A Guide to the Top Ten Online Estate Agents

In recent times, online estate agents have grown in popularity, especially in the United Kingdom. A major reason for this increased popularity is that they help in saving substantial amounts of cash for home-sellers. Average High Street estate agents are known to charge 1.5% (plus VAT) for their services. Therefore, the more expensive the property, the more they charge. This means that the seller loses a large part of their profit to such estate agents.

However, online estate agents charge far less, ensuring that home-sellers accrue minimal charges. This is a major advantage when opting for online agents, especially as most people looking to purchase new properties look online first. These agents provide access to several buyers on registering with them.
Advertising via online portals such as Zoopla and Rightmove (as well as other large property sites) can be done at very low and fixed charges.

These advantages are not to be missed, but it is also important to know which online estate agents are best to patronise. Below is a list of recommended online estate agents:

• House Network. This online estate company boasts a dedicated team of local experts and specialist negotiators, who ensure that sales of properties are easy and fast. Being so confident in the quality of their services (which have been reviewed at 99.9%), they offer customers a ‘Great Service Guarantee’. Their strongest points include impressive customer service and speed of which transactions are completed.
• House Network ensures that sales are made to the benefit of the seller, whilst striking deals at the highest possible rates. They offer two major payment plans, though both seem very similar in terms of benefits: A ‘pay up-front’ package, where the seller pays a one-off fee of £699 – or the ‘Pay later’ package, where the payment of the same amount is paid on completion of the sale, or within 12 months.
• eMoov. These online estate agents launched in 2009 and have since become a force to be reckoned with among estate agents, both online and on the High Street. Winning the award for the UK’s Best Online Estate Agent for three years in a row (2014 – 2016 inclusive), they were also named the Best Estate Agent in the UK in 2016, out of 25,800 competitors.
  Since inception, eMoov has sold properties worth £1.5 billion accumulatively, saving a whopping £30 million for their clients in the process. Presently, they remain one of the two biggest online estate agents, with a wide press followership, which includes The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Times, and many others. Users, sellers and buyers alike have unhindered access to their online resources at eMoov.co.uk all day, every day.
• Settled. Settled gives home-sellers the benefit of being at the forefront of their sale for just £499: this is based on a philosophy that the person at the centre of any sale should be the home-seller and nobody else. This is the basis of easy-to-use technology developed by Settled, which allows clients to manage sales at their own convenience. This approach allows for 98% of sales to occur at asking price, with statistics showing that most sales go through predominantly because of the technology that allows the client and buyers to closely and continually interact.
• SellMyHome. Founded by chartered surveyor Will Clark in 2013, this company has grown to become one of the top ten online estate agents in the UK. This rating is based on customer reviews, 99% of which give them a five-star rating. All of this can be traced back to the dedication of this company to delivering excellent customer service. They operate based on the following format:
  • No call centres
  • Each client receives a dedicated Account Manager
  • All potential buyers are screened and vetted by the Buyer Management Team. 

Their services have put them at the top of the list of online estate agents, winning them several awards in the last few years.

• Griffin Residential. This company was established as a High Street estate agent in 2000, but transcended to become an online agency in 2015. Presently, they boast one of the more cost-effective home selling packages and are known to provide excellent access to major property portals from as little as £225. They also offer several payment packages, some of which include the ‘no sale, no charge’ option. Signing up with Griffin Residential allows the property to be listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and over 200 other property sites, ensuring that it is advertised to millions of buyers within just a few minutes.
• Door Steps. Regarded as one of the UK’s best-value estate agents, they provide DIY services for as low as £99. Unlike other agencies, Door Steps provide services that can be specifically tailored to suit the seller’s needs and requirements. As of February 2017, they were rated on TrustPilot’s top 10-rated estate agents. Just some of their services include:
  • Ensuring properties stay online until they are sold.
  • Providing a dedicated Account Manager for each client.
  • Uploading of properties within 24 hours of sign-up, as well as 24/7 account access for

all clients.

• Providing full agency service, with access to a nationwide team of local property experts for only £199.

With over £250 million worth of property listed, they have sold a total of roughly £100 million, all the while saving more money for home sellers than any other agency.

• Esale. Established in 2012, Esale presently claim to offer the best services at the lowest prices and are one of the very few online agencies to offer a no sale, no fee option at £1,195 (including VAT). They also offer a full refund should their services not satisfy the client. Consistently on the list of the top rated online estate agencies in the UK, they are the recipient of several awards, whilst the £595 payment includes professional photos, floor plans and sales progression to sale completion. To engage their services or simply make enquiries, call 0800 025 3451 for free, or contact them via email.
• Yopa. This agency was started in 2014 and launched with a national television advertising campaign in 2016. For a fixed fee of £839, Yopa will sell your home, assigning a professional Account Manager who carries out face to face evaluation, takes professional photographs, and offers help with sales progression, to ensure you make the most of selling your property. Below are key facts about Yopa:
  • They find buyers for properties within 30 days.
  • They ensure home-sellers make their asking price at least 98% of the time.
  • They save at least £3000 on behalf of the home-sellers.
  • TrustPilot rates Yopa at an impressive 9.5 out of 10.

Yopa provides a range of payment options to clients: they can either pay before service or pay within 10 months, without any extra cost.

• Sell a house online. This online estate agency has grown to be one of the most popular choices amongst home sellers. They provide several selling packages, (such as £399 with discounted legal fees / £599, including legal fees, floor plans, and professional photographs), while clients also have the opportunity to pay for services only after their property has been sold. 

PurpleBricks. This self-acclaimed ‘first online estate agent’ is extensively publicised in the media. Their services and fees make them a popular point of call for home-sellers, with their fees starting from as low as £798. They have a network of local property agents, who ensure that properties are suitably valued for the market. PurpleBricks operate on the principle that you can sell your house for lower than using the traditional High Street estate agency.

The process of selling your home begins with a property appraisal, which is done online. The seller imparts all the necessary information and books an appointment with their local property expert. Following their conveyance, they pay for the service once the property is sold, or 10 months after the service has initially been offered – whichever comes first.

Benefits of using online estate agents

• Unlike High Street agents, most online agents charge a flat rate, meaning that the home-seller tends to save more, depending on the price of the house.
• Using online estate agents is a lot more convenient than using High Street agents, as you have unlimited access to resources and customer service at almost any time of the day.
• Services are fairly flexible, as most are tailored to suit the needs and requirements of the client.
• The client has the freedom to engage the services of as many online agents as they want, since there is no strict contract forbidding this.