Every review we hold for the Basildon office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotNot to be believed
When I was with another agent, they called me many times to switch agents. They said that they have many clients looking for a house in my area. They said they can sell my house in 2 weeks. They talked about open house. They were too long in getting the property on the net. The open house was a flop. 1 person out of 5 turned up. No open house after that. My previous agent told me this would happen. I gave them a chance. Wrong choice I think but if they can't sell my house soon I will drop them.
SAUL · 1 November 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Mr SaulThank you for your comments. Whilst our staff are optimistic and enthusiastic about selling your property, we cannot guarantee how quickly a sale will be agreed. Nevertheless, we are sorry if any estimate provided has not been met. We understand that there was a short delay before marketing could commence, as we were awaiting your confirmation that our brochure was accurate however, as soon as we received your approval, we commenced Internet marketing immediately. We are pleased that you have visited the branch to discuss matters with the Manager and understand that another open house has been scheduled. We very much hope that this will reassure you that we are working hard to sell your property and hope to achieve a positive outcome for you in the very near future.Customer Relations, Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotDouglas Allen - East Ham.
My home was on the market with another estate agent for many months, who over promised and under delivered. I took my home off the market and eventually approached Douglas Allen.
From the very first conversation with the manager Maureen, I noticed how professional their approach was. With the added complication of japanese knotweed I was not convinced they would market my property effectively and secure a sale. Maureen met with me at home and very quickly I felt confident that I was making the right choice in using Douglas Allen. Charlotte Cook conducted the viewings and was excellent and very professional as she marketed my home. Both Maureen and Charlotte had great integrity and and kept me informed at every stage. They found a buyer for my home within 3 months and made a potentially stressful process proceed smoothly. I can't thank them enough and I would not hesitate to recommend this branch.
Ms · 14 October 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Ms Johnson,Both Maureen and Charlotte will be very grateful with your kind comments. I am so glad you took the time to post this review and tell us how much you appreciated our efforts and service when selling your home, we all go to extreme lengths to provide a 5 Star service and am pleased that this was apparent when comparing ourselves to others.Thank you very much for your custom.Regards,Jon Holden - Managing Director, Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 1/5
Trustpilot2nd review - Stephen Ford
What on earth is this guy talking about?
My property is not ex local council, so goes to show just how little these estate agents knew when trying to market the house.
Having 92 viewings, yet only a handful of offers, shows they are just an epic waste of time. How many of those viewing had mortgages in principle? And how many were with DA's all singing and dancing practice of "we sell and purchase houses but we'd also like you to talk to our cowboy mortgage broker"?
The trick of the asking price was although I wanted a minimum value, in order to get people negotiating, DA recommeded a 25k less sum as "offers over" so we could have people to negotiate with. An adiotic ploy.
I had no issue with the exclusivity period. But why on earth would a seller sell with an agent that is not on the same page when it comes to the valuation of the property, and was a plonker and called up the other valuers, demonstrating remarkable lack of professionalism?
"You then obtained several updated valuations from other agents who all suggested a higher price, however they were agents who had no recent experience of selling properties in the immediate area and were probably not aware of the full extent to which the market had already been tested by us. They would also have been competing for your business in a buoyant market and this can lead to over ambitious estimates"
l shall let you guys know once the house is sold by a different agent, so that the valuers whom you wish to cast aspersions of and seem to have an ego against, are proved correct regarding the value of my home, so you and the public will understand that making such a patronising and demonstratively false claim is unacceptable.
UPDATE:
I sold my house for £60,000 more than anticipated with Douglas Allen - actual figures, DG got £437k and told me I was being greedy for asking for more and £425 was fair (September 2015). I managed to get, within a week of instructing new estate agents, two offers. Closed at and sold last month with £495k. All subsequent offers received at £475k plus.
Dont use these guys if you're a landlord.
