Customarily, any person with a house to sell in the US would make use of an Estate Agent. As they were ranked 2nd in a Radio 4 poll of “least respected workers” (M.P.’s were 1st!), for many people they are seen as a necessary evil.

A small number of people manage to sell their house in private by handling their own advertising and placing up their own For Sale board, however as their property does not show in the Estate Agent’s press adverts or sites; this is very much an unpredictable affair.

Despite when a sale is held, the legal system in the state means that until contracts are swapped – normally many weeks later – the sale can go through. Actually, one in three settled sales does not complete, which implies that the sale procedure has to start over again.

For anyone moving or migrating this is annoying and frustrating as plans have to be pause. For individuals with financial problems or in danger of having their house reclaimed, it can be very serious indeed.

A realistic alternative to Estate Agents

Eventually, there is an alternative to using a Real Estate Agent. Making use of an expert property-buying company provides the speed and confidence lacking if selling on the open market through a Real Estate Agent.

Companies like A Quick Sale are presently offering a service that the public see as a good alternative than waiting and expecting for an elusive buyer. They will usually make an offer to buy a property in a few days, completing at a date beneficial to you, so that people can carry on with their lives.

So, what’s the point? Well, the main one is that they will be considering buying the property at a reduced price from the open market value. How much of a reduction always depends on the type and size of property but is expected to be at least 10%.

The other thing to look out for is that most of these companies charge an upfront evaluation fee of several hundred dollars. Whilst this is typically refundable if you end up selling to them, it is fairly possible that their offer on your property will be unacceptable to you, leaving you out of pocket!

Questions to Ask

If the rate and certainty of selling to a property-buying company delight you, what do you need to watch out for?

Probably the first question to ask is – will it cost me anything to get an offer on my property? A national house buying company included on Watchdog last year after many criticisms from people who had paid an assessment fee and then offered much less than their property was valued.

You wouldn’t expect to pay an Estate Agent for a valuation, so why pay these companies?

The next question most people need answering is – can I rely on this company? Can they fit around me? These businesses should be asking you about your deadline and schedules and providing a solution around these. Carefully take a look at their literature and website to see if they are flexible and provide a range of answers. It is also a good idea to ask them for examples or testimonials from previous customers.

So, in case you have a property to sell, before calling a Real Estate Agent, it might be worth it to check out a couple of these companies who can give you a quick sale.