The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry
The UK's Largest Customer Review Website for the Property Industry

4.2/5, 130 Reviews
84% Recommended
86% sales valuation accuracy
75% letting valuation accuracy
27% sales fee satisfaction
27% letting fee satisfaction
By : 'REJ'
Services :
Rent PCM : £875
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
Terrible experience from the offset with three viewings at the same time and no back garden keys! I would warn all perspective customers to not put down an admin fee until a contract is in place. NEVER PAY THE ADMIN FEE UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE YOU MOVE IN. Parkers are not willing to refund unless you threaten legal action.I stood my ground and instead of losing £900 I got back £700. Really rude chap by the name of Mark, I actually got great pleasure in our email war. Bottom line is if they try to take a FULL NON REFUNDABLE deposit off you; they said pay admin and holding fee together. They shouldn't be doing this. I then changed my mind on the property after second viewing as garden and lean too were dire (they didn't have the full set of keys on first time) to be told I would lose all my monies paid £900 and the landlord doesn't have to clean as the deal has been 'tied up'. This gives you an idea of the type of sales outfit they are running - 'tied up' what legal term is that!! So I sought legal advice and I was right, Mark was wrong. Parkers have no right to keep £900 of my money, only a proportion towards costs incurred. You can ask for your data file and see the work they have done to date on your application. Can you imagine if I didn't fight this! I would be £900 lighter. If the deposit/holding fee is kept and you do not take the property they cannot keep 100% of the whole amount unless they have accrued costs. Basically if the sum you have paid is more than Parkers/landlord losses they shouldn't be double profiting. When talking to other letting agents they were SHOCKED at the TERRIBLE service I had received. I paid my monies in good will and told I wouldn't my £900 holding fee and admin fee back. Mark needs to understand contracts and commercials; in fact the tenancy application form needs rewriting! Its completely non water tight and was laughed at by my contracts team. Hence why I wasn't standing down. I would highly recommend not to use Parkers or snooty Mark who is far from courteous! Moreover, the email war was so funny when Mark had to ask his boss for permission and made an offer of 50% of what I had paid, had the cheek to try and call my bluff. Saying if I wasn't willing to accept their offer then he would pass me on complaints procedure!! Been laughing all day in the office as I have already contacted the TPO to log a formal complaint!! Oh well all is well that ends well and I'm spreading the word fast. DO NOT USE PARKERS. Love social mailbox which hits 2,500 people. I hope my message gets out there. Oh and Thanks Parkers for the experience, you should learn a lesson from this as I have!
If Mark had the decency to call and explain rather than almost take pleasure in taking £900 from a customer. He didn\'t even try, in fact his emails were rude. My legal representative said I have an even stronger case because of his lack of etiquette. Its a shame as one bad apple brings down a whole team. Could of been such a different outcome.
I still do not understand why I was asked to pay both admin and holding at same time. I wouldn\'t do it again, and any holding fee I put down I will make sure ALL or part is refundable. Totally unreasonable to take an admin fee of a customer when they haven\'t commenced referencing or letting contract. Bonkers and after investigation not normal practise.
By : Craig Pearson
5 Sept 2014Hi Rebecca I would like to take the opportunity to respond to your negative comments having discussed the situation at length with Mark. Our version of the event are that you viewed the property initially, visited our office immediately (very excitedly I’d like to add) to secure the property and then decided to pay a holding deposit once Mark had agreed the let with the landlord. You also chose to pay the tenancy set up fee at the same time you paid the holding deposit. All the intimal paperwork was then drawn up and signed ready for references to commence to meet the move in date you had requested when offering. The fact that you then drew up a list of requests after second viewing a few days later which the landlord was not prepared to accommodate is no fault of Parkers or Mark. If you had requested to second view the property prior to securing the property this issue would never have arisen. It seems you have a particular desire to attempt to damage our reputation, despite coming to a mutual agreement on returning the majority of monies paid to you. As you will see from the vast majority of our reviews on All Agents, we have a lot of very satisfied customers. I’m afraid to say it seems your dissatisfaction is down to a mistake on your part in securing a property without being sure it was correct for you. I would like to add that Mark has worked at Parkers for many years and has built a fantastic relationship with many of his clients. We will of course take on board your comments that a call would have been preferable to email and thank you for this feedback. If you would like to discuss anything further please do not hesitate to contact me. Craig Pearson Managing Director
| Services | Valuation | Fees | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 86.00% | 27% | £146,500 | £270,000 |
| Lettings | 75% | 27% | £700 | £1,400 |
Parkers Estate Agents
11-12 Market Place, Reading, Berkshire
RG1 2EG
0118 957 5455
By : 'Lucy'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
Worst experience I've ever had with a lettings agent. Every step of the way they were working against us as tenants. Would avoid at all... Read Full Review
By : 'Jo'
Services : Sales( As a Buyer )
Sold price : £146500
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
I have no idea how it is possible to make a straight forward landlord-to-landlord purchase as lengthy as this. Nine months for a simple, no-chain flat purchase, with funds in place and ready to go. As the buyer, I probably did benefit from the appalling pictures used to advertise the place though,... Read Full Review
By : Damien Glowacki
25 Jan 2021Hi Jo Thank you for taking the time to review our services. Whilst I appreciate your frustration that the transaction has been ongoing for almost 6 months now, I do feel it is important to...
By : 'Yosri'
Services : Letting( As a Prospective Landlord/Tenant )
Rent PCM : £1400
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
This is why I absolutely DON'T recommend using the services of Parkers Estate Agents in Reading. If you don't want your energy wasted and peace of mind shot to pieces, don't use their services. Never have I seen lack of common sense and complete disregard of people's time... Read Full Review
By : 'Harry'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £725
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG30
Was a tenant with Parkers for a number of years. Avoid this company at all cost. The property was let to us in a horrific state and the property manager failed to respond on a number of occasions. When the property moved from Samuel James to Parkers, they lost the keys on the move over and we had... Read Full Review
By : 'Naeem'
Services : Sales( Prospective Vendor/Buyer )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG6
Totally unprofessional. Did not turn up to viewing after making appointment. Didn't even bother to call. Finally called back 2 days later and got the wrong name and asked how the viewing went. Totally clueless. There are much better estate agents in Reading so I would definitely avoid... Read Full Review
By : 'tejas'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £850
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG30
I was handed over a stinking, moldy extremely unhygienic property. Moreover despite of explaining the problem several times, I am hardly getting any solution. These guys are not even ready to accept their mistake and just leaving me and my family to... Read Full Review

