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New Year, New Estate Agent: Is It Time to Switch?
December, 2024

New Year, New Estate Agent: Is It Time to Switch?

The start of a new year often inspires fresh resolutions! If you’re a homeowner who is struggling to sell your property, it might be the perfect time to re-evaluate your choice of estate agent in Purley, Croydon and Surrey.

Has your property been on the market for longer than expected?

Do you feel your current agent isn’t providing the service you deserve?

Then switching estate agents will be the key to unlocking a sale.

At Shinerocks Estate Agents, we’ve been helping homeowners successfully sell their properties since 1995. With unrivalled local expertise and a truly innovative approach, our passionate team is committed to making your property stand out in the market.

Many estate agents can be likened to antique dealers - keen on collecting and holding onto stock. At Shinerocks we take a different approach: we sell. We’re not hoarders or collectors, and we believe you shouldn’t get caught in that cycle either. A laid-back attitude leads nowhere!

So, let’s explore when you should consider switching agents, how a new strategy can revitalise your sale, and what makes Shinerocks Estate Agents the ideal partner for you and your property.

First, let’s look at why properties fail to sell.

Why is my home not selling?

Properties usually fail to sell due to several key issues:

The Agent: The most common (and unforgivable) issue! Weak communication from your estate agent can leave you in the dark about your property’s performance, reducing the chances of necessary and timely adjustments to the marketing strategy.

The Price: Estate agents without local expertise and experience may overvalue your property, leading to missed opportunities. Overpricing is another common reason, as it can deter serious buyers and reduce your property’s competitiveness in the market.

The Marketing: Poor marketing is a frequent issue. This includes low-quality or out-dated photos, uninspired descriptions, and insufficient online exposure, which can prevent your property from enjoying the visibility it deserves.

Understanding why your property isn’t selling is the first step towards making the changes necessary to achieve a successful sale. And one of those changes could be to consider switching estate agents!

A word of caution: be careful not to leap from the frying pan into the fire. Choosing the wrong agent the first time is unfortunate, but repeating the mistake on your second attempt can have far more serious consequences.

What are the signs it’s time to switch estate agents?

Deciding whether to switch estate agents can be a tough decision, especially when emotions and high expectations are involved. However, certain signs indicate that your current agent might not be doing everything possible to sell your property.

Here are some clear indicators that it’s time to make a change:

Few or No Viewings: A lack of viewings is one of the first red flags. If your property isn’t attracting potential buyers, it’s a sign that the current marketing strategy isn’t working.

Lack of Offers: If you’re not receiving offers - or only low ones - it may be time to reassess.

Poor Communication: A good agent keeps you informed about progress, provides feedback from viewings, updates on market conditions, and suggests adjustments to the marketing strategy. If you’re left in the dark, it might be time to look elsewhere.

Stale Marketing: This is a very common problem. As time passes, a property listing will nearly always lose its impact, particularly if it appears outdated or doesn’t effectively highlight your home’s best features. Even more problematic are photos that feel out of place, like a Christmas tree in summer or leafy trees in the depths of winter. Details like these, matter!

If any of these issues resonate, it’s likely that your property isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Switching to an estate agent with fresh ideas and a proactive approach could be the solution you need to revitalise your sale.

How will a fresh start with Shinerocks help sell my home?

 

Switching estate agents provides the opportunity to refresh your property’s marketing and presentation! But switching to Shinerocks Estate Agents, also ensures a proactive approach.

Since 1995, Shinerocks Estate Agents has been a trusted name in Purley and the surrounding areas. We combine three decades of local knowledge with extensive local expertise and proven marketing techniques to achieve exceptional results for our clients.

We start by reassessing your property’s value with a personalised and realistic valuation. Unlike generic online tools and agents generally overvaluing, particularly in the New Year, our valuations are highly accurate due to our decades of experience and in-depth local knowledge. We have a track record of selling houses for higher than the asking price, and this is because we give accurate and realistic valuations from the outset. In fact, Shinerocks rarely reduces a recommended asking price.

Curious? You can generate a full report on your own property including an instant estimated valuation here.

*These valuations are generated using an algorithm and are for general guidance only.

Next, we create a tailored marketing plan to give your property maximum exposure. This includes professional photography, bespoke colour brochures, and listings on leading platforms like Rightmove and On The Market, as well as on our website, social media and in our exclusive magazine. We are also exclusive members of The Guild of Professional Estate Agents in Purley & Kenley.

