Trusted Agent profile
★★★★★
407 reviews across 3 platforms
9B Riverway Retail Park, Irvine, KA12 8AG, North Ayrshire, KA12 8AG
Donald Ross Estate Agents Ltd's North Ayrshire office at 9B Riverway Retail Park is rated 4.7 out of 5 across 407 reviews on three platforms, including 46 Google reviews rated 4.9.
46
Reviews on Google
This office
96
Reviews on Facebook
Business-wide
265
Reviews on Trustpilot
Business-wide
Every review we hold for the North Ayrshire office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
1/5
TrustpilotNot a great experience
Not a great experience. Communication is extremely poor. If I'm honest, it's absolute non existent. You've to call persistently hoping you don't get the answerphone during business hours. In addition, they're full of crap. Lie about things for their own end. Really not impressed. I thought Corum were bad..Perhaps this is not a true reflection of all their branches.
5/5
FacebookHighly recommend Donald Ross for selling and buying! Elle was extremely helpful and ensured we were kept up to date throughout the full selling process, answering any queries that we had and had our house sold within 2 weeks of the viewings. Elle also showed us round the property we are buying ,providing useful information regarding the local area and was able to answer all the questions that we had to put an offer in the following day.
4/5
TrustpilotEverything was at ease from start of…
Everything was at ease from start of advertising house sale until when house was sold & keys handed over..contact & correspondence between myself & the girls from the office in Irvine went perfect ...advertising of the house & the pictures were perfect & house sale went through really quickly & that was within 6 weeks which took me back but really pleased with how smooth everything went ...Thankyou to The Donald Ross team & the amazing effort they put into selling my house with amazing professionalism
5/5
TrustpilotWould highly recommend Donald Ross
Would highly recommend Donald Ross. They kept us informed every step of the way during the selling process. Rachel was our point of contact and we found her to be knowledgeable, efficient and courteous. Callum too, was very informative and his advice proved to be very helpful.
5/5
GoogleTracey was so helpful in our recent sale and purchase. We are new to the process so we leaned heavily on her for advice. Our sale went through smoothly thanks to Tracey's diligence. She even made us aware of the house we have now purchased. Donald Ross and Tracey gave us a very professional service from start to finish. She is a very pleasant and friendly young lady and nothing seemed a bother to her. We would have no hesitation in recommending her to handle your sale/purchase. Guy Scott.
Delighted to receive such a wonderful review, thank you!
1/5
TrustpilotAppalling service from start to finish
Appalling service from start to finish. “Director” Stewart Fraser arrogant, unhelpful, unprofessional and extremely insulting following a catalogue of errors by his team which led to me changing estate agents. Unfortunately the Donald Ross brand within Ayr appears to have lost its reputation as a stalwart of the property business. I’ve listed below my concerns I put to Stewart the response to which unfortunately could have been written by Ricky Gervais from the Office. “I contact you to express my frustration regarding the poor level of service provided after asking Donald Ross to sell my property in Prestwick.My property was valued on Tuesday 7th November 2020. I was told at this time if I chose to sell through Donald Ross that home report and photographs would be completed and my property on the market by Thursday (9th) afternoon or Friday 10th "at the latest". It was the evening of the 15th before my property appeared on Rightmove.I was told during the viewing that the property opposite and very similar to mine sold for £110,000 and it would be expected my property would "sell for upwards" of this figure. Despite this I was offered £101,000 was being encouraged that this was a positive offer and matter of weeks later.There was no communication regarding viewers cancelling, four in total. I only found out about these viewers when i telephoned to enquire regarding the outcome.During one of the early viewings I discovered during discussion with person showing the property that he was unaware of an allocated parking space being attached to the property despite me making Donald Ross aware of this and it being listed on Rightmove. I listened in frustration to the person showing the property describe how he explained to the potential buyer how it would cost "£2000-£3000" to install a driveway. There's a allocated parking space literally yards from the area he was speaking about.I was told I had received a "written offer". My solicitor received no offer so we are unsure as to what Donald Ross considers a "written offer" as both my solicitor and the estate agent I have moved my property too are unable to understand or even hazard a guess as to why a "written offer" would not be passed on to my solicitor.My property was viewed again after the "written offer" had been submitted. Both my solicitor and the estate agent I have moved my property too have stated on no circumstances should this have been allowed to happen and that I should have be advised to this affect.I was told this viewing would take place on Saturday 15th January however when I called the office on Saturday evening there was no note of the visit.Between 13.55 on Tuesday 18th January and 14.00 on Wednesday 19th I attempted to telephone Ayr office on 8 separate occasions before getting through to be informed that there was no response to voicemail left for potential buyer to confirm offer. There was no option to leave voicemail as call would simply disconnect after a period of ringing. I can only imagine the personal looking to confirm or withdraw offer would have the same issue I had. I also wonder how many potential buyers looked else where when attempting to get through to book an appointment.Prior to getting through I telephoned the Kilmarnock office to confirm there wasn't an issue with the Ayr telephone lines. I was informed no and was told how busy