Southampton City Centre, Southampton, SO14
4.7/5, 59 reviews
93% recommended
100% sales valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
100% lettings valuation accuracy
95% lettings fee satisfaction



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“I recently purchased a house in the Inner Avenue area ......”

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Jul 10,2012
Minithumbup
By: 'Andy'
Jul 10,2012
5 people found
this helpful
I recently purchased a house in the Inner Avenue area of Southampton and was able to compare the estate agencies I came into contact with. The people I purchased from used Enfields in London Road. I sold my old place in St Marys using Morris Dibben, also in London Road, Southampton.

One can compare different agencies in a number of ways, I chose 'business model' and 'how I felt they dealt with me':

Business model

In my local area (this relates to the London Road branch, I have no knowledge of other branches), the Enfields model is based on providing accurate market valuations to prospective customers. Given the state of the housing market, this means they are often saying something that you (the seller) might not want to hear. They don't try to get the instruction by telling you what you do want to hear (i.e. by exaggerating the value of your property).

In contrast, my local branch of Morris Dibben over-value properties by about £10,000 (a property that will sell at about £175k will go on the market at about £189k rather than £179K). They exploit the folly of sellers who wish to pretend that the falling housing market of the last four-five years hasn't happened. In my opinion, from observations of and encounters locally with sellers, people who bought at the top of the market are particularly vulnerable to the blandishments of the Morris Dibben valuers. People who overpaid at the top of the market 'in order to get on the ladder' seem to be especially prone to the Morris Dibben pitch.

The results of this are visible in the Inner Avenue area of Southampton in terms of Morris Dibben For Sale signs that are almost permanent fixtures. One house in Peterborough Road has had a Morris Dibben For Sale sign outside it for about two years. There is a house in Dover Street, the seller believed the nonsense she was told about the value of her property and now finds herself faced with the prospect of reducing the price again (she has reduced it once already, several weeks ago, but it was so over-valued that she will need to do so again). When they do finally sell a house the sign will stay up for months, if they can get away with it, so that it creates the impression that they are effective. (The Enfields sign was removed after a couple of days without my having to ask.)

Having encouraged you to market your house for more than it is worth, Morris Dibben then attempt to get you to accept very low offers. Their attitude is that you are being unreasonable in holding out for £5k less than the advertised price when that price came from them. "It's your price, from your valuer." I would say, impishly, just to see them look flustered and change the subject.

Enfields provide a realistic price, houses they market sell faster and thus their costs are lower. Morris Dibben is stuffed full of staff and activity and that looks good - "hey, what a busy place" - but they might have to show 50 potential buyers around your house, or more, and you (the seller) will have to go through the possibly painful process of admitting to yourself that you've been manipulated. Activity, in itself, is not a virtue; it depends what those people are doing (and to whom). The price of the house in Peterborough Road has been reduced by the vendor by £5k, but it is still over-priced and this evening the For Sale sign is still there. I would recommend that people who want to sell a property in Southampton go to Enfields in London Road - the valuation they give your property will be lower than their main local competitor, but they are being honest and that is a good thing.

How I felt they dealt with me

I only dealt with Jonathan Pinhorne at Enfileds so this only applies to him (but he is the boss and so his attitudes set the tone). I dealt with many of the many staff at Morris Dibben and this is a general comment on the culture in that branch and how it effects the way they dealt with me generally (i.e. there is a culture in that office and it affects everyone, some individuals more than others).

Firstly, Enfields are a franchise which means that Jonathan is the proprietor, what happens in his business reflects on him, personally. Morris Dibben are part of the giant conglomerate Countrywide PLC, which has "10,000 personnel nationwide, working across 1,300 estate agency or lettings offices operating under 46 local high street brands . . ." (wikipedia). You get a personal service from Enfields, it is run by someone who does give a shit. I can't say the same for Countrywide, as represented by Morris Dibben in London Road, Southampton.

If Morris Dibben start off by telling you fibs about the value of your house, how does it develop? Well, with Morris Dibben I often didn't know what was going on - later, they lied about my house sale to the people I was buying from (who were buying from a seller who'd hired Morris D). It was a blatant lie and a very blatant attempt to pressurise me by threatening my purchase. A member of Morris Dibben staff told the people I was buying from that my sale had fallen through, which it hadn't; the intention was to scare the people I was buying from and thus pressurise me into accepting a lower price than I wanted from my buyer. When the people I was buying from agreed a price with the people they were buying from, Morris Dibben withheld that information from me. From that point on I had almost no contact from them at all. I was able to rely on Jonathan from Enfields for news that Morris Dibben should have told me, without him it would have been a lot more stressful and the whole thing could have fallen through. I was very impressed, hence this detailed assessment.

