5/5
Mary Kate was lovely and so helpful…
Mary Kate was lovely and so helpful really pleasant to speak to and couldn’t be of more help to me. Thank youKim
Trusted Agent profile · Braintree
★★★★★
1,693 reviews across 2 platforms
17 Great Square, Braintree, CM7 1TX, CM7 1TX
Connells's office in Braintree, at 17 Great Square, is rated 2.1 out of 5 across 1,693 reviews on two platforms, including 81 Google reviews rated 4.8.
Every review we hold for the Braintree office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
5/5
Mary Kate was lovely and so helpful…
Mary Kate was lovely and so helpful really pleasant to speak to and couldn’t be of more help to me. Thank youKim
1/5
Avoid
Quite possibly the worst customer service (or lack thereof) that I have experienced. Complete lack of care and professionalism.
1/5
DO NOT PUT YOUR PROPERTY ON WITH…
DO NOT PUT YOUR PROPERTY ON WITH CONNELLS OR ANY OF THEIR AFFILIATED BRANCHES. They make next to no effort to sell your home and you remain tied into a contract with them. Even if you take your property off with them after 20 week period (yeah! 20 weeks + another month's notice. Most local agencies take your house off within 2 weeks if you ask them) and on with someone else, they will try to come after you for their fee if you sell to a person who's registered with them or viewed through them WITHIN THE PAST 2 YEARS. They are parasites. Hiding everything in the small print, they are making money out of people this way during a recession and a cost of living crisis! Research if your agent is with the Connells Group before signing anything with these crooks.
1/5
Ex Branch Manager
Well. I can only speak as an Ex Branch Manager.Last time my Wife posted a review in a purchase of her friends place, via my account, I had a threatening letter delivered to me by the legal team.I called the number on the letter, was told to withdraw my Wife's post and they would drop matters.Honestly?As a Branch Manager, I was appalled at offers not being presented as I was supposed to "secure the mortgage business, conveyancing and a survey".All a money grab.If they write to me again asking me to remove my comments- I'll happily see then in Court. I have nothing to hide.Don't list your house with these guys.Trust meJust sold my house and not through a bully tactic.A really nice Agent.Wonder why I didn't use Connells?Odd right?
5/5
Great for first time buyers, really good with the whole process of it all and Nick was extremely helpful with helping us to get the best deal with our mortgage. Thank you 👍 …
1/5
Vultures bordering on harassment
Viewed one house with them over 6 months ago and they keep calling from two different branches despite being asked to stop. The other branch kept harassing to do a home valuation even when I said we weren't interested and at the time I didn't want to be rude but they kept calling when I was at work so booked in a valuation to get them to leave me alone then cancelled it online thinking they'd get the message. But they kept calling so I stopped picking up. 6 months later they're still calling and it's really getting annoying so I answer and ask them to take me off their list thinking that's the end of it. But guess what, they keep calling. If I get one more call I'm going to complain to ofgem or something because this is getting ridiculous
1/5
Don't bother with the Lifetime mortgage
Don't bother with the Lifetime mortgage service. It's a waste of money.Other brokers will not charge you until the transaction is successful and at a cheaper rate.I honestly don't know what I paid for. You can easily get the quotes free with other brokers or searching independently and with connells you still pay the admin fee each time anyway for them to do the application.The deals aren't the best on offer either. I shopped around and found better deals in other areas and I couldn't help notice most of the better deals they recommended were owners of connells.Waste of money, shop around.
3/5
Not bad.Poor communication via email…
Not bad.Poor communication via email and phone.Would not recommend.
1/5
Very bad decision to deal with this…
Very bad decision to deal with this company,bad management, bad agency, bad communication, bad landlords,thay gonna create a very bad circumstances because they won't inform you of any change or charges. Only one word disgraceful 😔
1/5
slow to return your deposit, lack of transparency, unhelpful
I rented through another letting agency (Barnard Marcus - absolutely terrible experience), but for some reason returning the deposit was done by Connells (probably because they're all owned by Sequence). I had to call them and it seemed that otherwise the deposit release would've been stuck. They took another 2 weeks to release the deposit though there were no disputes or anything. Most of their co-workers try to brush you off if you call them to enquire. I'm sure this is not the way they are when they try to GET your money.
