Local knowledge can help to sell your property - Parkgate Estate Agents Property Blog

Industry insights

Local knowledge can help to get your property sold or let

Getting your property on the market is an exciting time. But there can be a bewildering level of choice these days. You are confronted by an overwhelming number of marketing messages about being quick and cheap, especially from online property platforms like Purple Bricks or Emoov.

Promises of a quick result with a fixed upfront price can sound very convincing. But feelings are mixed among vendors, especially about paying in advance. And most say that getting from an offer to acceptance is the tricky part of any property negotiation. Something online solutions seem to have mixed results with.

When you jump on to Money Saving Experts Forum one thing is very clear. Sellers want service. ‘Generic’ just doesn’t do it for most people. There is a ringing endorsement for the benefits of a great ‘local and independent’ estate agent versus the purely online agents. Which is clearly underlined when online agents account for just 7% of the UK market.

The power of local!

One thing a good independent estate agent can be is a ‘good local expert.’ Knowledge of a local area is a vital part of the property marketing process. Being able to talk about local amenities and the quality of schools can help no end when it comes to securing your buyer.

Estate agent chains can claim to be local, after all they are on your high street, but pushy and aggressive sales techniques can be quite off putting. We’ve been in Richmond since 1972, which means we’ve built up an enviable reputation for knowing the local and surrounding areas, building our ‘local knowledge’ to a level the national chains can only dream about.

The personal touch

There is a lot to be said for having someone, the same someone, to manage your house sale or purchase. No waiting in queues for yet another person to deal with your question. The personal touch is something we pride ourselves on. Our team will know who you are and will be able to help should your usual agent be unavailable.

So, no waiting around for an answer or long waits listening to terrible music or navigating portals for a response from an online only agent.

Interestingly, The Homeowners Alliance lists the following ‘cons’ for online estate agents:

  • Paying up front – Can mean you will lose your money if your home doesn’t sell, and you need to switch agents. Even with deferred payments you will still be liable at some point if your home still hasn’t sold and their ‘pay later’ deals can mean signing a credit agreement.
  • Valuing your home – Most online agents will claim to have local people, but they are all too often simply not local enough! Making valuations less than accurate.
  • Using their in-house services – Make sure a low online fee isn’t conditional on you using their in-house mortgage broker or conveyancer.
  • Do you have the time? – We always say that you must be prepared to invest your own time with an online agent. We do all your viewings and follow ups with you in person and not just via an online portal.
  • Conducting your own viewings – There is an art to doing viewings. Getting the sale is our responsibility. And remember online agents expect you to be as good as we are at doing your own viewings!
  • Got an unusual property? – If your home is a little different to most it may take a little something extra to get it sold. This expertise comes with a local independent agent like us.
  • Doing the negotiation – We pride ourselves on being able to keep both sides on track, our 5-star rating supports this. And you or an online agent may not be able to negotiate the best deal for your property.

The right benefits for you

With quick and simple not always so quick or so simple with online agents, we think the best solution to securing your property sale at the best price is to go ‘local.’ We’re one of the truly independent local estate agents in Richmond, with an enviable track record of 100% sales valuation accuracy according to allAgents and a string of sales and lettings awards for 2022.

Get in touch with our award-winning team today.

Get on the market with Parkgate

For more information about SELLING or LETTING your property in Richmond, Twickenham, Sheen, Mortlake, and Putney, please get in touch with our multi award-winning sales and lettings team on 0208 940 2991.

Get an instant online property valuation

Selling or letting soon? Find out how much your property could be worth to buy or rent in the current marketplace by using our free and instant online valuation.

Moving to Richmond?

The Parkgate team can help you find the ideal property to buy or let. We all know Richmond and the surrounding areas really well and can speak from experience and provide a comprehensive overview of the benefits of living in this beautiful location.

Talk to a member of the team today and register with us: 020 8940 2991.

Emre OvacıkEmre Ovacık
08:38 01 Sep 23
Very responsive, informative and always kind people. We didn't have much time, but they helped us with creating some time in their agenda and squeezing us in. We rented our place just in time, thanks to them.
Branka ObradovicBranka Obradovic
12:21 22 Feb 23
Parkgate has been my agent of choice for a number of years now and has secured good tenants for my properties. They are hard working, respond in a timely manner and best of all are always friendly rather than aggressive or overbearing, which is the case with many of their competitors.
Jorge RodriguezJorge Rodriguez
15:01 02 Feb 23
Excellent service throughout.We rented a property that they manage for 4 years.Parkgate team is very professional and approachable. Way better than dealing with a big agency, they offer a more personal approach, always available and willing to solve any issues.From the tenancy agreement to handing the property back, it has been a real pleasure working with them.
Catherine BrownCatherine Brown
12:16 30 Aug 22
I have had an eight year relationship with Parkgate, in fact they originally sold my flat to me 12 years ago in Putney. Their service and professionalism is unrivalled. They managed the leasing of my flat from 2014 and assisted me to negotiate the successful sale just now in 2022. Chris has been there throughout with an open door and no request too trivial to assist. Klaudia negotiated my sale and worked with amazing tenacity throughout. I would not hesitate to recommend Parkgate to anyone in the Putney/Richmond area, they know their stuff.
Ali ChampkinsAli Champkins
10:16 31 Jan 22
We have had a wonderful experience with Parkgate and would highly recommend them. Chris was brilliant on the valuation - what we liked is he was totally honest about our chances of selling and gave us the positives and negatives about our property (such as facing a council estate!). Other agents tend to just gush over the good bits which is great, but actually not that helpful.The selling process was great - we were given good feedback from the viewings and got the price we wanted within about 8 weeks.We really have nothing but praise for Klaudia and Chris, it's been really enjoyable, easy and stress free and we will be recommending Parkgate to all our friends in the area and our building.***** Thank you! *****
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