Bare-bones fee or premium package: neither is an easy Manchester choice

M

miro_ash

Property manager
Established
£865,800 is the likely sale price, so even a modest difference in commission matters. One Manchester agent is offering a low-cost package with important gaps; another charges considerably more but would handle the marketing, screen buyers, negotiate and coordinate the sale through completion. Neither option feels comfortable without knowing who will actually do the work.

What evidence would show that the premium package is worth paying for? I plan to ask about similar apartment sales, speed of replies, how offers are checked and what support is provided if a chain breaks down. I also want any referral arrangements or links to prospective buyers disclosed before I appoint the agent.
 
Start by making every agent price the same scope in writing. Calculate the fee at £865,800, including any separately charged items, then ask what happens if the selling price changes.

For performance, request recent comparable apartment sales and ask who conducted the viewings, negotiated the accepted offers and managed those files afterwards. A broad office sales figure tells you much less than evidence tied to the proposed team.
 
Are the proposals fixed-fee or percentage-based, and do they all describe fees and extras on the same basis? Also compare the appointment period and what happens if you want to leave. A cheap headline can look different once photography, negotiation or later coordination is added.
 
Luca’s point matters. I’d also ask for a simple timeline showing the named person at each stage: preparing the listing, answering enquiries, conducting viewings, handling offers and progressing the agreed sale. If the senior person presenting the proposal disappears after instruction, the impressive pitch is not worth much.
 
I wouldn’t assume the largest bundle is automatically best. Photography is relatively easy to assess: ask exactly what is included and inspect examples of comparable apartments.

“Buyer qualification” needs a definition. Are they merely asking buyers about their position, or recording useful information before recommending an offer? Ask what they report to you, and whether they disclose any connection to services suggested to buyers.
 
Agreed on definitions. Response time is vague too. Is it the time to acknowledge an enquiry, arrange a viewing, obtain feedback or return a seller’s call? I’d ask each firm to state its normal process and who covers when the named contact is unavailable. That makes their answers easier to compare than a promise of being responsive.
 
Be cautious with fall-through rates as a single score. Ask for the period covered, the number of agreed sales behind the figure and whether it relates to similar properties. More useful still: what usually caused those sales to fail, and what did the agent do after warning signs appeared? Some causes will be outside the agent’s control.
 
One more fee question: request worked totals at the expected £865,800 and at a lower achieved price. Include photography, optional marketing, withdrawal or termination charges, and anything payable if a transaction falls through. You’re not predicting those outcomes; you’re exposing where the proposals treat them differently.
 
I’d put conflict disclosure on the written questionnaire rather than leaving it for a conversation. Ask whether the agency or individual handling your sale could receive a benefit from referring buyers to another service, and how that would be disclosed. The exact obligations can depend on the arrangement and jurisdiction, so unclear answers should be clarified before signing.
 
I slightly disagree with giving response speed much weight. A fast reply can still be useless. I’d favour a clear reporting routine: viewing feedback, buyer position, outstanding questions and next action. Ask to see the format they would use, with private details removed, rather than accepting “we keep vendors updated.”
 
My shortlist table would have five columns: total fee at the expected price, evidence from comparable Manchester apartments, named handler, offer process and post-offer coordination. Add photography and communication as separate rows. Score only answers supported by the written proposal or a clear example, then question any large difference rather than simply adding up points.
 
For photography, pin down the deliverables. How many finished images are included? Are a floor plan, retouching, reshoots or changes after your approval included or separately charged? Who selects the lead image, and how quickly can the listing be amended? Two proposals can both say “professional photography” while promising quite different work.
 
Offer handling deserves its own conversation. Ask what information accompanies each offer, how competing offers are presented, who negotiates, and whether the negotiator has direct access to you. Also establish that you decide the strategy rather than the agent filtering offers according to an assumed threshold. Keep their answer in writing so expectations are clear.
 
Combining the points above, I’d send every agent the same one-page questionnaire and require an itemised revised proposal. The most revealing answers will probably be definitions: what qualification, negotiation, coordination and responsiveness actually mean in daily practice. If one firm remains more expensive, you can then identify the particular service or person commanding the difference instead of comparing package labels.
 
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