The property market has undergone something of a revolution in recent years. Not only have some of the larger chains grown, but the traditional small High Street agent has been facing additional competition from online-only outfits.

Maunder Taylor are independent estate agents who operate in Potters Bar, Totteridge, Whetstone and the surrounding area. Here we look at a few of the advantages which are still offered by traditional estate agents – including ourselves.

Their Local Knowledge

Independent estate agents usually have a much better knowledge of the local property market than a big chain. They have good contacts in the local market so will usually hear about developments which are in the pipeline, and homes which are likely to come onto the market, before their rivals.

Local agents will also know more about the area’s services and amenities – which schools are rated highly by Ofsted, how often the trains and buses run and how many patients the nearest GP surgery has. They will also know about any local regulations and by-laws which could play a part in your decision to buy (or sell). In short, they will be able to tell you much more about the whole neighbourhood, and not just one particular house.

The Personal Touch

Independent estate agents pride themselves on their quality of service as reputation matters to them. The focus will be entirely on selling the clients home, or on finding the one which meets their needs. They take the time to get to know their clients and can usually devote more time to ensuring the sale or purchase goes through.

Bigger chains are much more likely to use automated or online services; although these can save time, they don’t offer much for the agent-customer relationship.

They are More Flexible

National chains tend to have fixed processes and procedures which they have to follow for all their customers. Some of the agents may also have specific sales targets to meet, which won’t necessarily end up with clients getting the right price for their house (or the right house).

While independent agents will still have their own way of doing things, they can usually make decisions far more speedily and flexibly – which usually benefits the customer. They can also be more flexible on the crucial matter of commission (the percentage of the purchase price, or fee, that they actually charge.)

The Financial Side

An independent estate agent won’t effectively be subsidised by a wider chain of offices (or sometimes another part of the same company) as they stand or fall by their own efforts. So, if they don’t sell the property, they don’t get paid. This is the best possible incentive for them to ensure the sale goes through.

Online agents may charge you a lower fee, often upfront, than a small high street agent, but if the house doesn’t sell then customers would have spent that money for nothing. As they have a much greater incentive to ensure any deal goes through, independent local agents are more likely to sell clients home in the first place.

Keyword Estate Agents Maunder Taylor

Maunder Taylor is a family-owned, independent estate agents who sell properties in Potters Bar, Barnet, Finchley, Borehamwood and other areas of Hertfordshire and North London. Established in 1938, the firm is now in the third generation of the family and we pride ourselves on our local knowledge and our quality of service.

The firm also has expertise in other aspects of the home-buying and selling process. For instance, we have also acted as house valuation surveyors for many clients – call our Whetstone office on 020 8446 0011 if you would like to know more, or just follow this link and fill in the online form.