the office was and how many properties they had "on" just now. To be frank this is not my problem as I am paying for service that simply has not being provided. Until the last 24 hours I had been willing to overlook the poor service however when the basics of not being able to get through via telephone is not being provided then its simply not good enough.I contact you to raise this complaint and request a refund of the monies paid given the service offered has not been provided. I was also ask if there is an independent body that regulates estate agents and what there contact details are?”I am yet to receive even an apology for the service and have taken my case to the ombudsman.Your response has highlighted your poor performance, lack of insight, reinforced your arrogance to the wider public, displayed there’s is not one apology, acknowledgement of fault / awareness that the customer experience has been extremely poor. I highlighted your name in my review as you are “director”. The only reason I did not post your responses was employee names were included, employees that although made errors were complete polite, respectful and understanding. I provided screenshots of calls I made that weren’t answered and the telephone recordings provided supported my account which unfortunately shows how inept you are. I’m delighted you have chosen to make public your response as it illustrates my point better than I could articulate
Thank you for taking the time to provide a review of your opinion of our service. We are sorry to hear you feel your experience was not that of the high standards we strive to exceed at Donald Ross Residential. We would like to address the following points.Customer Comments.“Appalling service from start to finish. “Director” Stewart Fraser arrogant, unhelpful, unprofessional and extremely insulting following a catalogue of errors by his team which led to me changing estate agents. Unfortunately the Donald Ross brand within Ayr appears to have lost its reputation as a stalwart of the property business. I’ve listed below my concerns I put to Stewart the response to which unfortunately could have been written by Ricky Gervais from the Office”.Donald Ross Response.The Donald Ross brand has not “lost its reputation as a stalwart of the property business”. Donald Ross Residential continues to provide outstanding customer service and satisfaction. We serve thousands of highly delighted clients each year and we are proud to have a Trustpilot rating of 4.7 out of 5 where over 95% of clients have described our service as GREAT or EXCELLENT . We are a multi award winning Estate Agency and rated within the top 5% of high performing Estate Agents within the UK and in 2021 we were winners of Best Estate Agents in Scotland and Best Professional Service Provider at Scotland’s Business Awards. We are not sure what you mean by the reference to Ricky Gervais from The Office but we would be delighted to be even half as successful as that character made that hit TV show. Customer Comments.“ Good afternoon, I contact you to express my frustration regarding the poor level of service provided after asking Donald Ross to sell my property 4 Nisbet Drive in Prestwick.My property was valued on Tuesday 7th November 2020. I was told at this time if I chose to sell through Donald Ross that home report and photographs would be completed and my property on the market by Thursday (9th) afternoon or Friday 10th "at the latest". It was the evening of the 15th before my property appeared on Rightmove.I was told during the viewing that the property opposite and very similar to mine sold for £110,000 and it would be expected my property would "sell for upwards" of this figure. Despite this I was offered £101,000 was being encouraged that this was a positive offer and matter of weeks later.Donald Ross Response.The property was actually valued on the 7th of December 2021. Our photographer attended the property on Thursday the 9th of December which was in line with our timescale, aiming to have the property on the market for Friday 10th of December. Unfortunately, due to events outwith our control during the covid pandemic the earliest an Independent Surveyor could attend the property to conduct the Home Report was Monday the 13th of December. We valued this property at £100,000, which was exactly what the survey valuation reported by Graham & Sibbald Surveyors. We explained we were able to achieve a sale price of £110,000 for a property very similar across the street and we would do everything to achieve such a fantastic price for your property. Albeit that property had a much newer bathroom suite and was in generally better condition.Customer Comments.There was no communication regarding viewers cancelling, four in total. I only found out about these viewers when i telephoned to enquire regarding the outcome.Donald Ross Response.When we conduct viewings on behalf of a client at a vacant property and there are multiple viewings on the same day we do not call a Vendor to let them know of every viewer who has decided not to attend. We feel it is best practice to pass on this information when we update our clients with viewers feedback. During this unprecedented busy time in the property market with so many Applicants booking viewings and some cancelling for numerous reasons, we feel this is the most efficient use of time. During the covid pandemic viewings are cancelled on a much more regular basis due to applicants testing positive and having to self isolate. Customer Comments.During one of the early viewings I discovered during discussion with person showing the property that he was unaware of an allocated parking space being attached to the property despite me making Donald Ross aware of this and it being listed on Rightmove. I listened in frustration to the person showing the property describe how he explained to the potential buyer how it would cost "£2000-£3000" to install a driveway. There's a allocated parking space literally yards from the area he was speaking about.Donald Ross Response.Our Agent was asked by a viewer if the chipped area beside the path belonged to the property as they wondered if they could develop this space into a driveway. All