It’s certainly been interesting reading over the last week; the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) are now looking to promote online UK Property Listing services in a bid to drive down the cost of Selling or Letting your home.

Those who are savvy in their search for UK property listings know that there are viable alternatives to the traditionalist ‘list your property with the Estate Agent’ approach.  Statistics continue to point towards the fact we spend more time searching UK property adverts and listings online regardless as to whether you want to buy or rent property.   Therefore, given the recent OFT comments, there is a huge opportunity for alternative property listing services to not only enter the marketplace, but contribute to the goal of reducing the cost of selling or letting your property in the UK.

It’s a refreshing approach by the OFT.  The momentum now has to be with those new property services that look to serve the UK property market consumers.  However, such property listing opportunities need to be grasped now.  There is no doubt that selling or renting a UK property online is convenient and can be hassle free.

In addition to the huge audience of excellent prospective clients, the Internet offers cost effectiveness that traditional media cannot. Websites are more engaging and informative than even the best printed brochures. Emails and the use of social networking sites make it easier and cheaper to keep in touch with existing clients.  You don’t need to have a big marketing budget to create a professional online presence.  Estate agents themselves already have an online presence.  What will be interesting is whether the cost of selling or letting property in the UK does come down and if those new property listing websites can break the mould and become true competitors.

It’s an interesting debate.  If you are looking to advertise your property via the traditionalist estate agency route; do you opt for a sole agency or multiple agency agreement?

It’s curious to understand what the motives are to list your UK property with several estate agents.  Sole agency agreements seem to be more common and popular, but you do come across UK property advertised with several agency for sale or to let boards.  It could be that one agent was originally instructed, but have failed to do so within a required timescale thus other parties have been brought in to try and clinch the deal for the client.  What is the perception of interested parties on multiple agency listings?  Do potential UK buyers or tenants query why a particular property is listed with several estate agents?  Or is it just the case of having a wider appeal?   It’s unclear what the motives are, but you’d expect it would not be down to agency fees.  If anything, could it be that it costs them more should there be a successful property transaction at the end of it due to the effort involved in selling it quicker than your multiple agent rivals.

So what about listing your UK property for sale or for rent privately?  There appears to be no such problems with websites that provide Free Property Listing services to owners who wish to rent or sell their UK properties online. Traditional estate agency methods to rent or sell a UK property involves expenses, because a property broker or estate agent expects to be paid. Using hassle free websites to buy, sell, rent and let property online can save you a lot of money.  There are specialized services online that provide value-added FREE property listing, thus eliminating the need to use estate agents. These online UK private property websites ease the hassle of letting and renting properties, and save money in the process. Owners can advertise with them and add their property under their Free Property Ads.

This kind of service has a lot to offer and is developing rapidly, gaining more and more clients everyday and thus improving chances for selling or renting your UK property privately.