A new home-buying service, The Homebuyer Centre, is now operating in the UK, bringing not just major change to the way people search for and buy property but fundamentally challenging both the traditional estate agency and portal models.

www.thehomebuyercentre.com – The Homebuyer Centre – draws on the highly successful business model introduced by real estate brokerage, Redfin, in the US, where two thirds of buyers now use this type of hybrid online/offline service when purchasing properties. Redfin has grown rapidly since its launch, completing $2 billion in transactions in just three years, with a customer satisfaction rate of 97 per cent.

The Homebuyer Centre is a one-stop shop for prospective buyers, saving them from having to visit estate agent after estate agent on the high street and scour portal after portal to find property. Instead, they deal with an impartial local buying agent in the area they wish to buy, who orchestrates the buying process on their behalf. This includes finding suitable properties, attending viewings, negotiating hard on the purchase price to gain the ‘edge’ on the seller, arranging mortgage finance, surveys and insurance, and overseeing the conveyancing process to make for a stress-free home move.

Buyers brief The Homebuyer Centre buying agent on the type of property they are looking for and the specific area(s) they want to buy in and he/she does the rest, liaising with the buyer over the phone, face-to-face and through a powerful online interface where viewings can be arranged and feedback given. The Homebuyer Centre combines the personal touch of a local buying agent with the powerful efficiencies of the internet, where both parties can liaise in real time.

Crucially, people using The Homebuyer Centre will not be charged upfront for the work carried out by the buying agent, but will only pay a fee if the buying agent negotiates a discount on the property that they want to purchase. This provides peace of mind for the buyer and incentivises the buying agent to secure the best possible discount on the property’s asking price. The fee is payable on completion.

Tim Hammond (pictured), CEO, The Homebuyer Centre, comments, “Earlier this year, the OFT published its study into homebuying and actively encouraged the commercialisation of new business models to bring more competitiveness, transparency and consumer focus into property transactions. The Homebuyer Centre, which follows a model that is highly successful in the US, does exactly that and is set to fundamentally change how property is purchased in the UK. For too long, the balance of power in property transactions has favoured sellers but The Homebuyer Centre changes that once and for all.

“The Homebuyer Centre is all about rationalising the way people buy property, making the process more cost-efficient for buyers — and more time-efficient. After all, why go into seven or eight estate agents on a high street, or search across half a dozen portals, none of which offers a comprehensive list of properties, when you can drop into just one Homebuyer Centre and see all the properties that are available in the area you want to buy and meet a professional who will do all the hard work for you?

“The Homebuyer Centre empowers buyers, guiding them through the entire process, helping them save as much money as possible and ensuring they are as well represented as the seller. If sellers have estate agents working for them, why shouldn’t every buyer have buying agents working on their behalf, too? And best of all, the entire buying process can be managed from under one roof.”