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After a very disappointing experience with a local letting agent ( ridiculously low ball offers and continually bringing in people to our home who were never going to be able to afford it), we decided to spend the extra fee and try Foxtons out. Within 1 week we had an offer on our flat at a level close to ask. We exchanged 6 weeks later, and completed within 2 weeks. We interacted with 3 people continually at fixations, the negotiator, the senior negotiator, and the area manager. They all kept each other very well informed and so if one was out you could always pick up with one of the other two. Importantly, I got the sense that they were trying to represent all three sides ( buyer, seller and themselves)- as opposed to in it for a quick fee. Would recommend without reserve

The worst experience I have ever had in dealing with estate agents. Both of these guys were the utter epitome of slimy estate agents who do not care about you and quite literally just want to take your money. From booking the first viewing - I called on a Saturday and spoke to David Morgan who agreed to do a viewing on Monday (there was no mention of having to ask the current tenants to confirm from him, he just just out-rightly said it was booked) - I did not recieve a confirmation email all the way up until the Monday 10am - (the viewing was booked for 11am) - so ended up calling the the branch again who had NO record of me even calling to book! Eventually one of the staff members traced the call back to David’s number (this staff member also said this is quite usual of David’s behaviour). I eventually saw the property and my sister too and we both agreed to make an offer. Suddenly, David messaged me to say the flat is only available THREE WEEKS after we already agreed to move/the date he told us and blamed it on the current tenants. I said we would have to think about it but he ended up being very pushy with his words in forcing me to extend my current tenancy as “It would be a great price to get this one in The Sphere so hopefully you can accommodate those couple of weeks?” (I have the text messages). I didn’t hear back from my current agent immediately with regards to extending and David was even saying he would get in touch with them himself! So unpleasantly forceful! As if it ends there. Me and my sister decided to make an offer and David asked us to come back to the office where his colleague would be to put down the offer etc as he stated he couldn’t(?). Waiting at the office suddenly his colleague “was out at a viewing” and “couldn’t get in touch with him”. So we decided to leave and agreed I would get a phone call in the morning the next day to confirm the offer. The next morning I revive a text message form David to say he was “suddenly off sick...and at the GP” and that someone else had put an offer in so we would have to make our “best offer”. I cannot believe this...It was promised that this colleague “Ketan” would be calling me at 9am - obviously I didn’t get a call and had to call the branch around 11/12? Maybe even later to be called back. When Ketan eventually called me back he asked me how I could be helped? Surely he knew that we were trying to make an offer since yesterday and that he was supposed to call me at 9am!? No apology at all and in actual fact he was rude and obnoxious and pushed me to increase my offer and length of contact without a break clause saying the landlord would “take the best offer”. Before the phone call ended I asked when he would get back to me on whether the landlord would accept or not, he said by the end the of the day - this was Friday 6th July, it’s now Thursday 26th.... and nothing. I did not call to enquire because quite frankly we had had enough, luckily we have found a beautiful place to live now but stuck with an extra two weeks rent to pay at my current place due to the awful cut-throat behaviour of these two staff members of Foxtons - mainly David Morgan. Our whole experience with this agency has been absolutely disgusting and I will genuinely shout to the hills and back to everyone NOT to use them.

As a first time home buyer I found Winkworth extremely professional. Their help with the process of getting to exchange of contracts was invaluable. Thanks to the team, especially Nicola for all her hard work and patience.

The rental department is absolutely unprofessional and utter rubbish. The agent and I have arranged a day to view different flats in the morning. I have someone to look after my child because the agent told me he can't drive around to show me flats with a child in it as his insurance is not covered. So the agent didn't turn up at the end without notifying me in advance and his colleague told me the viewings booked are not on the diary so they can't take me to view the properties because they have are 'short of staff' and 'busy'. I ended up wasted my time and money travelling and childcare because of this very rubbish and useless agent. Very unorganised, unprofessional and irresponsible. Cannot imagine what kind of service I would receive if I rent through them. I would recommend people avoiding it unless you want to wast your energy and time. Rent through some other agencies I'm sure you'll get much better service.