To put it bluntly, I was paying Morris Dibben to stab me in the back and work for my buyer rather than for me. Then, just to top it off, they ignored me all together. Their business model (in that branch, I can't speak for elsewhere) means they are always furtive, they have to be dishonest throughout because of where they started from (a dishonest valuation).

When I moved into my new home there was a welcome card from those I had bought it from: the first sentence in it reads "Despite the best efforts of Morris Dibben to cock things up for us all, [the house] is now yours!"

Next time I have a house to sell? Well, I have learnt a lot and I will sell through Enfields. I'm not prone to recommending businesses, even if (for instance) a builder is very good in my experience, I will say no more than 'they were good on this occasion'. But I would recommend Enfileds whilst Jonathan has the franchise on my local branch. His approach is the opposite of the stereotypical estate agent.
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Opening Hours
Address

Enfields Estate Agents
46 Oxford Street
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 3DP
02380 706011

Performance statistics
Services Valuation Accuracy Fees Satisfaction Min Price of property reviewed Max Price of property reviewed
Sales 100% 100% £83,000 £337,000
Lettings 100% 95% £500 £1,200
Review statistics
From Landlords From Tenants From Vendors From Buyers Other
13 0 7 3 23 1 10 0 2 0
Areas covered
  • SO14
  • SO15
  • SO16
  • SO17
  • SO18
  • SO19
Services offered
  • Sales
  • Lettings
  • Block Management
  • Surveys
  • Conveyancing
  • Mortgage Advice
Members of
ARLA TPOS Sales TPOS Lettings TPOS DPS Move With Us
Latest Properties

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Images & Videos

“Lots of misinformation given before moving in......”

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Aug 07,2019
Minithumbdown
By: 'James'
Aug 07,2019
0 people found
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Lots of misinformation given before moving into the property, when given our notice I did inform them that some of the information we had been given was false so that the next tenants wouldn't have the same issue. On the agents doing their viewings I ...
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“Excellent service...”

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Aug 29,2018
Minithumbup
By: 'Andy'
Aug 29,2018
0 people found
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Excellent company to do business with I would definitely work with them again, the staff are very friendly and the girls humour in the office make the branch stand out...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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“Rebecca gleeson...”

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Aug 22,2018
Minithumbup
By: 'Paul'
Aug 22,2018
0 people found
this helpful
Rebecca Gleeson is a pleasure to deal with and all ways goes the extra mile to to make sure you are happy and satisfied with every thing i would 100% recommend Rebecca Gleeson / enfields for all you're letting / sales needs thank you rebecca...
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good
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“Enfields Hythe sold my property at the price I wanted ,......”

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Mar 03,2017
Minithumbup
By: 'Peter'
Mar 03,2017
0 people found
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Enfields Hythe sold my property at the price I wanted ,kept me in the picture constantly,negotiated well on my behalf and advised me from start to finish in difficult circumstances. An extremely good service with 5 stars and recommended as the best....
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Comment on agent fees
Very reasonable
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“Enfields initially seemed like a good estate agent. They were ......”

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Jun 06,2016
Minithumbdown
Georgia
By: 'Heather'
Jun 06,2016
1 people found
this helpful
Enfields initially seemed like a good estate agent. They were quick and effective at arranging a viewing and getting the tenancy documents out to me. However, since I paid (!) and signed the agreement they have degenerated into a disorganised mess. Initially, they changed next door's ...
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“We are currently buying a flat through Enfields Oxford Street ......”

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May 06,2016
Minithumbup
Sam
By: 'Enfields'
May 06,2016
0 people found
this helpful
We are currently buying a flat through Enfields Oxford Street and they have matched our property criteria exactly. Sam has been especially helpful and has an excellent knowledge of the area which has really helped and nothing has been too much trouble for him. I ...
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Comment on agent fees
Not applicable
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“I brought a property through Enfields in Oxford Street and ......”

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Apr 26,2016
Minithumbup
Sam
By: 'Mr'
Apr 26,2016
1 people found
this helpful
I brought a property through Enfields in Oxford Street and the knowledge that Sam showed of the Ocean Village area was expectional. It was refreshing to have an agent who knew the area and the apartment blocks well and he actually gave an honest opinion ...
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Good
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“The team at Enfields have been extremely efficient in arranging ......”

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Apr 07,2016
Minithumbup
Georgia
Melissa
By: 'Paul'
Apr 07,2016
1 people found
this helpful
The team at Enfields have been extremely efficient in arranging a new tenant for my property after the first tenants were given notice following a property inspection which identified their failure to keep the property in good condition. Everybody has been very helpful. Queries and ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fee level is very reasonable for the effective service provided
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“Cannot fault the service that I have had so far ......”

