Any comments or suggestions welcome. Thanks
I've used or have knowledge of using many estate agents in the last 2 years. For sales, potential sales, valuations, purchases and potential purchases
Ireland - a sample
Used well known auctioneers. In the areas.
Property 1 bid was 10% below auctioneer
Property 2 bid was 12% above auctioneer
Property 3 bid was 20% below auctioneer
Property 4 bid was 13% below auctioneer
Not Ireland
For home decided against the slick big auctioneer in favour of the small one man band as liked them when I met them on a potential purchase, which was why I went with them. Also were cheaper, but that wasn't the main reason, I wanted the personal service for this particular case. One valuation was 100K more with the other being a range of 100K. Sold at the 120K, so lower than the slick auctioneer by 80K. Unlike Ireland, the sale process was to take time to take proper pictures and really get it right, to get all documents (legal requirements) in order and done by the auctioneer. Then viewings were strictly at certain time slots subject to my approval, and we vacated the property for viewings as I hate viewing anywhere with people in situ. I also know potential purchasers do not want to meet owners in the house as they cannot have the freedom to think or comment.
I've phoned Ireland in relation to potential purchases and viewings etc. Could not care less who the auctioneer is. Irrelevant to me as a purchaser.
Took a lower price for a purchaser not needing a large mortgage and with a steady job against a purchaser with multiple properties needing to sell one to sell. Like you Cream Egg (I assume) I'm in the happy position of not desperately needing to sell. So that really takes a lot of pressure off.
The auctioneer's asking price, well it's' just an asking price and can be way wrong. One of the auctioneers tried to get me to settle on one bid but I held out and got 20K more. Being aware that at x price an auctioneer is not going to care about his % on another 20K, but it's a chunk of change. You've experience so you know what I mean.
Also managed to offload a rental that needs major work and bypassed the auctioneer to deal directly as the purchaser was looking to buy a relative's property who in the end declined to sell.
Had a builder for another property who was giving a quote for renovations and the builder offered to buy it even though it wasn't for sale, after I withdrew it from sale as I decided to keep it.
No idea what OFFR is, just a slick marketing tool I suspect. For potential purchases I've mentioned I'm a cash buyer, they never mentioned OFFR to me. Based on the current market I think it's a good time to sell as anything I'm interested in is going way over asking and get snapped up very quickly. As you know this can change in the morning with the whim of the market. So I think the asking prices are nonsense.
Talked to a 'very relaxed' auctioneer 2 days ago by the name of Liam, so disinterested and with screaming children in the back ground. Told me viewings would commence in 2 to 3 weeks despite the ad being up in daft. I thought that was pretty bad service. Would be annoyed if I'd hired him. But at the end of the day I'm only about the property.
Personally I'd never use the like of Lisney as they are a different type of market and you pay dearly for that type of slickness. You could go with EA 1 and tell him to price it at more than €325. Certainly if the OFFR is the only difference. Or go with EA2 if you want to have the fun of a type of auction. Which is what you're hinting is intriguing you.