By : 'Maggie'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG1
Nothing was too much trouble. Once the sale was done, Somer worked tirelessly to liaison and chase up the progress with solicitors. I cannot thank Parker's enough, they changed a mundane task into a brilliant experience. Very special thanks to Kate and... Read Full Review
Fees worth every penny


By : 'TTK'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £1300
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG65
I was a tenant who paid the checkin chages, but got the house in a shabby conditions with a 70page report of all the issues. The basic health and safety was compromised and there was no inspection carriedout. My kids fell sick because of dust and mould in the house and no one in parkers cared about ... Read Full Review
Bad- Agent fees is only rip off and they hardly do anything


By : 'Shirley'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Rent PCM : £840
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG4
We purchased our first rental property through Parker's over 10 years ago and have remained with them as our letting agents ever since. We have always found their service extremely prompt and efficient, dealing with any issues between Tenant/s and Landlord without delay. Sophie is always a... Read Full Review
Good
By : 'Louise'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £700
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG30
We rented a flat through Parkers and stayed for two years as we paid relatively low rent for Reading. The initial letting process was easy though the fees were expensive (with an extra charge tacked on to what we were initially told it would be when we went to Market Place branch to pay). The flat... Read Full Review
Very expensive, more than £100 to renew a contract, £30 referencing fee when we moved out and check out fee.
By : 'T'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
When I first started renting with Parkers they seemed pretty good but over the years their standards have definitely slipped. They took far too long to carry out repairs. I spent two weeks in the middle of winter without a working boiler (and I had a 17 month old baby at the time). I wasn't... Read Full Review
Very high.