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Mar 30,2016
Minithumbup
Georgia
Jack
By: 'Euan'
Mar 30,2016
1 people found
this helpful
Cannot fault the service that I have had so far in the process of finding a tenant for my property. Would certainly recommend their assistance to others. Both Jack and Georgia that I have dealt with provided prompt and attentive support throughout the process....
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Comment on agent fees
Very competetive
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“I was extremely pleased with the service provided by the ......”

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Mar 19,2016
Minithumbup
Sam
Shaun
By: 'Feroz'
Mar 19,2016
1 people found
this helpful
I was extremely pleased with the service provided by the Enfields Estate agents (Southampton Oxford branch), and they provide full value for the fees they charge, which was very reasonable compared to other estate agents. Sam B was extremely helpful, friendly and professional when bringing ...
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Comment on agent fees
Very competitive, and reasonable price when compared with other estate agents
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“Very impressed from the moment I booked for viewings to ......”

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Mar 14,2016
Minithumbup
Shaun
By: 'Riti'
Mar 14,2016
0 people found
this helpful
Very impressed from the moment I booked for viewings to the negotiations, interim communications and after sales service. Charlie was organised and professional during the negotiations. Shaun handled the after sales service brilliantly - certainly better than my own solicitors! Both staff are very knowledgeable ...
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Comment on agent fees
Not applicable as I was the buyer in this instance. So very good value for money for me!
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“I've been really impressed with Enfields. They found me a ......”

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Mar 11,2016
Minithumbup
Georgia
Jack
By: 'Joe'
Mar 11,2016
0 people found
this helpful
I've been really impressed with Enfields. They found me a tenant quickly, I was kept up to date, and the process of signing tenancy contracts was so slick being online. They always respond quickly to emails and I never have to chase a response. Fantastic ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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“Amazing service with Enfields. Keeps you in the loop of ......”

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Mar 01,2016
Minithumbup
Will
By: 'Amy'
Mar 01,2016
1 people found
this helpful
Amazing service with Enfields. Keeps you in the loop of everything. Really pleased I went with them. Will and Sam thank you....
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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“Enfields were fantastic throughout the whole process. Josh ensured we ......”

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Feb 19,2016
Minithumbup
By: 'Claire'
Feb 19,2016
0 people found
this helpful
Enfields were fantastic throughout the whole process. Josh ensured we were kept up to date with all the information we needed and was always available to answer questions and to show us around the property a few times. I would definitely recommend enfields to anyone ...
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Comment on agent fees
Acceptable fees.
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“The team were helpful and professional at all times :-)......”

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Feb 10,2016
Minithumbup
By: 'Debs'
Feb 10,2016
0 people found
this helpful
The team were helpful and professional at all times :-)I am happy enough with service. They were efficient too and answered all my questions....
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Comment on agent fees
Quite high compared to our previous agent.
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“We urgently needed to find new tenants for our property ......”

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Feb 07,2016
Minithumbup
Jack
Georgia
By: 'Alice'
Feb 07,2016
0 people found
this helpful
We urgently needed to find new tenants for our property and Enfields took over with this just before Christmas - not a great time of year! They found us tenants early January who have just moved in. Correspondence was initially with Jack and then Georgia ...
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Comment on agent fees
Fair
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“My experience with Enfield's Shirley & Southampton has always been fantastic, ......”

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Jan 26,2016
Minithumbup
Jack
Georgia
By: 'Nick'
Jan 26,2016
0 people found
this helpful
My experience with Enfield's Shirley & Southampton has always been fantastic, Enfield's now look after all of my property's and I would recommend them to anyone. All the staff are very polite and helpful but recently I have been looked after by Georgia, Jack & Paul. thanks ...
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Comment on agent fees
Very Good
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“Melissa has been great from start to finish. Always a ......”

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Jan 23,2016
Minithumbup
By: 'Yasmin'
Jan 23,2016
0 people found
this helpful
Melissa has been great from start to finish. Always a prompt response and never had a single problem with a tenant....
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“We have been extremely pleased with the service, advice and ......”

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Jan 22,2016
Minithumbup
Sam
Will
By: 'Gloria'
Jan 22,2016
2 people found
this helpful
We have been extremely pleased with the service, advice and support received from Enfields and in particular from Sam Binnington with whom we have had the most contact. Sam has always been professional and courteous and accompanied all the viewers to our investment property. He ...
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Comment on agent fees
Reasonable / accepatable
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“Enfields has a very simplified and user friendly process, which ......”

