Bear Estate Agents Reviews

My partner and I are first time buyers, and we’re excited about putting an offer in for a house we really liked. We went through all the correct procedures on our own before looking for properties. Have our mortgage advisor, mortgage in principle (with certificates) and solicitors already selected for when we find a house we liked. When I went to put in the offer we were told that bear could not put the offer forward to the vendors because we needed to go through their mortgage brokers. I stated that I could send them the certificates and the number to my mortgage advisor however they refused to put the offer forward unless we had gone through their steps. I found the person I spoke to quietly pushy and he never seemed to listen or even acknowledge what I was saying to him. At the same time he never explained why we needed to do this. I dont believe it was right of him without instruction from the vendor to reject our offer for them. He never stated that he had any instruction from them and that he would just ‘assume’ that they would. As first time buyers and a couple who is actively seeking to a property, this has made me feel very uncomfortable and almost put off with dealing this estate agent.

I made an offer on one of their properties but am not allowed to proceed without speaking to one of their mortgage team. I offered proof of my mortgage in principle but this was declined. Really disappointed with my experience. It feels like another money making scheme to get something out of buyers as well as sellers.

This is about Bear, Leigh on Sea. It all started fine but very quickly we found the 2 viewings we were sent in 2 months were obviously looking for something different. They convinced us to drop the price. We decided quickly after to remove it from the market. All of a sudden, there was a viewing! (Probably a family member or friend to keep us). We declined and repeated that we wanted to be removed from their books. Apparently we had signed a contract and that would take 28 days. We told them we had never signed a contract (No contract was ever signed) and 8 days later I had to threaten legal action to get the property taken down. We were removed from listings within 10 minutes. I am glad we didn't see it through with them. They came across as cowboy, cavalier, uncommunicative and uncaring. Worst experience with an estate agent ever. Avoid at all costs!

If ever I had a problem I could totally rely on Zoe to give me information and answer any questions I had,i sold my house through Balgores estate agents,they were good but not a patch on Zoe at hockley.It took us a year to move and in all that time Zoe never let me down.

Be careful using Bear estate agentcy. They sold my property twice but neither ended in exchange of contracts. The first buyer felt rushed so pulled out after 4 weeks (stamp duty increase). The second buyer failed to get a mortgage after 10 weeks. The communication with the progress chaser Megan during this time was non existent. I asked for a progress update and she did not answer for over a week. Even then she only answered after I sent an email to another Bear agentcy and put a message on Facebook. Bear failed to check if the buyer could afford and get a mortgage. They also failed to inform me after the first mortgage application was rejected. My contract with Bear expired on the 24th April 2025 but they have informed me if I go with another agency and it sells within 28 days then they will still want the agency fees even though I never signed a contract and they stopped marketing on the 23rd of March 2025. This is the behaviour of a very very unprofessional estate agency trying to make a profit even if they fail at doing the job.

Everyone in the Bear team was great, but specific mention to Helen and Sydney from sales progression, who professionally and consistently supported this sale to completion. I am very grateful to everyone.

I have been responsible for selling an house in Hockley, which is 200 miles from where I live in Yorkshire. I thought it was going to be a very difficult experience but the Team in Hockley made everything so easy. They are in my opinion a very dedicated and professional bunch, especially Zoe who was a delight to deal with. I would definitely recommend Bear Estate Agents.

Sellers used this agency for house sale. After moving in, found a few things that we want to ask the previous owners hence we contacted the agent who assisted us. Trying to contact Joe but to no avail. So emailed Sean the questions and chasing them for a few weeks for answers. They don't even give you a reply and they will just left you hanging. I have used a few agents due for house sale but this is the first time I encounter this type of customer service. I guess once they received the payment they don't care anymore. The money is being payed/sent they care less about the aftercare for the customer. Bad customer service.

An excellent service from Bear Estates in what was a very long drawn out sale, due to incompetent buyers solicitors. Probably the best company i have used. Also very good value

Just towards the end of last year, I was casually browsing properties, thinking I would probably buy something in a couple of years. Fast forward a few months I am now the happy owner of a home! A huge thank you to Helen Wilson in the Sales Progression Process. Helen was amazing - so patient with all my (many!) questions and always taking the time to explain things clearly. She helped me think through and ask the questions I didn’t even know I needed to ask at the time. Having Helen’s support felt like holding hands through one of the most nerve-wracking, emotional rollercoaster experiences of my life. Her kindness, advice, and reassurance made all the difference. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to help me through this journey. Thank you so much for your support and care. I’m beyond grateful and will recommend Bear Estate Agents to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!

I used Bear as the perfect house for our family was using them too so wanted to make the experience easier. George, Sydney and the fabulous Helen made this sell so easy. Bear has strong Communication skills and keep you up updated the whole time. Helen was a rock towards the end working very hard to get it all together. I would recommend Bear to anyone.

Bear Estate Agents have kept me informed all the way through from initial viewing to completion. They were good at arranging viewing with prospective purchasers and gave swift feedback to me. I have no hesitation in recommending them for your house sale.

Bear estates were friendly, extremely helpful, attentive and supportive throughout, and I'm delighted to award them five stars for their help with my recent purchase. Thank you so much.

From the moment Ellis came around I knew I had chosen the right Estate Agents. My property was up and sold within 9 days and I had an offer accepted on another of Bears properties. Zoe took over and was on top of everything from the very beginning up until I received my keys. I was never left in the lurch and was regularly updated along the way. I was really impressed with the professionalism I received, a real please to work with. I would highly recommend if you’re thinking of selling or buying a new property. It was a pleasure. Thanks, Ben

A pleasant experience I had with this agency, which know their work very well. Thank you very much for your support.

Leigh branch is shockingly bad. We have had consistent issues with Megan at the Leigh branch who was supposedly progressing the sale. To this date we have had no more than 5 emails from her updating the chain since 1 October 2024. When called she ignores other estate agents in the chain, she's rude, unhelpful and deceitful. She willingly withheld information from the chain which related to the Land Registry, when caught out she blamed other estste agents in the chain for not asking her if there were any issues, and even her own clients came under fire! She seems to have missed the point of her role to feed information up to the next estate agent who in turn does the same. Since then she will only look at the file and make one email follow up once per week. This has resulted in long delays and total confusion over the start of the chain on which she is supposedly managing. 5 properties in a chain we need to all be working together, everyone bar the first time buyer (Megan's client) have been ready to exchange since February. She has done nothing to help anyone along and will not answer the phone or return calls. She is worryingly listed as office manager, with her leading the ship it's no wonder most of the 1 star reviews relate to her office. Stamp duty deadline has caused chaos for lots of people but it's no excuse for her abandoning the chain. Any one can sell your house on rightmove but sales progssion is where you need to focus when picking an estate agent and I would avoid Bear Leigh like the plague.

Bear sold my housexwithin a week of going on the market. Leigh-Anne was outstanding sorting any issues that arose during the process. I can't praise the staff at Bear highly enough.

The team was fantastic during the whole process of selling our Hockley property and definitely recommend them !!!

This was a very streamlined service. From recommending a range of solicitors, to keeping me updated after viewings, and supporting me through the various stages of selling, the agents were always friendly and efficient. I would be happy to recommend them.

We just purchased our first home through Bear Estate agents Basildon and couldn't be more happier with service we received. Leigh-Anne was exceptional! Their communication was outstanding, always keeping us updated throughout the process. They arranged numerous viewings. Their market knowledge was invaluable, and they secured a great offer within a very short timeframe. We highly recommend Bear to anyone looking for a professional and reliable estate agent.