How does Yopa work?

If you’ve been thinking about selling your property and are looking for an efficient and cost-effective solution, you may have come across Yopa. Yopa is an online estate agents who claim that they can sell your house 17% faster than a high street agent.

How does Yopa work?

First of all, just like you would with a traditional estate agents, Yopa will visit your home and give you a valuation. If you want to get a quick idea of how much your house is worth, you can use Yopa’s online valuation tool which will give you a price without having an agent visit your home.

If you decide to go ahead and sell your home through Yopa, you just need to instruct your local rep and they will go ahead with taking photographs and listing your home.

Your property will then be listed on popular property portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla, and PrimeLocation. This makes your home visible to an extensive network of potential buyers. Yopa also provides you with a personalised dashboard, allowing you to easily manage viewings, track offers, and receive feedback on an ongoing basis. We had something similar to this when we were selling with a high street estate agency, although Yopa’s dashboard is much more impressive. We were using accompanied viewings and the house was empty, but it was handy to know when viewings were booked so we could make sure the house was presentable and that we wouldn’t be there doing any work. We could also see feedback from viewers too.

One of the key differences with Yopa compared to most traditional estate agents is that Yopa charge a fixed fee rather than a percentage, and you can choose to pay now or pay later. This does take some stress away as you know right from the start exactly how much you’re going to need to pay out in estate agency fees.

When you choose Yopa, you gain access to their online platform, which allows you to monitor your property’s performance, schedule viewings at a time that suits you, and communicate directly with potential buyers. At the same time, a dedicated local Yopa agent is on hand to offer guidance, conduct viewings if needed, and help you with negotiations, maximising your chances of a successful sale. I always think it’s best to allow the agents to conduct the viewings as they know what to say and what not to say and I just think showing people around my home would be far too stressful! Some agencies do charge more for this and with Yopa you may need to pay for the Accompanied Viewings Extra Service depending which package you choose.

As a Yopa customer, you can also tailor the level of support you receive by selecting from various payment options and additional services. This customisable service makes it easier to fit Yopa’s offerings to your unique needs and budget, ultimately ensuring a more satisfying experience when selling or buying a home.

When you receive an offer on your home, Yopa will help you to negotiate to help you achieve the best possible price. Although bear in mind that as they’re on a fixed fee, they aren’t going to be too bothered how much you sell for as it won’t affect the amount you receive. Make sure you have a figure in mind that you’d be happy to accept.

Once an offer has been accepted, Yopa’s team of sales progressors takes over to guide you through the legal aspects of the sale. They work closely with you, the buyer and the solicitors involved to ensure clear communication and to keep the process on track. The goal is to complete the sale as efficiently and stress-free as possible for all parties. We found that having an estate agent who was on the ball really helped to speed things up for us.

Pricing and Packages

As with many online estate agents, there are a few different packages to select from, so you can pick the one that suits your needs and budget best.

Here’s a brief overview of the main packages:

• Core Package – Priced at £999, this basic package includes essential services, such as an advert on Rightmove and Zoopla, along with a dedicated local agent. Note that the fee for this package is £1,499 in London.
• Premium Package – With a £1,399 price tag, the Premium package provides additional benefits on top of the Core package services. You’ll receive unlimited hosted viewings, premium listings on Zoopla and Rightmove, and a £349 discount on Scout mortgage broker fees.
• Ultimate Package – The most comprehensive package, the Ultimate package costs £1,999 and includes everything from the Core and Premium packages, as well as some extra features to help your property stand out even more.

Each package also offers a Pay Later option, giving you the flexibility to delay your payment until a later date. Just make sure that you factor this into your budget if you’re not planning on paying your fees upfront.

The Accompanied Viewings Package currently has an additional cost of £300, or £399 in certain London postcodes. This does seem steep as some high street agents offer this at no extra charge, ours definitely did. But, I know that I wouldn’t be confident to do viewings myself and I would rather be well out of the way whilst people were looking around the house, so this is definitely worth thinking about.

Pros and Cons

If you’re thinking of using Yopa to sell your home, there are a number of pros and cons.

Pros:

• Cost-effective: Yopa offers a fixed fee service, which can save you money compared to traditional estate agents.
• Convenience: With an online platform, you can manage your property sale from anywhere and at any time.
• Tools and support: Yopa provides helpful tools and resources, as well as professional advice from their agents, to guide you through the selling process.
• Optional viewings package: If you need assistance with viewings, Yopa offers a package for an additional fee to manage them for you.

Cons:

• Lack of personal touch: Yopa operates through an online platform and call centres, which means you might not have a single dedicated point of contact.
• Upfront fees: You pay fees upfront, which could be a drawback if your property doesn’t sell.
• Customer service: Some customers experience difficulties with communication and support due to the nature of the online platform.

In the end, the choice to use Yopa is yours to make based on your personal preferences and needs. Understanding the pros and cons is an essential step in making a decision that’s right for you and your property sale.

Yopa – Final Thoughts

By providing a fixed fee structure, Yopa’s costs are more predictable compared to traditional estate agents. This can be a huge plus as you’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to pay. Their various fee options mean that you can choose a package that suits your need.

Yopa’s online platform enables you to manage your property sale with ease, while receiving valuable support from local agents.

Yopa will market your property on top UK property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, ensuring maximum exposure. If you choose their Viewings Package for an additional fee (depending on which package you choose), a Yopa agent can manage all of your viewings for you. However, if you prefer to host your own viewings, your agent is always on hand to offer advice and support.

 

With a strong TrustScore of 4.8/5 on TrustPilot and thousands of positive reviews, it’s evident that Yopa delivers a high level of customer satisfaction. Remember though, it’s essential to consider your specific needs and requirements when choosing an estate agent, so take the time to weigh up the pros and cons of Yopa against other options available to you. Make sure you shop around and get valuations and fee details for a few different agencies before you sign anything.