The Key Advantages of Using an Independent Estate Agent

The estate agent market is changing, with online-only businesses threatening the larger chains. However, nothing beats a independent local estate agent with a physical presence in the community they serve. Here Anthony Pepe, estate agents in Enfield, Highbury, Crouch End and across North London, explain why it’s best to go with an independent local agent.

They Know the Area

Local estate agents typically have a much better knowledge of the local property market compared to a big chain. Indeed, they often don’t just live in the area they serve, but in some cases were born and brought up there too.

Take Ari Theodorou, who works in our Enfield office, for example. Ari was not only born in Enfield but also grew up here. This deep, personal connection means he understands the area inside and out - not just as a professional, but as someone who's lived and breathed its changes, watched its communities grow, and experienced daily life here for years.

This means local agents like Ari know everything you need to (or could ever ask) about the area’s services and amenities – which schools are rated highly by Ofsted, how often the trains and buses run (and where to), all the way down to how many free spots the nearest GP surgery has.

Local agents also mean good local contacts, so they will usually hear about any housing developments which are in the pipeline, and which homes are likely to come onto the market before their bigger rivals do.

They also know about any local regulations and by-laws which could play a part in your decision to buy (or sell, or to rent out). In short, they will be able to tell you much about the whole neighbourhood, not just one house.

In contrast, many larger chains and online-only operations may have a lot of houses on their books, but there may not be many, if any, in your local area. This also means they may not have much of a track record of selling there either. Equally, their agents won’t necessarily have a detailed, daily personal knowledge of the property market in your neighbourhood.

They Offer the Personal Touch

One of the bigger shifts in estate agent trends has been the move towards online operations. Whereas in the past homes went on the market via local newspaper advertisements, these days nine out of every 10 people start their search online, often via major websites like Rightmove and Zoopla.

In recent years, this trend has continued into the growth of online-only agents, who typically operate remotely – that is, without a High Street office – via a fixed-fee structure with optional add-ons.

While this approach can cut down the costs for sellers, it does deprive movers of the personal touch – someone who they can meet with face to face to discuss any aspect of their move. As a result, the Government’s own figures show that more than eight out of 10 buyers still prefer purchasing their property from a traditional estate agency.

Independent agents like Anthony Pepe can also take the time to get to know you and can usually devote more effort into ensuring the sale or purchase of your home goes through smoothly. Larger chains are much more likely to use automated or online services. Although these can save time in the short term, they don’t do much for the agent-customer relationship.

At Anthony Pepe, we pride ourselves on our high levels of customer service, and we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to improve our services to all our customers.

"Super pleased with our decision to go with Anthony Pepe, they made selling our flat super easy. Kozan was our go-to man from the beginning, and was honest, forthcoming and very efficient from start to end. His knowledge of the area and general expertise of the market was unmatched, and he helped us push through our sale in just under 2 months. I would definitely recommend Kozan and the rest of the Anthony Pepe team to friends and family. Thank you very much for all your hard work!" - Christiana Panayiotou, Enfield

They Save You Time

If you opt for an online-only agent, then – unless you pay for the extra services – you may well find yourself handling more elements of the sale yourself. For instance, you may have to arrange all the viewings yourself, which can be stressful and time-consuming and may not be what you want.

And online-only operators charge you a fixed fee, whether they sell your home or not. Traditional estate agents’ fees come out of the commission from the sale, so they have more incentive to make sure a deal goes through.

They Can Make Decisions Quickly

National chains tend to have fixed procedures. Some of their agents may have specific sales targets to meet, which can impact you getting the right price for your property (or the right property in the first place).

While independent agents will still have their own way of doing things, they can usually make decisions far more speedily – which usually benefits the customer.

Crucially, they don’t usually have to ring up head office (which may be several miles away) to get a decision about something, as they typically have far more autonomy than staff in bigger chains.

Anthony Pepe – Estate Agents in Enfield and Across North London

Anthony Pepe’s first office was opened in 1987 in Palmers Green. Over the next 25 years, our business expanded, with further offices opened in Harringay, Highbury, Crouch End, Enfield, and a new head office in Cockfosters. All our office contact details can be found here.

And we don’t just buy and sell houses - we are also one of the leading lettings agents in North London, covering Winchmore Hill, Haringey and the surrounding area. We offer a number of landlord and property management services if you are looking to buy property as an investment.