Ashfaque · 7 October 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Mr Khan,We are sorry to read your review and have looked into your comments. Exclusivity agreements are normal practice within estate agency and it is sensible for both parties to agree a fixed sole agency period at the time of taking instructions. Sellers need to be confident that their agent has had sufficient time to fully market the property, arrange all possible viewings, encourage offers and negotiate with those offers in order to obtain the best possible price. Because agents bear all marketing costs upfront with no guarantee of earning commission unless and until contracts exchange, it is fair to expect a reasonable timeframe in which to achieve this. In your case a period of 12 weeks was agreed when you came onto the market and you signed an agreement confirming your acceptance of this sole agency time period. The asking price of your property was agreed after you had taken advice from another agent and following our visit. You agreed to our suggested price based on a review we conducted together of the prices being achieved in the local area for properties of the same type and condition as yours. There were specific factors we had to take into consideration such as the close proximity of the railway line, the price fluctuation dependent on which side of the railway the property was located and the fact that it was ex local authority. Douglas Allen conducted extensive marketing, arranged 92 viewings (some did not attend as can happen) and received a total of 8 offers from 5 different interested parties. The offers received were both below and above your asking price with the highest being £17,500 above your asking price. This confirms that the market was fully tested and we are confident that the highest price possible was achieved at that time. You accepted the highest offer and the sale was proceeding well with your buyer having a survey carried out promptly. You then requested a price increase which the buyer was not prepared to agree to, therefore the sale regrettably fell through. You then obtained several updated valuations from other agents who all suggested a higher price, however they were agents who had no recent experience of selling properties in the immediate area and were probably not aware of the full extent to which the market had already been tested by us. They would also have been competing for your business in a buoyant market and this can lead to over ambitious estimates. It was of course your prerogative to seek alternative advice and indeed to instruct another agent(s), however we were still within the pre-agreed sole agency period at this time and Mr Ford felt that there was no justification for an early release. We therefore offered to increase your asking price in order to commence a fresh marketing campaign to try to achieve a higher sale price for you. We understand that you chose not to do this and continued to request an early release.Mr Ford used his personal email address when he was out of the office in order to ensure that he was still available to answer your queries and try to help you. In conclusion, we are sorry that you have been dissatisfied with Mr Ford, however it does appear that Douglas Allen did everything possible to try to obtain the best price for your property. We hope that you will go on to sell your home in time and that your move will be a happy and successful one. Customer Relations - Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 2/5
Trustpilotbad experience wickford office
We felt we have been lied to and given the wrong expectations of what the agent initially informed us they could achieve.
The market is not as strong as it has been over the past few months and we realised that but we were given the impression that they had numerous clients looking which we dont believe is the case.
We have bought and sold over 16 properties in past years and are familiar with changes in the market but never been lied to.
We agree with other posts for this branch which all show a negative rating
Surely you have to take notice.
Mr · 7 October 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Mr & Mrs WoodThank you kindly for your feedback. We are sorry to read your comments and would like to clarify the position.When our manager Stuart conducted his appraisal of your property, several factors were taken into consideration when recommending an asking price, including the sale prices recently achieved for similar properties in the area. We understand that Stuart’s suggested marketing price was in line with other quotes you had received but that you wanted to try for a higher price which Stuart agreed to do.We were aware that you had just found a property you wanted to buy and therefore ensured that active marketing commenced immediately. In under a week we had booked 6 viewings for the first Saturday and whilst the feedback was encouraging, it can take a little longer for offers to come in when the asking price is higher than recommended. Unfortunately the sellers of the property you wanted to buy received another offer and you decided to withdraw from the market. We appreciate your disappointment and are sorry that you decided not to continue marketing as a result. We cannot however agree that you were misled by our staff who were simply following your instructions regarding the price. The property market in Essex has continued to be very buoyant in recent months with many of our properties achieving the asking price or more. Please be assured that we are as keen to sell the properties we market as the owners are and pride ourselves on our ability to achieve the best possible price in the shortest possible timeframe. After such a short time on the market, it is far too soon to reach the conclusion that your asking price was unachievable.We do hope that we can assist you with your move in the near future and would encourage you to contact Stuart again when you are ready. Thank you. Customer Relations - Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotVery professional, and a pleasure to deal with.