Shinerocks is a straight-talking estate agency - and we bring results! With our local expertise and national reach, we ensure your property is seen by the right buyers.

Unlike other agents, we also offer free staging advice to help you prepare your home for viewings and photos. From rearranging furniture to adding finishing touches, these small changes can make a huge impact. A Professional Interior design consultation is also available at an initial cost of between £75 to £150.

Communication is our forte! From organising viewings to managing negotiations and progressing your sale, we handle every aspect to make the process stress-free for you.

The best estate agent for you is one who handles everything seamlessly - and that’s exactly what we deliver. All our services are provided for a reasonable fee, so that you can focus on what truly matters instead of fixating on half a percent!

Tips for a Successful Relaunch

Our experience tells us that a successful property relaunch requires attention to detail and strategic planning. We’ll work with you on this and offer practical tips:

1. Update Your Presentation: Freshen up your property’s appearance by decluttering, repainting, or updating. Our free home staging advice can help you highlight its best features.

2. Revamp Your Photos: High-quality, professionally enhanced images are essential for initially capturing buyers’ attention online. Using old photos only highlights how long your property has already been on the market!

3. Highlight Unique Selling Points: We’ll help you emphasise what makes your property special. Whether that’s beautiful architecture, its history, a south-facing garden, a modern kitchen, or the property’s proximity to excellent schools. Remember, all agents are not the same; our team has the experience to make the difference!

4. Choose the Right Time: Timing is always important, but a relaunch in January or February, when buyer activity typically picks up, can help you take advantage of new year momentum. It’s a narrow window of opportunity, so don’t miss out. Interested in making the switch? Call us on 020 8660 2010.

Is it easy to switch estate agents?

Switching agents doesn’t need to be complicated. Hopefully, you’ve avoided signing a lengthy or restrictive contract with your current agent! So, begin by reviewing your agreement for any tie-in periods or notice requirements. Once you’re ready, get in touch with us, and we’ll put together a fresh, effective strategy tailored to your needs. Our contracts are straightforward and designed to be fair to both parties.

At Shinerocks, we’ll ensure your relaunch goes smoothly by completely revamping your marketing materials and creating a plan tailored to your property. From the first phone call to the final sale, we’re committed to delivering a seamless experience.

Ready to make the switch today?

A new year is the perfect time to start afresh, and at Shinerocks Estate Agents, we’re here to help. Whether your property has been on the market for weeks or months, our expertise and tailored approach can turn things around.

Call us today on 020 8660 2010 or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk to discuss how we can help you achieve a successful sale in 2025.

 

Have any questions?

Use the form to send us your questions and we'll respond as quickly as possible.

You can also call us on 020 8660 2010, or email enquiries@shinerocks.co.uk.


 

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Recent Testimonials

Dear Paul and the ShineRocks team, Thank you! We are delighted that we successfully completed on the sale of The Garth, 12 Welcomes Road on Friday, and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, Claire and the team for all your excellent work on our behalf. We really appreciated your proactivity, frankness, responsiveness and good...

Mr & Mrs F

Very professional, responsive and delivered on promises to the tee

Mr G

Worked hard to find possible buyers. Very professional and friendly staff. Drove the completion by liaising with all parties when things threatened to go pear-shaped. Very satisfied customer

Mrs H-W

Having tried a couple estate agents to sell our house, with no result, we tried ShineRocks. Paul Shinerock was realistic in his valuation, which others had not been and we had a number of viewings. A Christmas present was accepting a very good offer. Unfortunately, the buyer dragged his heels and then at the point of exchange decided to...

Mr P

A great service offered by both Paul and Claire. Sometimes the best thing an agent can do is to convince you to accept an offer and to encourage you to pay more to get the house of your dreams. Had Paul not convinced me to accept the offer on mine I would not have moved. Claire moved heaven and earth to enable me to purchase a property through...

