 on successful completion of a sale, or when is a year is up, whichever occurs first.
Structure
It is hoped that this structure will assist the needs of the customer more closely, as many may be unfamiliar with how agents work and what charges they could bring about. In addition, the agent claims that the pay-as-you-go option will enable sellers to put their property on the market and try out the online service, without paying the upfront fees that have been criticised in the online business model.
This means that the seller is not bound by a contract and therefore can cancel the service at any time. Vendors can also advertise on the agency’s website as long as they pay the weekly charges.
Online agent trials pay-as-you-go fee structure
‘Unlike high street estate agents, who stubbornly refuse to change their commission model to provide a better value service to home sellers, we are continually striving to meet the needs of our customers,’ said Alex Gosling, chief executive of HouseSimple.[1]
Gosling acknowledged that, ‘there is still some uncertainty amongst home sellers around online estate agents and the existing up-front fee model can dissuade people if they’ve never sold a property online before.’ He said that his firm, ‘wanted to address that concern and make the service more accessible to all.’[1]
[1] https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2015/7/online-agent-tries-pay-as-you-go-fee-structure