My wife and I have been dealing with the chingford branch of Douglas Allen. It's been a pleasure to deal with such helpful, understanding, and professional people. Selling property is a stressful time but from our first meeting with Glen, Jess and James everything has run so smoothly.
Any questions or issues have been dealt with efficiently and the team have been on the ball since day one.
I would definitely recommend the chingford team for anyone looking to buy or sell a property in the chingford Area.
Barnaby · 3 October 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Mr Beaver,Sincere thanks for your 5 Star endorsement of our Chingford office. We really aim to take the stress out of moving home as much as we possibly can, made possible by offering all services for doing so 'under one roof'.Glen and his Chingford team will be chuffed that you have recognised them in this way.Kind regards,Jon Holden - Managing Director, Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 3/5
TrustpilotStandard service
Their service was adequate - they sold our house but were not as good as I had hoped for in terms of communications and taking instructions. We advised them not to contact my wife and only contact me as the sole contact however, my wife was getting just as many calls.Nonetheless, they did sell our house and were fairly honest on the pricing from the start, unlike other estate agents, and got us pretty close to the asking price.
Anita · 28 June 2017
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Anita Thank you for your feedback. We pride ourselves on being honest with our customers and we are pleased that you were happy with the advice given to you in this respect. We are however sorry if our communication fell short of your expectations at any time as we appreciate just how important it is to provide effective communication. Please be assured that your feedback in this respect is appreciated. We are pleased that we were able to successfully sell your property and would like to thank you again for using our services. We wish you the very best in the future. Kind regardsDouglas Allen
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotEast Ham Branch
Absolutely terrible service at every stage! Never once returned a call, refused to let us contact the seller, either patronising or extremely rude service (no in between!).
On several occasions they very obviously lied to our faces. For example informing us that it is not usual or necessary to have a proper survey done and the a bank's valuation is good enough to assure you there are no problems.
They also refused to let us go with our own mortgage (which was already agreed in principle) as their mortgage adviser basically said we had to go with him (not illegal but not far off from what I understand).
Certainly wouldn't recommend! These people refer to themselves as 'mediators' but all they achieved was to rub both parties up the wrong way with their gross incompetence.
Anonymous · 30 September 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Thank you for your feedback and we are sorry that you are dissatisfied with the service that you have received from our East Ham branch. As you have submitted this review anonymously, we are unable to contact you or to investigate your specific concerns. We would therefore encourage you to contact our Customer Relations Department on 01702 540802 so that we may discuss your concerns in more detail. Thank you.
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotDo not use!!!
Really bad service, to make it worse staff are rude and abrupt. Asking for an sale update from a Sales progresser 'do you and your wife not communicate'
If I wasn't so far down the line I would get rid of them. Trying to speak to someone senior in the company is even worse, emailed a senior member on Sunday still not heard anything back. No wonder the staff lower down are like this if your can't even speak to someone senior.
Pkk · 30 September 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear PkkThank you for your feedback. We are sorry for our delay in responding to your email however the member of staff that you emailed on Sunday, was not back in the office until yesterday. I understand that he responded to your email this morning and our Customer Relations department have been made aware of your concerns. We hope that they will be in a position to resolve your concerns to your satisfaction shortly however, in the meantime, they can be contacted on 01702 540802. Thank you.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotFive star service
I was very impressed with the service I received from the staff at the Chingford. When I visited their office I felt that was a very happy office as there was a very pleasant atmosphere. Jessica and the staff worked very hard and found a buyer for my house within a couple of days. The team in this office are a delight to deal with and I am very impressed with their efficiency and friendly manner.
