Not only has there has been an emergence of online estate agents in recent years, but a few have already left the industry. This might be a concern if you're thinking of selling your property. It's a tough choice to choose between the more expensive traditional estate agent method, and trying your luck with a much better value alternative of an online estate agent. But the savings are astronomical.
If you're flirting with the idea of using an online agent, but feel like you might not be 100% up for the challenge, the solution is Strike.
Strike have mastered the perfect balance of 'Do it yourself' with outstanding hand holding safety, love, and support, and even though online agents get bad coverage of late, there are hidden tactics with Strike. Strike's business model adds no ulterior motive and only aims to help you get the best value sale, alongside the best price for your property.
Strike is not an agency that books your listing and immediately leaves you to drown. Despite it being a DIY service, consider it more as a sales mentorship, giving you all the resources you need to flourish - even without any experience.
With Strike, the opportunity to now sell your property and save a fortune in fees is here. I've used Strike, received a service above my expectations and now I recommended them to my friends, family, and you.
Strike (formerly Housesimple) is now an established and successful disruptor to the estate agent industry. Mainly acting as an Online Estate Agent, Strike Estate Agens formed in 2007 and have since sold over £2.5 Billion's worth of property in the UK. In June 2023, Strike acquired competitor online agency Purplebricks to help them become the largest online estate agent in the market. Strike have exciting plans for the brand and have finished rolling out nationally.
Strike pride itself on its values. Those are:
Packages that include photos, floorplans, for sale board, local expert valuation, offer & sales negotiation.
96% of Sale Price Achieved
There are two things that really stand out about Strike. The first is its business model, giving them an upper hand over traditional estate agents, and the second is their ability to handhold and assure you through the journey,
The most obvious reason why you may be considering using Strike is of course for the business model. The callout point about the model is that it allows you to agree your fixed sale fees up-front. That means no more % of sale price fees that traditional estate agents charge. It's fully transparent, you know what services you book, and that's all you pay.
And this model will save you thousands. As a quick comparison, if you sell a London property for £350,000, you can expect to pay between 3-3.5% with an estate agent. That's £12,000. With Strike, that sale could cost you £900.
I've been referring to their outstanding service as hand holding, because that is how best I can describe it. Throughout the process, I never once felt like their customer. They never fed me any sales nonsense. They treated me as a partner in the business of selling my property. They reinforced this with their ongoing communication, assuring me that everything was under control, I was in the driving seat and, it felt safe.
I believe so, for numerous reasons, but the main differential is that the modern experience with a traditional estate agent is not quite what it used to be.
Years gone, in previous tough markets, you appointed an agent to really 'sell' the property for you, because online channels didn't exist. This limited you to the high-street window and a few emerging online channels. But, you also didn't really have any other choice. It was a case of 'use a traditional agent or don't sell'.
Nowadays, online channels are the main driver of sales for traditional estate agents, and it requires 10% of the effort that used to go into selling your property.
In a booming property market, estate agents have become transaction managers. They simply list your property online and answer the phone. The experienced agents have retired and traditional estate agencies are left with staff who only have the interest of agreeing a sale, at any price. And, you can't really blame them because that is how the model is setup, there is no incentive to achieve a high price for you. This encourages the behaviour of high volume, quick sales. It means from the offset, a traditional estate agent will be managing your expectations and trying to knock your price down. If you do agree a listing with one, give it a couple of weeks and they'll be asking to knock 10% off.
With Strike, they do not have this interest, they're a tech company with the interest of delivering on their customer service levels. Even though you pay upfront, the ongoing support is what you really pay for and it puts you in control with full transparency.
You'll start by booking an online valuation of your property. It's a virtual valuation held over Zoom or Whatsapp. Don't worry, it's easy. Your agent will talk you through as you go. This is also a good experience for you when you start to host your own viewings. From then you'll get your valuation and an email confirming any agreed actions and the packages available to you.
The packages vary from a free listing service to £1500 package including hostings and photography. You should decide what package is best for you based on whether you feel you have time available to host viewings and even the skills to do it. But, if you want to save money, don't feel like you are incapable of hosting as your agent will be available at any time to help you.
In 24 hours, your property could be online. You're given access to the Strike portal, where you manage all the buyers feedback and offers. Your negotiator will ensure you get the best possible offer and then Strike manage the rest. This includes dealing with other agents and solicitors.
One of Strike's recent selling points is its free basic service, which allows homeowners to list their property without incurring any agent fees, completely free. So, what exactly does this free service entail? When you choose Strike, you can expect the following:
Strike enables you to list your property on popular online portals such as Zoopla for free, maximising its visibility to potential buyers.
Strike allows you to build a personalised package that suits your specific needs. This flexibility ensures that you only pay for the services you require.
Despite being a free service, Strike offers assistance in negotiating offers and progressing your sale. This added support ensures that you have guidance throughout the selling process.
While these features form the core of Strike's free service, it's important to note that certain enhancements and additional services come at a cost.
Yes, Strike made the point to me that the best person to 'Sell' my property is me. That's because no one knows it better. You know the best bits, the up-and-coming local areas, what you loved about the property, and also any opportunities to add value. However, they also advised that during viewings it's best to allow your visitors to wander around, you step aside, and let them come with any questions they have at the end. That takes the pressure off of you (if you are feeling it).
This sort of advice I received is part of the hand holding service I was explaining earlier.
Yes, Strike is a good option for selling houses. They offer a unique business model with transparent fixed sale fees upfront, saving you thousands compared to traditional estate agents. Strike provides outstanding support and hand holding throughout the selling process, treating you as a partner and ensuring your experience feels safe and controlled. They have a strong track record, having sold over £2.5 billion worth of property in the UK. With Strike, you can expect cost savings, customisable packages, and negotiation support. Consider using Strike if you believe in the marketing capability of the internet and want to maximise your savings while selling your property.
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Free service
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Up-front cost
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Deciding whether Strike is right for you really boils down to whether you believe in the marketing capability of the internet. When you consider the features on offer between Strike and traditional estate agents, even if you opt for the full Strike package, you could still find yourself saving a lot of money. The risk of using Strike is that you must pay up-front to get started and there's always a chance that you won't sell your property. Recent sunny avenue data found that 72% of homemovers would consider using an online estate agent to benefit from the cost savings. You are not alone with this forward-thinking cost-saving action of using Strike.
Stuart is an expert in Property, Money, Banking & Finance, having worked in retail and investment banking for 10+ years before founding Sunny Avenue. Stuart has spent his career studying finance. He holds qualifications in financial studies, mortgage advice & practice, banking operations, dealing & financial markets, derivatives, securities & investments.
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