our telephone calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes, after listening to the actual call, you advised our Agent that the “chipped part is mine”, having checked the title plan, We can see that this portion of ground does not belong to your property. There was no mention as to what creating a driveway might cost as suggested in your email (we provided this client a copy of the telephone recording and a copy of the title plan for evidence of this). Our Agent was aware there was a parking space included in the title of the property but diligently wanted to specify which car park as there is a car park across the street and also one to the right of the building. He also wanted to explain fully to the viewer exactly what car space belonged to your property.Customer Comments.I was told I had received a "written offer" from a Mrs *****. My solicitor received no offer so we are unsure as to what Donald Ross considers a "written offer" as both my solicitor and the estate agent I have moved my property too are unable to understand or even hazard a guess as to why a "written offer" would not be passed on to my solicitor.My property was viewed again after the "written offer" had been submitted. Both my solicitor and the estate agent I have moved my property too have stated on no circumstances should this have been allowed to happen and that I should have be advised to this affect.Donald Ross Response.We did advise you that we had received a written offer, but as the potential purchaser requested to see the property for a second time immediately after submitting the written offer, we would not be passing this offer to your solicitor as this condition of offer would have to be purified before we would process the offer and pass it to you and your solicitor. Meanwhile we continued to market the property and seek out other potential buyers. It is Donald Ross Residential’s policy that once a written offer is submitted and accepted the Purchasers cannot revisit the property until the legal missives are concluded, unless we are instructed differently by our Client.Customer Comments.I was told this viewing would take place on Saturday 15th January however when I called the office on Saturday evening there was no note of the visit.Donald Ross Response.Unfortunately the viewer could not make the viewing on the Saturday the 15th of January but they were able to attend the second viewing on Tuesday the 18th of January. Throughout this period the property was continuously marketed. Customer Comments.Between 13.55 on Tuesday 18th January and 14.00 on Wednesday 19th I attempted to telephone Ayr office on 8 separate occasions before getting through to be informed that there was no response to voicemail left for potential buyer to confirm offer. There was no option to leave voicemail as call would simply disconnect after a period of ringing. I can only imagine the personal looking to confirm or withdraw offer would have the same issue I had. I also wonder how many potential buyers looked else where when attempting to get through to book an appointment.Prior to eventually getting through I telephoned the Kilmarnock office to confirm there wasn't some sort of issue with the Ayr telephone lines. I was informed no and was told how busy the office was and how many properties they had "on" just now. To be brutally frank this is not my problem as I am paying for service that simply has not being provided. Until the last 24 hours I had been willing to overlook the poor service however when the absolute basics of not being able to get through via telephone is not being provided then its simply not good enough.Donald Ross Response.At Donald Ross we have three separate telephone numbers, one for each branch. However our incoming telephone calls are answerable in all our branches concurrently. When a client calls any of the telephone numbers, all of the phones within our three branches ring. We had the system specifically designed to have 18 available lines for inbound and outbound calling. At any one time we have 14 staff throughout our branches who could be on a call at the same time but with 18 lines there is no possibility that a call could go unanswered unless at that specific time all our advisors were on calls, but that is highly unlikely. At that time we had 14 members of staff in our offices with an additional four lines available. We have asked our telecoms engineer to look into that time to see if a call was not answered 8 times and why. Yes, we are handing a huge amount of inbound calls due to the current market but we have a specifically designed telecoms system and sufficient staff levels to ensure this sort of thing does not happen. But thank you for bringing this to our attention.Customer Comments.I contact you to raise this complaint and request a refund of the monies paid given the service offered has not been provided. The frustration of having to make additional mortgages payments on my property whilst this poor service has played out is unfair enough without paying a fee for a service that has not been provided. I was also ask if there is an independent body that regulates estate agents and what there contact details are?Donald Ross Response.The property was placed on the market on the 15th of December. We received an offer on the 12th of January which you were willing to accept. Within 28 days we produced an offer and given that so much of this time is taken up by the Christmas and New Year’s holidays we feel that we have performed extremely well. There has been no additional mortgage payments made during this period outwith the norm that are a result of your opinion of poor service.Customer Comments.I am yet to receive even an apology for the service and have taken my case to the ombudsman. Donald Ross Response.We are sorry that you feel your experience was not that of the same high standard as so many of our valued clients who recommend Donald Ross to family and friends have become accustomed to. We take all your comments on board and where there are lessons to be learned from this experience we will be sure to do so.We have provided this client the details of The Property Ombudsman and welcome any investigation into our service.