Pat · 25 August 2019
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Pat,Thank you so much for your recognition of our Chingford office. James, Jess and the team are passionate about providing a premium service and truly want to help their customers move forward on their life's journey.Thank you for choosing to sell through Douglas Allen Chingford!Kind regards,Jon Holden - Managing Director
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotAfter Sales Service
Having moved the sale of my mothers house to D Allen from another local agent, I was impressed with the level of contact and enthusiasm.
More importantly was the input of Natasha Mercieca
Sales Progressor who took over the account post sale. Her level of diligence, ability to communicate clearly and at times when she said she would, was a welcome factor in what became a protracted situation due to issues with the buyer. Her work undoubtedly assisted in achieving exchange, and I highly commend her.
Graham · 20 August 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Graham,Your recognition of Natasha is duly noted, I am glad to say you are not alone!We are one of the very few estate agents who go to the expense of having our own team of Sales Progressors, as you have found they are worth their weight in gold.Thank you very much for your comments and your custom.Regards,Jon Holden - Managing Director, Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotDouglas Allen Barkingside
We were told that if we were not to use their in-house conveyancer our offer would not be recommended to the seller. We informed the estate agent that we already had a conveyancer but he was adamant that we had to use the in-house conveyancer to stand a chance. We felt extremely pressurised and as we did not want to lose the house we agreed. In the end we lost to another 'best offer' bidder. Now the headache of claiming back our conveyancer down payment begins.
In the conveyancer's small print we noticed that Douglas Allen would receive a marketing payment of £545 plus VAT for a successful completion. We will definitely be speaking to trading standards.
In our top three for worst estate agents.
Faisal · 4 August 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Faisal When you submitted your offer, it was recommended that you consider using one of our conveyancing panel to assist you as the relationship that we have with these firms aids communication during the conveyancing process, often helping to expedite the transaction. It is of course your prerogative to decline our recommendation and instruct a conveyancer of your choice and this has no effect on how we deal with your offer. I can confirm that your offer was submitted to the seller for their consideration in the usual manner however they chose to proceed with a higher offer from another potential purchaser. The referral fee paid to Douglas Allen upon successful completion of a sale is openly disclosed to all customers in line with our commitment to operating an honest and transparent business. Our conveyancing panel operate on a no sale no fee basis, therefore any money paid to them will be refunded promptly, with the exception of any disbursements already incurred on your behalf. Should you require any assistance with this refund, please contact our Customer Relations team on 01702 540802. We are sorry that you have been disappointed on this occasion however our Barkingside office remain keen to identify a suitable property for you to purchase.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotGreat customer service
Myself & my partner Scott have mostly been liasing with Simon Hiatt in the Basildon Branch. He is very easy to talk to, offers great advice and he explains things clearly and in a non salesy & pushy way like other estate agents we have dealt with in the past. This is one of the main reasons why we decided to sell our house with Douglas Allen & not other estate agents. We are really pleased with the service we have received by Simon & Douglas Allen so far :) thank you!
Miss · 23 June 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Miss Stewart and Mr Wallace,Sincere thanks for taking the trouble to write this review, it'll mean a lot to Simon and his Basildon team. I wish you every success in the process of moving home.Regards, Jon Holden, Managing Director, Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotExcellent service
Douglas Allen found buyers for our house within two weeks of signing up with them. Having been with another estate agent for four months previously to this, the difference in service we received from Douglas Allen was a welcome relief. What stood out to us about them was the honest advice they gave us and the way they had a clear plan of action in place of what they would do to sell our house. They also were really good at communicating with us - they kept us informed at all stages of the process and always responded promptly if we left messages.
Once we had sold the house, our sales progressor was fantastic. Knowing that we were expecting a baby, she did everything she could to speed our sale up, and the result is that we will be in our new home in time for the birth of our new baby, and for this I am really grateful.
