How quick can you get the board up…?

  • 11 years ago
  • 1

Yet again I feel privileged to know that I move in such exalted circles; surrounded by a cohort of individuals who as well as being experts in their respective fields of brain surgery, investment banking, refuse collection and the intricate workings of the current benefits system are also experts on the nuances of the local property market.  One of the continuing points of discussion is the use of a ‘For Sale’ board.  To many non-property ‘experts’, the issue of a board is a non-issue in that it is a no-brainer: somebody who is hoping to sell their property puts a board up to indicate that this is the location of the property that someone may have found when searching on the internet or indeed someone driving or walking past may have their interest aroused by the aforementioned board and subsequently views the property on Rightmove (other property portals are available). Simple? Yes? Most definitely, no.  The emotion generated by the decision to have a board, or not to have board is on occasions quite unbelievable and does make one ask whether an individual is really committed to selling their property.  Make no mistake, a board does not serve the same purpose as it did 20 years ago, before the advent of the internet and all associated technology.  To be brutally honest, board counting is the estate agents’ way of comparing the size of their genitalia, “I’ve got more boards than him….”, grownup, I know.  But they do serve a purpose as part of the arsenal of tools available to agents in the 21st century. When a vendor says that they don’t want a board put up because, “I don’t want the neighbours to know what I am doing”, I smile through gritted teeth; as we are currently getting half a million hits a month on Rightmove, I think that it would be reasonable to suggest that somebody is going to work out that it is for sale.  Added to this, when an estate agent – who is doing their job properly and working for the vendor – starts turning up to show groups of people around the property, I think that the most naïve neighbour may be able to work out that something is going on.  On the other hand, people need to be aware that putting the board up needs to coincide with listing the property on Rightmove, as more people will search on the internet than will drive past the property. A board alone will not bring hoards of people to the door requesting a viewing. I recently had to explain to a vendor – who had rung every day of the first four days of marketing demanding to know where his board was – that the viewings already generated in that short period were as a result of people searching on the internet.  This had added piquancy when I politely pointed out that he lived at the end of a long lane where passing traffic was an elderly gentleman walking his dog, 2 lads bunking off double detention, assorted wildlife and Kylie Anne-Marie and Dwayne from the accounts department of a local engineering company who were looking for somewhere to park their car…. My point is that to achieve the best possible result, i.e. the sale of their property, quickly and at a decent price, it is advisable for vendors to listen to their chosen agent and be prepared to use all the marketing tools that are available.

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