Full Service VS Online Only Estate Agents

26th March 2018

When thinking about moving house, 98% of us turn to online property portals such as Rightmove and onthemarket.com. How we buy and sell homes is changing, with a new breed of ‘online only estate agents’. But what does this option actually entail, and what benefit do they offer? 


Online only estate agents

Online only estate agents claim to lower overheads to sell your home for less. Most charge a fixed fee, and will list your property on the main online portals. It might sound positive but there are some serious issues to consider.

The online only agent’s fixed fee will have to be paid - whether you sell the property or not. And in many cases, upfront. So if they don’t sell the property, you’ll be left out of pocket.

Some simply offer to list your property, others will organise viewings. If you don’t check what you actually get, you might end up paying more for the services you want. For example, you might have to organise viewings yourself. Are you comfortable showing strangers around your home? 

Online only estate agents don’t have a database of clients - so they can only be reactive. They will simply wait for enquiries to come in, because they aren’t actively searching. Full service estate agents are proactively looking to find you a buyer - as well as negotiating with the buyer directly. Unless you pay extra for the service, with online only estate agents you’ll have to do the negotiations.


Full Service Estate Agents

Full Service Estate Agents still have online services, but they also offer a lot more. From branches on the high street that you can visit to phone calls and emails, Full Service offers it all - with an online presence still very much a main component.

Trust and peace of mind are invaluable. Experienced Full Service Estate Agents offer professional guidance and support throughout the process. They also are on-hand to chase and negotiate on your behalf. Plus, they’re already proactively marketing to buyers in your area. They’ll have much better knowledge of the local market.

If you think a Full Service Estate Agent is the way for you, explore how Maslen Estate Agents can help. With one of the highest completion rates in Brighton & Hove, we’re dedicated to finding the right home for you.

Testimonials

  • I wish we had used you to sell our property! Nice to meet honest people, who are genuinely interested in helping. Very pleased.

    Mrs Porter Brighton

  • You were amazingly helpful throughout - a real pillar of strength with a very difficult sale.

    Mrs Parkin Brighton

  • Thank you Maslens, you were all excellent!

    Miss Jasper Brighton

  • Very thorough & very informative.

    Mr Michnowicz Brighton

  • Best Estate Agents ever experienced - professional, approachable, competent and exemplary. 

    Mr & Mrs Guest Brighton

  • Paul was absolutely brilliant. 

    Mrs Tasker Brighton

  • Good team. Straightforward. No nonsense.

    Mr Standing Brighton

  • Sold within 2 weeks for asking price "excellent!"

    Mr Grundy Hove

  • Maslen's were amazing estate agents. Through,...

    Sarah Goodfellow Brighton

  • In my situation, moving the sale of my home to Maslen Estate Agents really was a case of third time lucky!

    Lise Henderson Hove

  • Very impressed with the efficient and friendly service, the staff were a pleasure to deal with. 

    Mr & Mrs Gill Brighton

  • Very helpful and patient team.

    Mrs Shea Brighton

  • An efficient, professional and friendly service. Helpful and a pleasure to do business with.

    Mr Beddington Brighton

  • Thanks for all your help and assistance. Very friendly and professional service.

    Lisa Downary Brighton

  • A very committed team who made the sale process very easy.

    Ms Rees Brighton

  • Please thank Paul at Lewes Road - Excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Nuthall Brighton

  • Really pleased with the service and will definitely recommend to others.

    Ruth Kendall Brighton

  • Thank you for your service, I would (and have) recommended you to my friends.

    Liz Dean Brighton

  • We were delighted with the service received from all the staff with whom we had contact,

    Dr Crichton Brighton

  • From first valuation to completion day the Mas...

    Sam Brighton

  • Thank you for everything!

    Ms Tucker Brighton

  • It was an amazing experience, everyone involved were fantastic. 

    Mr & Mrs Knight Brighton

  • Very pleased with the excellent service throughout. Professional, friendly, efficient and no hard sell. Achieved above asking price. Thank you!

    Mr Witten Brighton

  • Excellent service as always

    Mr Field Brighton

  • Estate agents generally have bad reputations b...

    Dan Harris Brighton

  • All staff extremely helpful and polite. They made our move very smooth and less stressful.

    Mr & Mrs Gosling Woodingdean

  • Compared to your rivals, your service was excellent

    Ms McGrigor Brighton

  • The best estate agents we have ever used. Friendly, efficient and above all truthful! You are in danger of giving estate agents a good name!

    Jacquie Ellis-Jones Shoreham

  • Maslen's were extremely helpful and profession...

    Bridget Allen Brighton

  • These guys are the real deal, highly experienced, no nonsense, honest and by far and away the most reliable we have encountered. 

    Sarah Studd Hove

  • Thank you to all the team at Maslen, especiall...

    Gabrielle Gardner Brighton

  • The team worked very hard over a long period to ensure my sale went through - excellent service!

