Do you think there really is a downward pressure on fees, or are estate agents unnecessarily getting into a perceived race to the bottom?

Just because some estate agents are finding ways to earn less and less, is that the only thing - or even the main thing - that homeowners care about? Or do they buy into high-quality marketing, exceptional customer care, expert guidance and even your branding?

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I was talking about fees with a potential client this week and his view on agents who say they lost an instruction on fees was: "It's not the fee, its you."

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We both hold the view that most homeowners are driven far more by the feeling they get from an agent than by how cheap they are.

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From the relationship you create when booking a valuation, to the way you behave in someone's home, to the proposition of your agency and whether you offer the best chance of a successful move - those are the factors that win the business. It's only when those are in doubt that fees become an issue.

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So in this episode, Jayne & I chat about all the things we did as agents to demonstrate that we were the very best bet (and that sellers were happy to pay 50% more for), and all the things you can do as well.

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More than that: you'll see that you don't need to play the same game as the cheapest agents in town, even if it feels like you do.