“We are the only Auctioneer / Estate Agent to offer a fixed fee service. It’s time for a change and for customers to benefit from a competitively priced service,” says Tony Johnston of Property4U.

Tony is one of four partners of the Cork based company which was launched in 2006. Property4u is a totally unique concept offering a flat fee of €999 plus VAT to sell your home. Involved in sales for over 20 years, Tony is accredited with being the person that had the vision for the business and along with his partner’s, other like-minded people believed that a new approach to the Auctioneering business was needed.

Tony says that some years ago when he and his wife were selling their family home they were astounded by the fees that they were quoted. “The most competitive price at the time was 1.5 per cent commission and additional advertising costs would apply….most companies even charged for their ‘For Sale’ sign to be erected,” he says.

 “We shopped around and looked at alternative ways of selling. At that time some new web based ‘sell it yourself’ web sites were in operation but it was evident that most people were not that keen to handle the viewings of  their own homes and indeed would not be confident  in handling the negotiations.

“So nearly four years ago I saw that there was a definite niche in the market for a comprehensive, competitive up-front and honest service.

“I found in my research that in order to sell a clients house it is extremely important to give it maximum exposure by having the property in the public domain constantly hence the decision to advertise our clients properties in both the newspapers and on the internet, an invaluable tool as it is the first port of call for the majority of potential purchasers.

“I approached some people that I knew would equally share my enthusiasm for the idea of a fixed fee service and in October 2006 we opened for business. We were off to a great start with our first clients, their property was sold in a matter of days and we saved them over €12,000 in the process. Since then we have opened our new offices in Douglas and have had many satisfied clients that have saved thousands by using our service. We also offer a property letting and management service and also have a range of overseas investment properties on offer.”

When selling your property, traditional Auctioneer fees would range from 1 per cent to 3 per cent plus VAT, the average charge being 1.5 per cent, so, for example, a property sold for €400,000 the homeowner will pay €6,000 plus VAT and also additional fees for advertising and the likes.