Central Estate Agents that made our first time renting in London virtually seamless. Everything happened very quickly and they are a huge pleasure to work with. They respond almost instantaneously to any queries or requests we have. Right from the very start Matthew Hayward could not have done any more to help us have a smooth ride whilst renting 3 properties in 8 years. All in all, great experience!

Avoid like the plague. Total cowboys I was part of a contract chasing experience - our offer accepted, survey done, fees paid - only to find out we were one of many. They basically fed us a load of lies, told us the previous offer fell through and the developer wanted a quick sale - to then demand more money only a month later. A quick bit of research showed us the property was in fact owned by one of Central's Directors and this was a common scam to try and pitch purchasers against each other. If you happen to be purchasing a newly developed property from them - save yourself a headache and check it isn't owned by Central Estates or their other company 'Castle Barrett'. It will end in tears - trust me!

We have just finished selling our property through Stow Brothers. Their service throughout was excellent. We listened to their advice about pricing and the property sold very quickly. William then managed our queries throughout the conveyance process brilliantly. Very impressed with the service we received and I would strongly recommend them as decent agents.

Really, really, really bad experience. They represent everything that is wrong with the house buying process in this country, and show exactly why estate agents have a bad rep. Initially they appear straightforward, friendly, professional, but the process at the end was a disaster, primarily so because they didn't do their jobs and were only interested in retaining commission and holding house prices up. They failed explain to us properly the lease situation when the offer was made calling explaining an leasehold with an absentee freeholder as good as a freehold. They then they failed to tell us when our exchange date had to happen in order to retain the chain. This "by chance" happened to be the same day as the Brexit referendum. We wanted to wait to see the result to make sure we were comfortable in case we left and everything that from the prime minister to the head of the world bank predicted would impact house prices was true. They chased us all day of the election letting us know for the first time, that if we didnt sign that day, then we would lose the house we so much wanted. Their agent used pressure tactics, calling, texting, emailing, telling us we had to sign and it was urgent and that if we didnt the deal was off. This was the first time we heard this. They knew clearly a negative result would be against our interests and in the interest of their commission and their vendor. For the vendor - I feel bad as if the situation had been explained and managed by the estate agent then we would have probably resolved it earlier and got our head around the result ahead of time. If stow brothers were responsible they would have this conversation two weeks before the referendum not on the day of the vote! As it happens they didn't even speak to us. As soon as we called at 9am on friday (the day of the result) the estate ended the process and said the house was back on the market. They said the "chain had collapsed" which was news to us. Three weeks later house prices in the area are down by c. 5% - had we paid we would have been immediately in negative equity. The vendor was given our email and sent multiple emails telling us how horrible people were and how we should "grow a pair". I lost £4,000 and a lot of time understanding the complicated lease situation that I referred to above, that according my solicitor and another expert I paid to consult was much more complicated than that. Now Stow brothers have removed me from their database as I am not a secure buyer ! The house I was buying was bought in 2014 for 380K I had an offer of 505K accepted on it. I was making the couple selling c. 100K better off. What is wrong with this country when to get on the ladder I have to half a million to buy a flat in Walthamstow and the people selling it feel like they have right to my hard earned money. Stow brothers is everything that is wrong with the estate agent system; they inflate markets, block people from buying when they choose, they put a nice friendly face on it but underneath its the buyers being screwed and them manipulating system as they choose. Do not use this company, or if you do insist they provide you with a single point of contact, they can not be trusted.

Great service form start to finish, very professional and customer focused staff who handled all aspects with superb efficiency and often went above and beyond in order to keep things on track throughout the whole process as well as keeping my updated the whole way through. I would have no hesitation in recommending Camerons Stiff & Co to anyone looking to either buy or sell a property

Absolutely appalling service from Camerons Stiff. Incompetent to say the least!

Central Estate Agents that made our first time renting in London virtually seamless. Everything happened very quickly and they are a huge pleasure to work with. They respond almost instantaneously to any queries or requests we have. Right from the very start Matthew Hayward could not have done any more to help us have a smooth ride whilst renting 3 properties in 8 years. All in all, great experience!

A 5 star service from Central. Rich took the time to get to know us and worked hard to find the right home for us whilst giving us great tips along the way. Ultimately we did not find a house with Central, but everything we learnt from viewings with Rich helped us. Would definitely recommend!