Express Estate Agency
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Highly questionable marketing tactics.
A bit deceptive in their marketing letters if you ask me. They send a letter through to homeowners offering to buy your house giving a range of its value, which at first look seems about reasonable market value. Then they call you and say that under their "fast cash" 7-day option then the value offered would actually be around 40% lower, which equates to well over £280,000 less in my particular case. They claim it's because they take the risk of no surveys, yet they knew damn well that my house had been comprehensively rebuilt and would sail through any survey as everything in it is new. Nice try. 😉 They obviously prey on people who desperately need the money, or want to sell ultra-fast because of other issues... I don't. So, the other option they then pitch up with is to act as a sort of online estate agent for you, at well above normal agency rates - good money if you can get it... twice the usual commission rate for doing little actual physical representation or selling! Just seems to duplicate a listing on multiple websites which they claim extends beyond England's borders. Tried to claim that the big websites don't cover Wales and Scotland but I've checked again (after using one to buy a house in Wales two years ago) and guess what? Yes, they do cover Scotland and Wales. 🙄 Ask them to make a 30/60/90 day offer (so they reduce the risk of no surveys, searches, etc.) and that's a no go... of course. Then they talk gobbledygook trying to wrap the discussion in sales fluff trying to make out you, the homeowner, are a bit stupid for not understanding their extortionate agency rates. Sales person was clearly out of their depth, and their claims to know the market, local area, etc., were clearly just Zoopla searches or Uncle Google, as they talked nonsense about some aspects of the area in which I was born and raised, and contradicted themself on other points. They didn't realise they were dealing with someone who knows the market, has built, bought and sold numerous houses, and knows what my properties are worth - slight downturn in the market or not. It might work on gullible types or those desperate to sell, but not on anyone with half a switched on brain. Overall, a complete waste of time, and I personally think that Trading Standards ought to review their marketing literature. I'm not convinced it's not misrepresentative and littered with a lot of 'offers' that simply don't materialise or they have no actual intention of offering. Leave well alone and step away from their letters.