Strike Estate Agent Review [Updated 2022] – By far and away the stand-out point of Strike (formerly Housesimple) is the promise to sell your property for FREE. It’s a bold claim but let’s see if they can back it up.
Of course, it’s natural to assume there must be some kind of catch. But actually, there isn’t, though there’s still something you should know about the service which we’ll explain in a moment.
But first, let’s see what Strike Online Estate Agents offer…
At A Glance:
Our Strike Estate Agents review has found that the promise to sell your home for free is very much one on which the company can deliver.
In fact, they provide what you might consider a ‘full estate agency service’ without any charges. Plus they’ve been around as a while as the company used to be known as ‘Housesimple’ before a rebrand in July 2020.
The other key difference is they have now embraced mobile technology and offer a dedicated app for iOS and Android users to manage the selling process ‘on the go’.
Here’s how they perform in key areas:
- Full estate agency service is 100% FREE
- Some optional paid extras such as hosted viewings
- Claim to have sold over £3.2bn of property
- Highly recommended by past customers
- You have full control over how your property is sold
So far, so good in our Strike estate agent review then. Despite the fact they offer their core service for free, it doesn’t appear to be a lesser service. That’s a good few boxes ticked already but let’s delve into a few more of the details.
Is Strike The Best Agent For You?
Take our short 5 question quiz to find out which online estate agent is right for you:
How Does Strike Compare to Other Estate Agents?
There’s no shortage of estate agents available, which is handy if you’re in the market to buy or sell a property. Why not find the best option by checking out what’s on offer?
Our Strike estate agent review outlines what you can expect from this online estate agent and will give you an idea of how the company compares to its rivals.
Strike Vs Purplebricks
Purplebricks are undeniably bigger than Strike and very well-known, so you might think this alone gives the company more credibility. However, we shouldn’t discount the smaller, newer online estate agent, Strike.
Once upon a time Strike was known as Housesimple – so they are not as new to the estate agency game as you may think.
What Strike lacks in size and stature it makes up for in other ways. For a start Strike offer a free service, so in theory you won’t have to pay a penny.
We can’t say the same for Purplebricks (you are looking at a fee of around £999 to use their service). Purplebricks has also received bad press relating to its practise of pushing conveyancing fees onto customers who opt for the buy now pay later option – you won’t have to worry about this if you go for Strike.
However, Strike does charge a fee for its unlimited hosted viewings option (you will pay £699 for this service, whereas the same service will cost only £300 with Purplebricks). There are a few other things you might want to know too. Both Strike and Purplebricks offer comprehensive customer support, and both provide a for sale board to erect at your property.
You should also be aware that Purplebricks typically charges higher fees for London properties.
So, it appears both agencies have positive and negative points. If size matters you may prefer Purplebricks, but we feel Strike has the edge in terms of value for money.
Take a look at our full Strike Vs Purplebricks comparison for further information.
Strike Vs Yopa
Customer service wise, both Strike and Yopa are on a relatively even keel, but there is one marked difference we need to point out – and that’s the difference in price.
Strike offers a free service, whereas Yopa charges around £999 + to use their agency.
Yopa does charge less for hosted viewings (they come in at around £399 cheaper), but Strike still can’t be beaten on overall price (and lets face it the lure of zero fees is surely a huge advantage).
We should point out that Strike generates profit from promoting upgrades and pushing referrals, but you don’t have to do either to take up the standard service.
Yopa does have one distinctive advantage though, and that’s the fact that the company has managed to build up quite a reputation for itself over the years. Strike are relative newcomers in comparison, and this is enough to put some people off giving them a try.
For a full picture of Strike Vs Yopa check out our comparison table.
Strike Vs Emoov
Strike still has plenty to prove as a relatively new brand, and Emoov could also be described as bringing something fresh (the company owners have recently updated their branding).
Both seem to offer relatively good customer service and are keen to make their mark in the estate agency market.
We should mention that Strike offer in-person valuations nationally, whereas Emoov do not offer this service.
