What is so bad about Estate Agents? Are they not the voice of the seller?
Is it not the sellers that demand EA's to sell their house for the most they can possibly get?
When it comes to property defects, would you prefer your agent to supply potential buyers with a list of your property’s defects?

Christopher, Bristol, Clifton, England

I've have never met a hard working estate agent

Joe, Bristol,

Why Comment on things you know nothing about? Estate agency is hundreds of years old. People who do private deals risk mugging, low values, expensive advertising..the list goes on. Internet companys are the criminals. They take money upfront and do nothing. An average agent works very hard!!

Rich, Hereford,

It has to be said that business built on hugh debt in good times do not in general do well in bad times, most high streets now have a over supply of estate agents a indication of poor and misjudged monetary control in property prices inflation by the Bank of England.

JJ , Southgate, London

if people from certern backrounds want to spend their own hours selling their own home they obviously have too much time on their hands. i work as an estate agent in central london and the last thing my clients want to do is to deal with private buyers - waisting their valuable time

ed, london,

Private Sales my foot. The average house seller is a lot less trust worthy than the average Estate Agent. The vast majority of problems caused in a house sale are created by the buyers and sellers within the chain. There are unprofessional agents I grant you but a large majority do a good job.

Andrew, Burgess Hill, England

Why wouldn't you shed a tear for those "poor estate agents".If 4,000 estate agents lose their jobs do you not think their families and children will suffer. So, Beth. Tell me what you do that is so socially benevolent? Hair dresser maybe?

ted, london,

Estate Agents, those parasitical 'service' providers have ridden the hog's back for the last decade and are now bleating as they face extinction. Most people will be glad to see the back of these charlatans.

peter kiddle, st neots, uk

Wrong! The tougher the market, the better the agent you will need to sell your house.

In a seller's market, saving 2% by using a DIY website makes sense, but the websites are going to find the immediate future very tough indeed. I wouldn't be suprised to see some of them close over the next year.

Matthew, London, UK

I simply do not understand people who knock estate agents.
These parasitic purveyors of property are solely in business because people wanting to buy and sell, choose to use them!
What is wrong with that?

Peter Ellis, Calpe, Spain

Can't agree more. Lets save money. Buy and sell on the internet. This credit crunch will kill off the EA industry, so the internet can take advantage of this situation.

Np, Cornwall, UK

Good EAs need to start getting people to wake up to reality and REDUCE THEIR PRICES. That way they might get some sales. People round where I live are holding out for absurdly high prices - and nothing is selling (obviously). Face it folks, the bubble has burst, now lets get real with prices.

Jon Cooper, herts, UK,

Obviously, but you're deliberately (one hopes) missing the point. Humberts is both an estate agency & a surveying firm. Bring down the firm & you bring down everyone. I'm not apologising for anyone, I am however curious as to the professions of those so scathing of estate agents. Mother Theresas?

victoria robinson, New York, USA

To Jonathan, London, I wouldn't want to meet or pay one of their "Ilk" under any "Circumstances". Let alone "Train them to "Walk, Get up Early & Drink Milk!", No disrespect to the farming Community!

Paul, Newtown,Powys, UK

Solicitors and surveyors can be hired without using an estate agent. After these two professionals have done their work what is there for the estate agent to do? Basically advertising - which is why people can buy and sell houses without them easily enough. Apologists for estate agent please note

Alex Ritchie, Salsibury, UK

Unnecessary cheap shots at estate agents aside, Humberts is also a very well respected surveying firm. I wish all of you well who purchase a home over the internet without employing a surveyor.

victoria robinson, New York, USA

There's a dreadful shortage of milkmen. Perhaps those nice estate agents could retrain.

Jonathan, London,

I work in the industry (no I am not an estate agent!) and I know that estate agents are necessary to progress the sale/purchase transaction and you might deny it but we need them! & Spare a thought for those who stand to lose their jobs!

Liz, Milton Keynes, England

I have been an Estate Agent for over 40 years and have seen it all before. Humberts has been around for 160 years and will survive as will ALL GOOD estate Agents . The tougher the property market gets the more people rely on their Agent often to get them out of the mess they got themselves into.

Ian Lange, Honiton, England

Mr Ziff had driven an aggressive acquisition programme over the previous two years to turn Humberts from a small regional firm into one of Southern England's largest firms with a foothold in Mayfair

Obviously Mr Ziff needs to Ziff off without a bonus

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, Shropshire

Absolutely. The model is likely to change hugely over the next few years. As well as people selling houses directly, purchasers will increasingly turn to private sales and deal with owners directly, even if the property is not on the market. Web services such as Housesniffer specialiase in this area

Brian, NW,

Excuse me whilst I shed a tear for the poor estate agents. They add nothing to society and will gradually fade away as the propety market worsens and people use the internet to sell their houses.

Beth Williams, Nottinghamshire, England