Local Estate Agent

The local estate agent has been a cornerstone of the UK's estate agency industry for many years. But this model is increasingly being challenged by a new type of estate agency. Online estate agents such as BrightSale have dispensed with the traditional, and very costly, branch network and instead offer a lower fee service run from centrally located call centres. By cutting out the expensive high street branch network online estate agents are able to reduce estate agency fees by as much as three-quarters, saving the average vendor many thousands of pounds.

Online estate agents offer most of the services of the traditional local estate agent. The fully-trained negotiators assist in valuation of the property, they vet potential viewers and arrange viewings. Once an offer has been made on a property, the online agent will manage the completion chain. They will even help with arranging mortgages, insurance or a Home Information Pack (HIP).

The online estate agency model is poised for significant growth because it combines the best of the traditional model with an increased understand of the power of the internet. The internet's capacity to assist in the property sales process is only just now being realized. Online estate agents are in the vanguard of this movement.