Zoe · 16 April 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hello, Thank you for leaving us your feedback! Many thanks,Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotHandled very professionally
Our initial contact was with Lee, who explained the procedure in great detail and the options available to us, ie, open day, planned appointments etc.
As this was our 2nd property Douglas Allen also offered to keep the keys for any potential buyers to save us the hassle of being at the property for viewings, which was also very helpful.
Wayne also kept us up to date with the ongoing viewings and subsequent offers so we were fully informed at all stages.
We have used Douglas Allen services before and would also have no hesitation in using them again.
Tracey · 30 March 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hello, Thank you for leaving us your feedback! Many thanks,Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 4/5
TrustpilotThey have a plan to sell your house - and they follow that plan.
What we liked about Douglas Allen was their forethought about our situation. When they originally came to see us, they laid out an action plan about how they were going to sell our house, who they felt our target buyers were and how they would organise their sales team. Critically, they followed through with this plan to the letter. Ten days later, we had accepted an offer.
The only thing stopping a five star review is a slight concern about the communication between the sales team and the after-sales team. Both are excellent, but they don't always pass messages between themselves.
Mr · 30 March 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hello, Thank you for leaving us your feedback! Many thanks,Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotVery poor service and would not recommend to others
At the outset and before signing up , I was told that Douglas Allen pride themselves on good customer service and that someone would always get back to me to answer my queries. This was completely untrue as after countless phone calls nobody would get back to me . Also I was left to do all my property viewings myself when being told that they would send agents along. At one time I had to manage 4 families by myself as no agent bothered to attend.
It was a huge let down . Apart from introducing the buyer to me , I feel Douglas Allen did very little.
I am very disappointed and wish I had gone with another Agent.
Sharan · 27 March 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Sharan DThank you for your feedback. We are sorry that you had some concerns over our service and have left voicemails for you in the hope of discussing them. Having reviewed the records for your property sale, we have been unable to identify the occasions when calls were not returned therefore we unfortunately cannot provide specific reasons to you. Nevertheless we appreciate that this would have been frustrating and have reminded the staff of their responsibilities in this respect. Please accept our sincere apologies. Whilst we try to accompany viewings when requested to, this is subject to our diary commitments. If we are unable to do so, we would always ask the sellers before postponing viewings but fully understand if they prefer not to conduct them. There is no record of you raising this issue during marketing and requesting accompanied viewings only which would have resolved the problem. On a positive note we are delighted to note that our marketing generated considerable interest in your property resulting in a full asking price sale being agreed in just over 2 months (despite the intervening Christmas and New Year holiday period). We know that our sales coordinator Andrew is in regular contact with you and hope that your sale will proceed smoothly. Thank you again for your valuable feedback.
★★★★★ 1/5
Trustpilotsales valuation
No one got back to us until 2 weeks after their visit to give us a written valuation. When we do receive the literature it had no price valuation on there at all and no indication of the value our property holds instead we were sent literature about properties sold recently which were no good to us and irrelevant.
The worst agents I have ever used, bad customer service the manger never got back to me I left 4 messages over a period of a week.
DISAPPOINTED
Miss · 27 March 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Miss Khan We were very sorry to learn of your concerns with our Chadwell Heath office and thank you for your feedback. We have emailed you with a full response however, in brief, we visited your property on the Saturday and provided a verbal idea of a suitable marketing price, together with details of comparable sold properties to support our estimate, which is normal industry practice. These were not intended to be properties of interest to you to buy. We posted our appraisal letter to you on the second working day afterwards, being the Tuesday and therefore cannot understand why it has taken 2 weeks to arrive. Nevertheless, we apologise for the delay you experienced and can only assume that this was due to the postal service. We have contacted you since sending our letter to be advised that you only required a valuation and do not wish to sell your property. We trust that the advice given by our staff member was useful and reiterate our apology for any aspect of our service that you were unhappy with. If you decide to sell in future we would welcome the opportunity to assist you and restore your faith in our company.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotProfessional and Personable
Douglas Allen were able to sell our flat within 7 days so that we could purchase our ideal home in the same area.
