Connells estate agents, part of the Skipton Building Society group, have announced their profits for 2011.

Their 486 High Street branches accumulated £35.8m.

Connells pride themselves on their healthy fee levels.

Wow.

eMoov have been quoted extensively in the national media today.

We’ve been asked for comment on the latest HM Land Registry house price figures which, when released yesterday morning, showed a 1.1% rise on the month.

Here are the links:

The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/feb/28/house-prices-rise-market-upswing?newsfeed=true

Mortgage Introducer:

http://www.mortgageintroducer.com/mortgages/242649/5/Industry_in_depth/House_prices_up_1pc.htm

myintroducer.com:

http://www.myintroducer.com/view.asp?ID=9275

Interactive Investor (at 1340):

http://www.iii.co.uk/articles/26657/markets-ftse-100-cautiously-optimistic

Mortgages.co.uk:

http://www.mortgages.co.uk/news/2012/Feb/house-prices-continue-to-defy-logic-as-they-rise-over-1pc.html

Money Saving Warehouse:

http://www.money-saving-warehouse.co.uk/index.php/2012/02/house-prices-rose-by-1-1-in-january/

February has so far proven to me our busiest yet for offers to purchase properties that are on the market with eMoov.co.uk

This month, so far, has seen a rise of 74% compared to January.

Much of this surge can be put down to the expected last minute rush to beat the stamp duty holiday deadline on 23rd March. To complete on a purchase as a first time buyer before then will save up to £2,500 in stamp duty land tax, a worthy saving.

But we sense more than that.

January was also a successful period for buyer activity here, up substantially on the same month in 2011. So the bar has raised already, so to speak. For February to be even more buoyant, by such a startling margin surely indicates that we may be seeing a return to market from those prospective buyers that have waited on the sidelines for some time.

Ever low mortgage rates and a higher number of mortgage products available including higher loan to value products are significant fuel for the property market.

But a recent absence of sensationalist doom mongering in the media also has a major part to play, we think. Indeed a lack of appetite by newspapers and broadcasters in talking property prices down, has no doubt allowed the would be purchaser some room for more optimistic thought especially as the ‘crash’ that so many property commentators have prophecised, simply hasn’t happened.

And if it has failed to materialise even under circumstances of bank failings, mortgage droughts and european economic disaster, then it’s unlikely to now.

Is the UK property market back? We’ll be sure to let you know.

…is actually not very much at all. Except for a couple of things.

High Street agents are all pretty similar. They advertise in the same, limited places, have offices in enclaves together and share the same antiquated opening hours.

They’ll all have similar ways of doing business. Just as always. And, all importantly, they have a common aim which is to try to charge home sellers the most that they possibly can although they won’t quote you a fee over the ‘phone, insisting on popping round to have a look at your house in order to evaluate its ’saleability’. This, friends, is the pitching opportunity of course.

So there’s a metaphoric fag paper between the good and the bad ones. Many will trumpet awards and ‘board presence’ as reason to use their services. ‘Established since 1784′ and a ‘network of national offices’ or similar accolades will also figure highly as strap lines on many an ad.

But in reality you may as well shut your eyes and stick a pin in a page torn from the yellow pages. Because they are all similar enough not to make any difference, in reality.

Their fees, although unjustifiable of course, will vary from the high to the ridiculous. And when gathering a few to ‘value’ your home you will end up simply choosing the person that you like the most. Agents know this of course, and are trained to compliment your wallpaper and your azaleas in order to get on your good side. The really sneaky ones will flatter you with over optimistic ‘valuation’ figures and then snare you with protracted contractual agreements, bamboozling you into the frustrations of the sole agency trap.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Low cost estate agents eMoov won’t put a foot in your door to sign your life away as part of any ‘lock in’. Fees are transparent and displayed rather proudly on our website. And as to what we do and where we advertise, again that could not be plainer or more transparent.

No small print. No bamboozling.

Sign up. Get listed on 300 different property websites. Save thousands.

So we were wrong. There IS a difference between estate agents. Some, at least.

We sell properties at fees that traditional agents wince at. We’ve become pretty good at it and the word is spreading.

Recently we’ve been asked to sell a growing number of shared ownership properties which, typically, have a sale price of 25% to 40% of full value. Recent successes include houses and flats in Milton Keynes, London and Cambridge.

High Street estate agents charge a percentage of the price that is achieved. So, on average, a £200,000 home costs £3200.00 in agency commission PLUS vat of £640. A total of £3840.00. Shocking in itself.

But these local agents don’t charge in the same way for shared ownership homes or indeed lower value properties in general. They have a ‘minimum fee’.

And having called a few ‘bricks and mortar’ type agents today we can reveal that some agents are really pushing the envelope with regard to the REAL percentage that they charge.

haart in Milton Keynes for instance charge a minimum £2200 (plus vat of £440.00). Even at a price level of just £45,000 as we discussed with them in our mystery shop call.

Like loan sharks hiding their APR from their prey, High Street agents are charging as much as 5% on these sales. Tellingly, the chap at haart explained with great enthusiasm as to how easy shared ownership properties are to sell. Get that! Easy and a whopping great bill in return.

You’ve been warned!