5/5
TrustpilotI had the pleasure of dealing with Donald Ross …
I had the pleasure of dealing with Donald Ross when selling my home . They explained everything thoroughly and kept me up to date every step of the way until the sale. I’m so happy I chose them and big shout out to Will and Maureen, so lovely and professional. I would recommend Donald Ross 100 percent. Many thanks and been a pleasure .
5/5
GoogleTracey was fantastic, sold my property in 3 weeks. Tracey handled all the viewings herself, and 3 weeks later i was handing over the keys to the new buyer. Couldn't have asked for any better service.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review it is very much appreciated
5/5
TrustpilotSelling with Donald Ross
I have recently sold 2 properties using Donald Ross and found the service they provided to be impressive from start through to completion. James's knowledge of the local property market is exceptional, allowing him to provide a realistic and achievable valuation. Maureen and Tracey were both excellent in arranging viewings and keeping me informed of developments throughout the whole process. I would not hesitate to use Donald Ross again or recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional service.
Thanks Tracy, it was our pleasure!
1/5
TrustpilotThis agency should be avoided at all…
This agency should be avoided at all costs if you want to sell your house. They are unhelpful in the extreme, staff are disinterested once they have your money and the director Ms Miller is the most arrogant woman I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. She appears to have delusions of being business woman of the year when in fact her little company can't even do the basics right.Edited in reply to Donald Ross: It's funny how only bad reviews are questioned by you. Do you only allow good ones?
We do not believe this to be a legitimate review. We have asked Trustpilot to investigate this review.As you will see , some of our reviews are organic and others are by invitation.We do not wish to sensor reviews, only to learn from them and improve the client experience.We would be very grateful if you could provide further details of your experience as a customer. If you do not wish to discuss on this platform please email office@donaldross.co.uk
3/5
TrustpilotClaire Rowallan
Claire Rowallan was my main point of contact and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She gets 5+ stars from me as she offers exceptional personal service and goes above and beyond her actual role to make deals happen for people. She is extremely efficient and pays huge attention to detail. It’s very refreshing and makes the whole process and awful lot more pleasant. Maureen in the office was efficient and kept me informed at all times too.
Hi Liz, Thank you so much for the review although we are sorry we did not score more than 3/5. We will continue to review our service and strive to do better.
5/5
GoogleTracey sold our house, everything went smoothly and easily and we got good price above home report after going to closing date. She also then contacted us to say she had a house we may like to view! So we viewed it as soon as it was on market and offer was accepted! Tracey made the estate agent part of selling and buying very easy.
Fantastic review Hazel, we are happy that you are happy!!
5/5
GoogleFrom beginning to end the team kept us informed every step of the way. A special thanks to Elle for keeping me calm and answering the many questions I had.
This is great to receive Marie and Elle was particularly delighted that you mentioned her within your review. It's a pleasure to be of service to you.
5/5
TrustpilotWe had a great experience with Donald…
We had a great experience with Donald Ross! They were very responsive throughout the process and extremely helpful! A special mention to Elle, she was absolutely lovely, super helpful, and able to answer all our questions with ease. Her knowledge and friendly approach made the whole experience even better. Would definitely recommend!
5/5
TrustpilotDelighted with my Donald Ross buying…
Delighted with my Donald Ross buying and selling experience. Gavin was extremely helpful when selling my flat and even after the sale fell through, (through no fault of Donald Ross) - i was quickly back on the market and had sold again in just a matter of days. Definitely a stress free experience and I would certainly recommend Gavin and the Donald Ross team to anyone.
Thank you Nicola
5/5
TrustpilotOutstanding
I just wanted to express my appreciation and sincere thanks for everything that Fraser, Maureen and the team at Donald Ross did with regard to the sale of my house. From Fraser's initial visit and guidance throughout the preparations before launching the property, to Maureen's organisation and support at the time of the viewings, the closing date and up to completion, the whole experience was outstanding. I could not recommend Donald Ross highly enough.
