One very positive experience; two not so good.....
I have experience of three of the estate agents in Aberdare - though there are more.
Darlows
I bought through Darlows about four years ago. I found the attitude of the staff initially to be rather casual and unhelpful. The best part of my experience of Darlows was their referral to an in-office financial adviser. He managed to get me an excellent mortgage deal and was always highly professional and courteous.
However, the house I bought needed work doing and I was concerned about affordability. When I asked Darlows to help me find a builder (I was living abroad whilst trying to buy and had to make several special visits to Aberdare to sort things out) they did so and we met at the house. The advice I was given was the works would cost £5000 - £8000 maximum- I thought this was low but in my ignorance accepted . After I had bought the house I found my own builder who gave me an estimate of £15000-20000 for the same works. This may say more about builders than me or Darlows - but I am suspicious that I was given a low quote to ensure I bought a property, I found out later, they had had on their books for years.
When I came to sell the same property recently I contacted Darlows by telephone with a view to them acting as my estate agent. The woman on the phone was brusque and rude so I never even made an initial appointment.
Peter Alan.
I chose Peter Alan as my selling agent. Initially it seemed to have been a wise choice. They sent plenty of people to view. However, the sort of people they sent were not, in my view, entirely appropriate. The house still needed work doing and I had families with babies and toddlers view the house - apparently oblivious to how much needed doing. They also sent property developers around who were prepared to do the work but who suggested ridiculously low offers to buy.
Eventually we seemed to find somebody who would buy- after over a year and at 35% less than the original asking price (which I had told Peter Alan to reduce -they never took the initiative about price and marketing after their first valuation visit).
However, there were many delays with regard to this "buyer". When I phoned Peter Alan to check progress of the sale I was usually fobbed off. One day I rang five times and was told I would be called back within the half hour. It never happened.
Durbins.
Because of my disaffection with the way Peter Alan were operating their sole agency on my behalf I also instructed Durbins to sell for me. What a difference!
Their staff were helpful, responsive, and worked hard on my behalf. Eventually the sale through Peter Alan fell through. I found another buyer - at a higher price than the one I lost - through Durbins. Again this was not a straight-forward sale. However, every time I phoned Durbins (which was many many times) I received nothing but courtesy. They regularly made phone calls to the buyer's financial adviser, to the buyer himself, to the buyer's solicitor - and always contacted me to update me. I "sacked" Peter Alan agency when I decided to personally visit, at his home, the man who had put in the offer for my house and discovered that Peter Alan had not been as "upfront and truthful" with him or me as they might have been. However, Durbins continued to press ahead with the buyer they found and eventually we got to completion.
I have nothing but praise and admiration for Durbins and would thoroughly recommend them. The other agencies I have reservations about.....