Mr & Mrs W

Very helpful, pleasure to work with, and they offer a great service

Mr L

My house purchase was very complicated, ShineRocks handled it very professionally

Mr H

Claire was our estate agent and she was incredibly professional, always available and kept us completely up to date. A pleasure to buy and sell with

Mrs P

Exceptionally professional and helpful and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend ShineRocks

Mr P

Excellent service over a period of several months. Always at hand to offer advice and their expertise. Highly Recommend Shinerocks and thank you for all your help

Mr A

I was very pleased with the service - professional yet caring

Mrs L

Very professional and excellent service in a complicated situation which resulted in a positive result. We have purchased 2 homes from Paul in the last 14 years. Claire is remarkable and kept us fully up to speed

Mr P

Very friendly. After a slow start we got on very well and achieved our objective. Particular thanks to Claire

Dr L

Hi Caire, Can you say a massive 'thank you' to Paul for coming to see me. He really gave me some things to think about that had just not crossed my mind. Swapping the bathroom and middle bedroom and adding a bathroom to the main bed room made so much sense, I've got Alan coming over on Saturday to cost it up! I'll definitely...

D

We have recently purchased a property through shinerocks and can honestly say the service we received from Claire was exceptional. She kept us updated regularly and liaised tirelessly between solicitors, vendors and the other agents in what became a difficult and frustrating chain. She was both professional and personable, and we always felt...

M & C

Claire, You're an absolute star! Thank you so much.

Mr and Mrs W

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance and facilitation of the purchase of our property, and I would relish the opportunity to work with you again in future endeavours.

CT

Just want to say a big thank you for all your help and support.  I know you were not our estate agent but we really felt supported and coached through the whole process and I can't thank you enough. 

M, J &A

Paul, Claire and all the team at ShineRocks have always acted with the utmost professionalism and in my experience have been the best estate agency I have ever encountered.  

Mr D

Dear Claire, Thank you so much for making our dream home come true.  Invitation to the house warming is guaranteed! Much Love

R & N

Hi the ShineRocks Team Would like to say thank you for a great service in completing on our house.  We are totally blessed, we feel so lucky.  Your team with friendly voices were very proactive in updating us.  Paul you have a good team around and to say the least, you have some charm. You are a very nice bunch of people to...

L M

We would like to also comment upon the superb level of professionalism shown by the staff at ShineRocks. Having been to other block bookings we must say that this one was handled to so well. Additionally the advice given regarding parking was most helpful. We will certainly keep an eye out for other properties marketed by you. Kindest...

Mr and Mrs H

Dear Paul How very happy I am to be the lucky chap that has been given the privilege to buy and live in the elegant property. Thank you again for the excellent service provided by ShineRocks. Yours sincerely 

Mr R

Thanks for all your attention - I am impressed with your service and will recommend you to friends. Kind regards 

Mrs A

Dear Paul This is amazing! Thank you and your team very much. Whatever happens now, I know that you all did a fantastic job in achieving this - its unbelievable. Many thanks Kindest regards 

Mrs D

Terrific news. Thank you Paul. With all thanks for your support and help during this process. All best wishes 

Mr H

Thank you so much for all your help with our house move. We appreciate the hard work you put in to finally get us to an exchange date. Your calm approach and sense of humour throughout really helped. Thanks again, 

Mr and Mrs G

Thank you so much for all your work on selling our home. It is much appreciated. Best wishes 

Mr and Mrs R

Thanks again for everything that you have done to get our new home. God bless you. 

Mr and Mrs P

Dear Claire and the 'team' at ShineRocks for all of your help and patience with our purchase.  Best wishes

K and L

Dear Mr Shinerock, thank you so very much for valued advice last Saturday; your remarks and suggestions have certainly got us thinking of the best way to turn! Best wishes

V and K

Dear Paul We are at last beginning to see some order in our new home and have time to catch breath. The move was challenging to say the least as we were downsizing dramatically and had too much to fit in prior to having an extension to create two more rooms and allow us to convert an existing one into a utility room. We would like to take...

G and S S

Good morning Claire, I have been meaning to e mail you since Monday just to say thank you! Mum and I are extremely grateful for all the time you have given us and we really do value your advice and guidance.  We have been in contact with a lot of agents, in fact probably all of the main estate agents around the area and ShineRocks...

S and M

Dear Paul, Well, we got there in the end! Although it was long, complicated and at times, a very stressful journey, we appreciate the help of you and all your team in finally getting us over the finishing line. Best regards

B

Thank you for everything you've done. I couldn't have got through this without you. Putting up with every difficult situation in such a kind way. Thank you so much. 

Mrs P

Paul, Claire and all the team at ShineRocks have always acted with the utmost professionalism and in my experience have been the best estate agency I have ever encountered.

Mr H