This might not be of great importance to you, but it’s something to keep in mind.
When it comes to fees, Emoov asks customers to pay a split-fee (which allows you to pay part of the fee beforehand and the rest after proceedings are brought to a close).
It’s good to have choices such as these, but Strike seems to go one better – offering a completely free service – although if you opt to upgrade you will have to put your hand in your pocket!
Want to find out more? Take a look at our comprehensive Strike Vs Emoov overview.
Strike Vs Other Online Estate Agents
So far, we’ve got the lowdown on Strike Vs Purplebricks, Yopa and Emoov, but there are plenty of other estate agencies to look at too. Strike might not have a robust reputation as a large player in the estate agency market, but they do offer good value for money.
There’s also the added bonus of Strike offering quality customer service. This is important – after all buying and selling a home can be difficult enough!
You won’t get any hidden conveyancing fees either (pushed onto consumers by certain online estate agents). That’s because Strike offer a free service, and you only pay if you would like to upgrade.
Strike vs High Street Estate Agents
Strike have a show-stopping pricing policy. Lets be fair, any free service is going to catch the eye of thrifty consumers! Compare this with high-street prices and you can see why an online option seems more attractive.
High street agencies have recently focused on raising their game and becoming more competitive. But, with rent and overheads they are hard-pressed to match the prices of their online counterparts.
High street agencies do have that advantage of offering a human touch, but you will pay more for the privilege. Plus, it doesn’t mean you will secure a sale or buy a house any quicker than you would using an online agency.
How Much Does Strike Cost?
The reason you’re probably here is because you’ve heard that the Strike online estate agent does not charge a single penny to sell your home? Right?
It’s absolutely true (even if it does sound like it shouldn’t be!). Strike sell your home for free and it’s actually a pretty all-inclusive service you get, too.
Here’s what you get as standard, all for FREE:
- Valuation by a local expert
- Professional photographs and floorplan
- Full listings on Rightmove and Zoopla
- A ‘For Sale’ Board
- Professional offer negotiation
- Dedicated support through to completion
That means it’s pretty much the same service you can expect from your local high street estate agent. Perhaps with the possible exception of having to pay extra if you don’t want to conduct your own viewings.
Plus, as briefly touched on earlier, you also get an app to manage your listing. Everything can also be easily managed online via the dedicated sellers portal.
All things considered then, it’s essentially a full and professional estate agency service, for free.
How Can Strike Sell Your Property For Free?
We mentioned at the start of our Strike estate agent review that while there are no catches to the offer to sell your home for free, there is something you should be aware of.
Naturally, the company still needs to make money. So, how do they do it?
Well, pretty much all estate agents sell their customers extras. It could be some listing upgrades or it could be via a referral to their recommend solicitors (for which they get a kickback).
Now essentially, Strike have perfected this process. They’ve found that they can sustain their business simply through the extras they sell and the referrals they make. This is good news for you as all of these are optional. It is perfectly possible and OK to just take the free house sale option and nothing more.
But, it’s important you’re aware of this as it does mean you will be asked to consider these extras that earn Strike the money. In our experience, they don’t use any high-pressure sales tactics or anything like that. In fact, they are pretty laidback in their approach, but it is worth keeping in mind.
Strike Add-Ons
While conducting our Strike estate agent review, we checked how much some of the extra add-on services cost. Naturally, you may expect that since the main service is free, any extra you want will be considerably more expensive than the normal going rate.
We’re pleased to say that that’s not what we found. For instance an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) will cost you £90 if you need one. That’s around the same price as you’ll find most leading estate agents charging (give or take £10 or so).
Hosted viewings, should you decide you want them, will set you back an additional £699. That’s fairly pricey but does include an unlimited number so there are no risks of having to buy more later.
Looking to upgrade your Rightmove listing to try and attract more attention? That’s a paid extra too, but is reasonably priced from £599. It also comes with enhanced photos and a custom video trailer.