1/5
Connells Mutley Plain
We used Connells in Mutley Plain . Agent came out and gave us what we thought was a great valuation , so we decided to sign up with them . BIG mistake , check the tie in period / contract length , it was 6 MONTHS ! Over this period we had 8 viewings . We weren't satisfied and asked for dual agents to sell home instead of sole agent . Valuation agent said he'd get back to us after Monday morning meeting to give us reply . Waited 2 weeks and we're smooth talked into staying with them . We dropped our asking price by £25,000 after being asked to "work with them" . After several weeks we were asked if we'd consider a further final price reduction ...... Manager got involved and told me he would contact me in the morning regarding the matter of dual agents . We waited 26 days for a reply from the manager. We didn't get a reply, so we gave Connells 28 days notice to terminate contract.Beware of contract lengths BEFORE you sign the contracts and don't let them smooth talk you at your initial valuation . Right from the start , the manager stated that the air was a bit thinner at our price range....... Didn't fill me with confidence at all .
1/5
Don’t waste your time with this…
Don’t waste your time with this company. Because they never be in their words. Firstly, charge said if you don’t like the property then you will get your deposit back but after I call about property and refund that time they refused. Said you will not get your deposit back. So personally advice don’t waste your time with this fraud company. It’s waste.
1/5
Would not recommend
My partner and I went to view a property … we received a phone call saying the landlord accepted the offer. we paid the holding fee. We then waited 10 days for referencing after having to email everyday for updates they then advised we were unsuccessful and won’t get the deposit back without any reason given what so ever in regards to being unsuccessful and not being able to have a deposit back and now ignore phone calls and emails !!!!! Absolute joke
1/5
Complex and incompetent company
I've been a tenant with Barnard Marcus while waiting for my new home to be ready, cash paid up front and never been in arrears. Despite the branch manager at Barnard Marcus acknowledging payment which has always been well in advance, Connells have never acknowledged any sums of payments paid to them. Rather, they continue to send emails threatening to take me to court for being "in arrears" every few days for eighteen months. Proof of transfer has been sent many, many times. They never reply to emails with the proof of transfers made and the details attached, but always reply on a new email saying are unable to find the money and that the account in arrears. The North Finchley branch manager says he can't stop the automatic letters so threats continue. Connells who were unable/unwilling to follow through the evidence of payment/leads supplied and look into the company accounts for eighteen months, did eventually stop the letters when finally an individual int the accounts department finally stepped in to resolve it.
5/5
Robbie
Robbie, Max, Tilly and Libby were amazing! They helped me achieve the full asking price for my flat. Thanks so much, I couldn't have done it without you! Sharon Reddell xxx
1/5
Appalling service DO NO USE
I have been using Connells for a long time as I let my property through them. Staff turnover is massive, very unprofessional. Hardly do anything always having to constantly chase them for updates. Never communicate with each other and always letting you down and don’t turn up for property inspections! Quality and standard of service is very poor. I would never recommend this estate agent. Connells need to get a grip and invest in people who will stick to the job and more importantly know what they are doing! DO NOT USE
1/5
Very poor services for Landlord
Very poor services for Landlord. Their fees are overpriced and they charge you much more than what tell you in the beginning. They just take your money and you do many phone calls and none address your concerns. Have been waiting for several months and still nothing refunded. In addition no work has been done to the property but still charge you. I advise Landlord to look for other agents and keep away from those thieves. It is too much to give them a star!
1/5
More silence from Connells
Connells estate agents are still on my radar as my previous reviews have shown. Since writing the earlier reviews I just want anyone considering using CONNELLS for ANY business transaction to be further aware that due to their refusal to refund my deposit for no legitimate reason, a couple of my close friends have suggested that I contact both Martin Lewis ( BBC Money Saving Expert ) and Dan Whitworth (Moneybox). So here goes to these guys who can hopefully do some real investigative journalism about why CONNELLS think it legitimate and OK to sit on a customer’s cash without any justification because if they think they are OK to do this with my cash they must be doing similar with other clients money.11.10.2023…and still no deposit back from Connells. Last week I managed to get the Area Lettings Director from Connells to intervene and he (Dan Edward’s) told me how sorry he was for what had gone on and that he promised me to make sure it would be sorted. Well Mr Edward’s it hasn’t been sorted and now I have instructed my solicitor to issue a Court Summons to recover my money! Well I hope you are able to offer the Court a good explanation as to why I have had to go to these lengths to get my money back. I have also spoken to my ex landlord who is disgusted by the unprofessional behaviour of Connells and has now confirmed he will not be using Connells for any future business. Remember the name Dan Edwards and Connells Estate agents and avoid!!
