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Consumer watchdog Which? has welcomed the launch of iSold, describing it as giving consumers the chance to sell their own homes.

At the same time, iSold is now appearing on Rightmove, which bans private sale by owner sites. iSold does, however, perform some estate agency services even at its cheapest package, as currently defined, including providing For Sale boards and making valuation visits.

Rightmove were offered the chance to comment, but have so far not done so. However, it is believed that the Property Ombudsman scheme felt that it had no alternative than to accept iSold as a member.

The Which? article is headlined: “Sell your own home for £999 with Tesco” and “New website offers commission-free homes”.

The article says: “Tesco has teamed up with estate agent Spicer Haart to launch a new property website that offers consumers the chance to sell their own homes for a flat fee of £999.

“Typically, estate agents charge customers commission of between 1% and 2% of their property’s final sale price – fees that can reach many thousands of pounds. Therefore, iSold.com claims that consumers who choose to sell their homes using its online service could make substantial savings.”

Under a further headline, “Selling your own home”, the article continues: “Selling your own home could certainly save you money – and the higher your property’s value, the more cash you stand to keep in your pocket,” says Which? Money editor James Daley.

“It’s also nice to see a site like this launching now, in light of the Office of Fair Trading’s recent pledge to encourage more innovation and competition in the home buying and selling market.

“However, it’s important to think carefully before you undertake to sell your own home. For example, it’s crucial to consider that you comply with the law when supplying images and descriptions of your property to prospective buyers.”

Online estate agent Trevor Mealham said he was dismayed at iSold’s listing facility on Rightmove. He said: “Following recent increases, agents are not happy that their years of membership and Rightmove’s huge profits last year are now being used to allow iSold into the marketplace.”

See original article: http://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/News/Story/?title=Which%3F%20welcomes%20launch%20of%20%27private%20sale%27%20site%20iSold&storyid=2918&type=news_features