So, it’s pretty clear to us that Strike aren’t overcharging for their extras in order to make up for giving away their core service. You’re essentially getting the same core services you’d expect from any other online agent. Plus, you’re paying a fair price for any extras – just like you would with any other agent.
How Selling With Strike Works
The process for selling your home with Strike estate agents is very much the same as the process when you sell with any online agent. In fact, the experience is pretty similar to how it works when selling with a traditional high street estate agent, too.
Step 1: The Valuation
First, you’ll need to book a valuation. This is an estimate from the agent for the price they think they can get for your property. Now, we can let you into a little secret here.
The majority of the valuation is done by checking data that’s available online. It includes recent sale data and market value trends that’s readily available to all estate agents (online and high street).
The actual home visit that most estate agents do is as much to give them a chance to sell themselves to you face to face as it is to value your home.
Don’t get us wrong, there is still something to gain from the agent seeing your property in person. However, the benefit is probably not as much as you may first think.
Still, our Strike estate agent review has found that they now offer in-person valuation across the whole country. That means you still get that ‘personal’ introduction you’ll get with high street agents.
Step 2: The Listing
Once you’ve had your property valued and you’re happy to list your property for sale with Strike, they’ll need to create your property listing.
This is what will be added to the likes of Rightmove and Zoopla in order to show off your home to potential buyers, in all its glory.
This includes professionally taken photographs, an accurate floorplan, and a carefully written description of your property to help highlight it’s best features.
You can approve the listing or request changes via the official Strike app, giving you ultimate control over how your property is sold.
Step 3: The Offer
Unless you’ve paid extra for the hosted viewing service, you’ll be expected to conduct viewings with potential buyers yourself. This can actually be a positive thing as you know your property better than any estate agent and so are more likely to highlight the things that actually matter.
That doesn’t mean you’re on your own though. You’ll get feedback from potential buyers direct to your mobile phone. Once you get an offer, the Strike team will help negotiate the best possible sale price.
Step 4: Sales Progression
One of the most important roles for any estate agent is to ensure a sale completes successfully. This is actually a highly-skilled role and requires patience, organisation, determination, and good interpersonal skills.
The sales negotiator is an expert communicator and will help iron out potential problems before they happen and prevent anything going wrong.
That’s why Strike house sales involve a team of experts to chase solicitors, deal with changes that happen, and keep you informed the whole way. If you’ve ever sold before, you’ll understand just how important this is. That’s why we are pleased to see Strike haven’t cut any corners here.
How Accurate Are Strike’s Valuations?
Some believe high-street estate agents have the edge on providing accurate valuations. They believe local agents have home-grown knowledge of the market and area – and can therefore make a better-informed valuation.
However online agencies, such as Strike also offer in-person valuation. There are no strings or obligations, you can merely ask Strike to send a property expert to take a look (there’s also an option to book a virtual valuation, if preferred).
How Long Does It Take to Sell A Property with Strike?
This is a very tricky question to answer as there are a variety of factors to take into account, including the area your property is in and its condition. Market conditions also have a part to play – a fluctuating economic climate can cause uncertainty and have an impact on the property market too.
With all of this in mind we see why it’s difficult to put a figure on this – a fast sale could take around 12 weeks, a longer one could take longer at 27 weeks.
Who Owns Strike Estate Agents?
The majority owner of Strike estate agents is Sir Charles Dunstone, the founder of Carphone Warehouse.
However, perhaps the most public-facing person is Chief Executive Sam Mitchell who previously worked as Head of Lettings at Rightmove and also had prior roles at Your Move and Foxtons.
Any Strike Bad Reviews You Should Be Aware Of?
People are entitled to an opinion, and most businesses get their fair share of both positive and negative reviews. Strike seems to doing well on the feedback front. Customers seem to feel that they are getting a good deal.
They mention the professionalism and enthusiasm of advisors and seem satisfied by the level of customer service.