2/5
Viewed a few properties with connells Braintree. The people who showed us round were polite and great. The main issue with connells is how difficult they make things. Having already provided them with our AIP they still insisted on completing some long form on the phone as an application. They advertised a house for 10k under what the seller would even accept which meant we wasted our time viewing it and making an offer after which time they never got back to us and we had to make multiple calls to find out the sellers decision. Finally, connells are terrible at keeping their listings up to date. We called regarding properties for sale online and via Rightmove only to find they had already sold. Some of these properties were still up for sale online months later when we closed on our home. It is extremely irritating and surely can’t be that difficult to keep listings up to date.
5/5
My Fiancé and I are first time buyers and we’re really nervous about the whole process. However Nick and Bryony have made the process so easy and have been wonderful to work with. They both took their time to explain exactly what we had to do and we’re both happy to answer any questions we had. We’re can’t thank them enough for how quickly and smoothly they’ve made things for us, over the past few days I feel like they’ve moved ridiculously quickly to get things started for us. A huge thank you to everyone at Connells but Bryony and Nick in particular!!
1/5
Over valued our property to get our…
Over valued our property to get our business then after months of not putting any effort in they suggested dropping the price, which we did, they then seemed to put even less effort in after that. No one in the Malvern office seemed to have a clue what they were doing. I dropped in one day to talk to them only to find the office almost abandoned, some clueless chap on the desk, sitting in the dark trying not advertise they were open. Everyone else was on holiday or off sick! After about 6 months of getting nowhere we moved agent. Avoid.
5/5
Bryony was super helpful. Very patient, honest, accomodating, answered all our questions, even phoned us with the answers to stickler-questions the moment she got back to her office. Can't recommend enough.
1/5
Connells Estate agents..run by a bunch of cowboys.
In September 2014, my family and I returned to the UK from our home in Spain needing a house to rent long term in Warwickshire. We paid Connells estate agents £1750 security deposit for a property we have rented for the past 9 years until 26.08.2023. Our landlord then required the house back for the use of his own family. We ceased the tenancy on that date and both our landlord and myself informed Connells and the landlord requested that they release the deposit without any penalties back to me. They have made it difficult to speak to the “correct person” but each time I moved forward I end up taking a further two steps backwards. All the information that they supply for the delay refunding the money is clearly down to their inadequacies some which appear to be quite deliberate because I can’t believe that any company can be so incompetent as Connells. Beware of this bunch of cowboys, they have no credibility as far as I am concerned. I wouldn’t trust them with my granny’s pension!21.09.2023 an update, well Connells have refused to refund my £1750 offer no reason for this and Infact no communication from them so it is costing me £115.00 to issue a County Court summons, so today I am going ahead to issue. One problem with using the TDS dispute service is that it can take up to 15 weeks just to get your case resolved but the summons is much quicker. Sad that you have to go to such lengths to obtain your own money back for no genuine reason.27.09.2023. A further update. It feels totally unreal that I am still reporting on CONNELLS estate agents.Four weeks later and I still reporting and reviewing the services of this company. The bottom line is that I am still waiting for a refund of my money I foolishly allowed them to hold in trust for my landlord and myself fourteen years ago. Connells cannot be trusted. If you are tempted to rent a property via Connells, don’t. Find another letting agent. Do not use Connells.
1/5
Don't listen to times to avoid and devalue for no reason.
When booking an appointment I advised on a time not to attend as I would be unavailable and they sent the surveyor at that specific time, when I asked him about it he said the office hadn't bothered to put it down on the notes. They also decided to devalue the property just because only one other house with the same number of bedrooms in the area has sold recently (it went for more than my sale) and they refused to use the houses with one extra bedroom as comparible (even though they sold for a good value more). It's an eye opener to realise the surveyors are often forcing the market down!
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