5/5
TrustpilotOutstanding
I just wanted to express my appreciation and sincere thanks for everything that Fraser, Maureen and the team at Donald Ross did with regard to the sale of my house. From Fraser's initial visit and guidance throughout the preparations before launching the property, to Maureen's organisation and support at the time of the viewings, the closing date and up to completion, the whole experience was outstanding. I could not recommend Donald Ross highly enough.
5/5
TrustpilotOutstanding Service - sold our house in less the 7 days
Great experience from the outset, from the Valuation by Tracey, who listened and understood our circumstances. She took plenty of time to fully explain Donald Ross's process, organising the Photographer & arranging the Home Report etc.... all of which were actioned in a matter of days. Immediately after the schedule was approved and going live online, bookings for viewings were arranged at a time which suited us. We had the option for them to carry out viewings for a small fee but opted to do the viewings ourself and they went brilliantly. Feedback from the team was received promptly and every member of the team we interacted with were fully up to speed and able to answer any questions we asked about our sale & offers.A truly professional, confident team who helped get our house sold in less than a week. We will definitely keep in mind if we ever choose to move in the future.We would highly recommend the Ayr/Irvine Team to anyone who is looking for a first class local Agency to sell their property - they will be in very capable hands.
5/5
TrustpilotFantastic Team!
Great from the get go. Scheduled my viewing promptly and at a time which suited me - thanks Naomi.Viewing went great very informative and forthcoming about the property - thanks Deanne. Dealing with the offer I put on a property as my first I had the pleasure of speaking with Maureen who gave me the great news that my offer had been accepted.Great team will definitely keep in mind for when I sell in the future, couldn’t have made my first property buying experience any easier. Thanks
5/5
TrustpilotVery professional service. Highly recommended.
Very professional service and could not fault it. From customer services to sale was an all round positive experience. Helen in customer services responded to every question promptly and made me feel comfortable at all stages of the selling process. The photographer was really good and the pics made the house look amazing. The house was on the market for a week, 2 viewing slots over 2 days and sale executed by end of it by Claire. Claire was brilliant dealing with prospective buyers and was very informative, pleasant and great at her job. Thanks Jacqueline and team for making this a smooth and seamless process from start to finish. I would highly recommend Donald Ross Residential to my friends and family. Mary
5/5
TrustpilotI would like to thank Donald Ross for…
I would like to thank Donald Ross for the quick sale of our home, From the initial meeting with Fraser Stewart, then Maureen McInnes ( Sales negotiator) very professional and courteous, they made selling very easy and we were always well informed. Property Advisor's Callum Gott, Will-Johnston Aitken and Elliot Masterton were also fantastic very professional.
5/5
TrustpilotPleasure to deal with !
Sold our house late last year and Donald Ross Kilmarnock made it so easy from the lovely Maureen at reception to Callum coming to value house etc. Didn’t have to chase them up once all in all would recommend.
5/5
TrustpilotBest experience of viewing a house we've had !
We viewed a house on a Sunday, a week ago, & were shown around the property by Claire from Donald Ross. We have to say how lovely Claire was, with our endless questions being answered with honesty, & patience ! We were fortunate enough to have our offer accepted by the seller, & we want to thank Claire for turning out on a Sunday, to do viewings. IF we ever moved again, & had to sell, we would only ever turn to Claire to help us. What an asset she must be to Donald Ross. Once again a big thank-you Claire . Tim & Marion
5/5
TrustpilotHave recently sold with Donald Ross and…
Have recently sold with Donald Ross and was impressed with the staff and service from the beginning. Tracey was very ambitious about what sales figure could be achieved from the property and we were well advised as to how to show our property off in the best light. Both Tracey and Claire helped us with viewings and we were able to secure an offer within two weeks. All staff were very good to deal with on the phone and by email. Helen had a very reassuring manner in particular. Would definitely recommend.
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Donald Ross Estate Agents Ltd's North Ayrshire office has 407 reviews across three platforms: 46 on Google, 96 on Facebook (across the whole business), 265 on Trustpilot (across the whole business).
Donald Ross Estate Agents Ltd North Ayrshire is rated 4.7 out of 5 across all 407 reviews, and 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 46 reviews.
Donald Ross Estate Agents Ltd North Ayrshire, 9B Riverway Retail Park, Irvine, KA12 8AG, North Ayrshire, KA12 8AG.