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Dec 21,2015
Minithumbup
Georgia
By: 'Sriram'
Dec 21,2015
0 people found
this helpful
Enfields has a very simplified and user friendly process, which saves you a lot of time and head-ache. Georgia was really helpful and always responded fast. She made sure that everything is taken care of and kept in loop. Joshua showed me around the property ...
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Comment on agent fees
Cheaper than many others around the same area.
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“Have used Enfields for both buying and letting and would ......”

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Dec 16,2015
Minithumbup
Jack
Georgia
By: 'Marilyn'
Dec 16,2015
1 people found
this helpful
Have used Enfields for both buying and letting and would definitely recommend them for their service and good value. I would especially like to thank Jack and Georgia for their patience and look forward to doing business with them in the future....
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Comment on agent fees
Very reasonable.
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“As a 'hands on' Landlord of some twenty years, I ......”

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Dec 15,2015
Minithumbup
Jack
Georgia
By: 'Simon'
Dec 15,2015
2 people found
this helpful
As a 'hands on' Landlord of some twenty years, I very much enjoy the process of renovating and getting ready accommodation to let in Southampton. So when the process came of handing over the prospective tenant finding to Jack, Georgia & the team, it was a ...
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Comment on agent fees
The fees paid were very reasonable for the amount of work put in over and above what was expected.
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“Excellent and friendly service. Followed up on every promise and ......”

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Dec 14,2015
Minithumbup
Shaun
Will
By: 'Amit'
Dec 14,2015
1 people found
this helpful
Excellent and friendly service. Followed up on every promise and ensured timely communication all the way through the process to ensure I was always abreast of the situation. Thanks to the team...
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Comment on agent fees
Very competitive
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“Over the the last year the Enfields team have provided ......”

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Dec 08,2015
Minithumbup
Sam
Will
By: 'ollie'
Dec 08,2015
1 people found
this helpful
Over the the last year the Enfields team have provided an excellent service for me. Sam, will and branch manager paul really put me at ease and helped me with every step. I would highly recommend their knowledge and manner in which they deal with ...
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“Excellent service, men of those word - took flat off ......”

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Nov 06,2015
Minithumbup
Sam
By: 'Katie'
Nov 06,2015
1 people found
this helpful
Excellent service, men of those word - took flat off sales list as soon as offer was put in by me, helpful in getting keys to me out of hours and were decent and not pushy at all stages of the sale. Would highly recommend ...
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“I dealt with Toby, Georgia and Jack and all three ......”

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Feb 17,2015
Minithumbup
Georgia
By: 'Libby'
Feb 17,2015
5 people found
this helpful
I dealt with Toby, Georgia and Jack and all three were very professional, friendly and helpful. Since moving to Southampton I have had to deal with a lot of lettings agents and I found many to be lacking in motivation, but everyone at Enfield's did ...
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“Georgia was friendly, helpful and always responded in a timely ......”

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Feb 16,2015
Minithumbup
Georgia
By: 'Chloe'
Feb 16,2015
2 people found
this helpful
Georgia was friendly, helpful and always responded in a timely manner. She kept us updated throughout the whole process and was easy to talk to....
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“Enfields really stood out from the other local agents with ......”

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Feb 10,2015
Minithumbup
By: 'Abi'
Feb 10,2015
2 people found
this helpful
Enfields really stood out from the other local agents with their local knowledge, interest and enthusiasm and - what's really important - ability to sell the property in super-quick time. I would not hesitate to recommend them, they were great from start to finish....
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Comment on agent fees
Fees were competitive and in achieving a quick sale for a good price I don't begrudge the fees!
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“My rating reflects the fact that I am pleased that ......”

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Feb 09,2015
Minithumbup
Jack
By: 'John'
Feb 09,2015
3 people found
this helpful
My rating reflects the fact that I am pleased that I chose Enfields, Oxford St, SO14 to manage my property. They have met my requests to find a reliable tenant, keep a check on my property and deal with situations as they arise in a ...
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Comment on agent fees
I feel that the fees charged represent good value for money in terms of their effort and my time
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“Enfields have provided a consistently excellent service over the past ......”

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Feb 05,2015
Minithumbup
Jack
By: 'Charlie'
Feb 05,2015
4 people found
this helpful
Enfields have provided a consistently excellent service over the past two and a half years that they have acted as our letting agent. From marketing our property proactively and advising on the target rent, to dealing with tenants. As a landlord that lives a significant ...
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Comment on agent fees
Enfields' fees are very competitive, and, most importantly, they deliver a consistently high level of service.
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Staff picture Sam
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Staff picture Will
(18)
Staff picture Georgia
(13)
Staff picture Jack
(12)
Staff picture Melissa
(2)
No fees information available
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Last updated at 11:49 AM 27/10/2017 by allAgents

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