10 weeks ago we came across a property on a road that we had always thought we would love to live on. Douglas Allen were the agents and they did an excellent job of acquainting us with the property and explaining the tender process. The only way we stood any chance with the seller was if we were able to sell our place before the tender ended.
Due to their unrivalled local knowledge and enthusiasm of the market, we were left with several strong bids only a week later.
Additionally when called upon, Douglas Allen's after care through to exchange is always very helpful in what becomes often unnecessary stressful dealings with solicitors. On several occasions they will pick up the phone for you.
We won't be selling for a long while now, but when we do we'll be giving Steve at Douglas Allen a call.
Gary · 27 March 2015
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hello, Thank you for leaving us your feedback! Many thanks,Douglas Allen
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI was helping my son whom was selling his flat. The whole of the staff at Basildon Douglas Allen plus Chelsea who is at another branch went out of their way to be helpful every step of the way. They knew of all the problems we had, I am in another country, and kept me in the loop so I could help him when I could. Highly recommended.i would particularly like to mention Caroline, Greg, Bill , Michelle and last but not least Chelsey!
Bobby · 24 October 2023
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAfter months of going back & forth with a few real estate agents, we finally had Lucy from Douglas Allen to our rescue.
Starting with a detailed insight on properties currently in the market and on how to sell your own, she took us through the process covering each step. What you should be doing v/s what you should not as a seller was made very clear to us. We have full confidence that we would be able to make a successful sale of our properties via Lucy.
We would recommend her to anyone who is currently looking to either sell or buy a property in Basildon & nearby areas. She has an excellent wealth of experience as an estate agent & very good knowledge of the local area.
Gopalkrishnan · 24 October 2023
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotVery happy with the service that has …
Very happy with the service that has been provided. Abbie Wilson was a massive help all the way and even after the process had been completed. Great job. Thank you!!!
Husnu · 24 January 2018
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Husnu, Thank you for your feedback on Abbie in our Lettings team, as you say we are here to help you all the way and ensure that we are still available even after the tenants have moved into your property. Our aim is to ask your tenants lots of question, fully understand what they are looking for then help them move in as soon as possible. If you need any further help then our Lettings team will be more than happy to helpKind regardsPaul Ingleton - Associate Operations Director
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI recently used Douglas Allen for…
I recently used Douglas Allen for letting my property and found them professional and very efficient. Abbie and Chloe were amazing and always took time and were very helpful.
DARREN · 12 October 2018
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hi Darren,Thank you for taking the time to post your 5 star review regarding Abbie and Chloe on our lettings team. They both take great pride in their roles and look to give a premium service.Thanks againRob WadeAssociate Operations Director
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotExcellent service and highly …
Excellent service and highly professional Abbie and Chloe was very helpful throughout the process. I strongly recommend for them for further future dealings. Good luck for your bright future
Mini · 12 October 2018
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Hi Mini,Thank you for posting your 5 star review regarding Abbie and Chloe on our lettings team in Basildon.It is nice to see that you would recommend them again.Thanks againRob WadeAssociate Operations Director
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI said I want that house and that's the one I got!
I saw the house I wanted- the type that doesn't come on market often. I needed to sell my home. Greg and the rest of the team arranged this. No sweat. No marketing jargon, no schpeal. Normal honest information- that's what I liked about Greg's approach. A swiftly arranged mortgage by Will and within 2 weeks the houses had been bought and sold. 2 weeks?! That's awesome! I'll be calling into the Woodford branch for a valuation very soon.
Bhav · 2 August 2016
Agent replied · 25 October 2024
Dear Bhav,Thank you for you positive comments regarding the team in Woodford Green, It is always pleasing to hear when a team of people come together and exceed your expectations. I will call Greg and Will personally to thank them for there continued high standards.Thanks againRob wadeAssociate Operations Director
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