However, there are one or two comments regarding valuations, with some concerned their properties may have been slightly undervalued to promote a swift sale. That said, this doesn’t seem to the opinion of all, and in the main Strike looks like being a good bet should you be seeking an online estate agency.
So, Are Strike Estate Agents Any Good?
In one word, yes. In fact, our Strike estate agent review hasn’t just found that this company is good, it’s found that this is one of the very best online agents in the UK.
The fact that they offer their service for free is exceptional and pretty much unheard of. Sure, that means you may have to put up with some sales pitches aimed at getting you to buy extra add-ons, but you’ll get that with ANY estate agent. With that in mind, why pay for the privilidge?
But, we need to make one thing clear. FREE doesn’t necessarily mean LESS.
We get that when people see the word ‘free’ they assume there’s a catch. Like it’s a lesser service or something. In this case, that’s simply not true.
You get the full estate agency service, just like you would with any other online estate agent (and most traditional estate agents for that matter). But, you don’t pay a penny.
That means professional photographs and floorplan, adverts on Rightmove and Zoopla, full management of your listing and viewings, an offer negotiation service and full expert sales progression.
An each one of those services is actually far better than you’re entitled to expect for free. And that’s the crux of why we love Strike so much!
Negatives Of Strike:
To make our Strike online estate agent review fair and honest, it’s only right that we also cover the negatives of using them.
Of course, when you’re not paying anything for the service, it’s a little harder to be critical.
But, if we are being honest, there are a few disadvantages.
For instance, we need to mention the fact that the company still needs to make money somehow. If that money isn’t coming from the outright sale of your property, then it needs to come from referrals and add-on services.
That means you will get asked about these regularly. There are no high pressure sales tactics and all of the paid services are very much optional. But still, it’s worth keeping in mind.
Strike Online Estate Agent – A Short History
To cover the history of Strike estate agency, we first need to look at Housesimple. After all, this is what Strike estate agency was known as before the rebrand in July 2020.
So, Housesimple was founded as long ago as 2007. That means they were actually one of the first ‘online’ estate agents in the UK.
For many of their early years, Housesimple plodded along and were often overlooked by sellers in favour of their bigger spending rivals (they were still charging for listings at this point). That changed in 2016 when Sir Charles Dunstone, the founder of Carphone Warehouse invested £13m in the firm.
This helped the brand establish itself as one of the leaders of the online market. Then, in June 2019, Housesimple shocked the market by moving to offer it’s full service 100% for free.
Called out as ‘certain to fail’, the reaction from the competitors was scathing. However, a year later and Housesimple were very much still a leading online agent and their free model was standing the test of time.
Just as everyone thought they knew where they stood, Housesimple shocked the market again in July 2020 when they rebranded as Strike, the name they go by today.
We’re not entirely sure why they decided to rebrand. However, we suspect they wanted a clean break from the Housesimple brand which had spent most of its time charging for its service. Now, with a new name under their belt, Strike property agents look set to grow their market share and become the leading ‘free’ estate agent.
Strike Estate Agent Review – Summary:
We know that not everyone will be entirely comfortable with using an estate agent that doesn’t charge for their service. We get that. But, if this is you, you need to seriously consider why you feel this way.
Our Strike estate agent review has found that the free service is no less than what you’d get elsewhere. In fact, in many cases, it’s better.
It ticks all of the boxes in terms of what’s included, certainly when compared to other online estate agents. All of the paid extras are optional and are the same kinds of things any other agent will try and sell you too. Plus, the cost of these extras is on par with other agents too.
That means you stand to potentially save thousands on your estate agent fees. And that’s money we’re sure you can put to good use with your next home.
The offer negotiation and sales progression services are worth singling out too. Both are very, very good and both are included in the free package. That means there’s very little difference between selling your property at the cost of a few thousand pounds with your local estate agent, and selling your property for free with Strike’s online offering.
So, as far as we are concerned, you won’t find many better when it comes to estate agents than Strike. You certainly won’t find any that are better value for money.
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