By : 'Ruth'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Sold price : £270000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG1
I recently used Parker's to sell my property. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others. I found them to be honest, pragmatic and very efficient. They know the Reading market well, gave me sound advice on the valuation and managed visits with minimal fuss and much courtesy. Post... Read Full Review
Negotiable


By : 'Sarah'
Services : Sales( As a Vendor )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG7
My house was taking a long time to sell and Parkers approached us to assist. On initial contact the context given by their representative was regarding entering into a joint agency agreement with the other agent, and that's what we understood we were entering into. Whether intentionally done... Read Full Review
In line with the market.
By : Julie
25 Jan 2018I agree with your comments. They are not professional agents. They have lied to me, and tried to intimidate me and indeed also have been aggressive. I buy and sell properties all the time and have ...

By : 'Great'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Rent PCM : £1300
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG1
Becca was very helpful during the letting process. Attention to detail and keeping me up to date made a big difference. And thank you for the follow up. I would recommend Parker's Reading for any real estate... Read Full Review


By : 'Long'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG6
We have been landlords with Parkers Lettings for some time now. Having just registered a new property for letting with them I am again really pleased with the service Mark Brooker and his team have given. They were efficient and realiable offering guidance and advice at every stage. The whole... Read Full Review
Always open to suggestions.
By : 'Dm'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
Absolutely dreadful company to rent with. I moved in to one of their properties with my partner last year and it wasn't exactly a fantastic standard... scuffs on the walls, chipped door frames, the cover for the extract fan came out and hit me on the head. However we were hopeful as we were told at ... Read Full Review
By : Louise
7 Sept 2018Almost exactly the same experience we had, rented a flat that was in poor condition and not cleaned before we moved in and we were then charged for 'dust on carpet under door' when we moved out 2...

By : 'Sher'
Services : Letting( As a Owner )
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : RG5
Parkers has my full five star rating as they are Very informative whilst highly professional offering an overall positive experience highly recommend... Read Full Review
Good
By : 'Sioban'
Services : Letting( As a Prospective Landlord/Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG21
This is not a good agent I would advise prospective tenants and landlords to stay away from them. They remind me of little Apprentice candidates in there Top Man suits with that awful I am a ruthless little businessman attitude . They try to intimidate with faux law, when you ask them what law... Read Full Review
Excessive and overpriced given that
By : 'marketplace'
Services : Letting( As a Tenant )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG2
I have rented with a few agencies before I bought my house and Parkers was the worst in an average low quality community. I was not happy with them during the tenure of my contract but the worst came when I told them I was not renewing. We agreed they could bring people to see the house during the ... Read Full Review
By : Mark Brooker
15 Jul 2016Thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns. As the Lettings Director for Parkers, your comments are of great concern to me and I would be grateful if you could contact me on 0118 957 5455...
By : 'Gary'
Services : Sales( Prospective Vendor/Buyer )
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : RG1
Arrogant and completely self-serving. Parkers listed a property I was interested in, but when I called to arrange a viewing it was confirmed I was not allowed to as I had sold through Purple Bricks. When I challenged this it was down to purple bricks never complete. Again I challenged and was... Read Full Review
Live up to this claim. "Call us today or book online below for your free no obligation valuation and see what makes Parkers the right choice when it comes to marketing your home."
Live up to this claim. "Call us today or book online below for your free no obligation valuation and see what makes Parkers the right choice when it comes to marketing your home."
Kindly note that legally, letting agents need to publish information about their tenancy fees, government-approved redress schemes and client money protection schemes on their website and on third party websites (on which agents are listed). For properties to lease/rent in England, agents need to keep this information up to date and precise on allAgents or specify within the property description.