    Mr Patrick Brighton

  • Very happy with the service we got from you guys, everyone we dealt with was extremely friendly, professional and helpful. Thanks!

    Mr Brown Brighton

  • A really good experience.

    Mr Tibble Brighton

  • All the staff were professional, cheerful and supportive throughout the long process.

    Mr R Turner Shoreham

  • Very comprehensive and professional. Nice people to work with and highly recommended. 

    Mr Alderton Brighton

  • Several leagues above any other estate agent I have had contact with. Kept fully informed every step of the way.

    Paul Cade Haywards Heath

  • Service exceeded my expectations overall at all stages of the process - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you. Thanks. 

    Ms Greene Brighton

  • Your advice, support and understanding whilst dealing with the property were invaluable, making everything so easy.

    Janine Suttner Brighton

  • Great service, always polite and friendly. Excellent contact and info all the way.

    Mr Wells Hove

  • Very pleased with the experience. I would definitely recommend you and use you again.

    Ms D Edmonds Brighton

  • Maslen made the selling of my flat as easy as...

    Victoria Bradley-Barnard Brighton

  • Maslen's were very good at keeping in touch an...

    Penny Ashby Brighton

  • Had a great experience with the purchase of ou...

    jennifer Willson Brighton

  • I found the service to be courteous, friendly and efficient.

    Mr Upton Brighton

  • Very professional and friendly. The only estate agents I would trust and recommend.

    Jean Hurley Brighton

  • This was the best experience I’ve ever had of estate agents. Professional, calm and understanding.

    Elinor James Hove

  • The whole team were very committed from start to finish.

    Mr Pilgrim Brighton

  • Very polite, good communication, excellent service.

    Alicia Van der Sluis Surrey

  • Everyone at Maslen's were amazing, from Sam's...

    William Slingsby Brighton

  • Already recommended you! Thank you.

    Mr Edwards Brighton

  • Excellent Service from start to finish.

    Mr T Mole Hove

  • All very professional, kept updated throughout. Very pleased - Would recommend. 

    Mrs Hammond Brighton

  • Superb service as usual, I would always recommend you.

    Ms S Hike Brighton

  • Fantastic service. By far the best agents we have ever used, I cannot recommend you highly enough.

    Mr Field Brighton

  • Excellent customer service throughout. I will definitely recommend you, and use you again. Thank you.

    Ms Longley Brighton

  • As always, an excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Field Brighton

  • The sale was dealt with swiftly, professionally and successfully. Thank you Maslen!

    Mrs Lincoln Brighton

  • The staff were very helpful, an excellent service. I would recommend you to others.

    Miss Hockly Brighton

  • First class service. Friendly and professional.

    Mr Thorne Brighton

  • All agents at Maslen were extremely helpful and polite from the beginning to the completion of sale. 

    Mr Johnson Brighton

  • Excellent communication and advice throughout. It felt very reassuring to be in good hands.

    Mrs Brooker Brighton

  • Quality advice about when and how to sell, which was spot on. Thank you.

    Miss Coleman Brighton

  • A completely painless experience from start to finish. Thank you.

    Mr Woolven & Mrs Bessant-Woolven Brighton

  • You are the best estate agent I have ever dealt with and we will be recommending you to anyone moving!

    Hazel Young Hove

  • Thanks for an excellent service. 

    Mr King Brighton

  • Delighted with the service provided. Very professional and skilful.

    Nicky Conlan Hove

  • Very, very happy we chose you, felt right from the start! Thank you!

    Miss Blackadder Hove

  • The team provided the best service I have ever received from an estate agent. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

    Nicki Myers Woodingdean

  • I have bought and sold 7 properties, and this was the best experience of an estate agents services I have found.

    Mrs Shepherd Brighton

  • From start to finish the sale was dealt with in a thoroughly professional manner.  

    Mr Gibbs Brighton

  • I was new to the area and viewed a lot of properties with a lot of different agents. Maslens were by far the best I came in contact with, so when i...

    Mr & Mrs Heer Brighton

  • Best Agents in Brighton.

    Mrs Field Brighton

  • Thank you. We found all the staff knowledgeable and really pleasant to deal with. 

    Ms Ansloos Brighton

  • It was a long, drawn out process that the people at Maslen helped me through, without the impression that it was a chore. So extremely professional...

    Mr McLagan Brighton

  • Donna was our vendors sales progressor. We cou...

    Allan Da Silva Brighton

  • First class service from a first class team.

    Mr & Mrs English Brighton

  • In what could have been a very stressful situation it has been a pleasure dealing with you and I can’t speak highly enough of the service provided.

    Gill Frost Hove

  • I found everyone helpful, positive and courteous.

    Jean Wooldridge Evesham

  • Donna was such a friendly and helpful support...

    Victoria Lander Brighton

  • Paul Wilkinson was extremely helpful and efficient. The only problem was the vendors solicitor and Paul warned me of this. A good transaction all r...

    Mr Lavender Brighton

  • I would recommend Maslen to anyone. 

    Mrs Tripp Brighton

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