"UK estate agents are a brave bunch and we’ve lived through some truly terrifying times of late, from the 2007 financial crash, Brexit, the pandemic and most recently, the mini-budget"
- Adam Day - eXp UK
The latest research from eXp UK, the platform for personal estate agents, has found that while homebuyers may be deterred by the prospect of a haunted house, UK estate agents certainly aren’t, with just 9% stating they wouldn’t list a home that was supposedly haunted.
The survey of over 700 UK estate agents, commissioned by eXp UK, asked if they would be deterred from listing a house for sale if it was supposedly haunted.
Just 9% stated they would pass on a potentially haunted house, meaning that the vast majority of estate agents (91%) would be undeterred by a paranormal property when it comes to executing professionally.
In fact, just one in five said they would spend less time in a haunted home when valuing it for the market, compiling floorplans and so on, with 80% ensuring they provide a full service to the seller.
Interestingly, 71% said the prospect of paranormal activity wouldn’t impact their approach to valuing a home for the market, while 18% stated they would actually add a haunted house price premium to the asking price.
Moreover, just 13% of agents said they would be put off listing a home with the number 13, although superstitions seem to be the least of their worries.
When asked about their scariest encounters within homes they had previously listed, 28% said that the biggest fright had come from dirty underwear left on show.
Other frightening findings included damp and mould, rats, mice or insect infestations and subsidence or foundational issues.
Head of eXp UK, Adam Day, commented: “UK estate agents are a brave bunch and we’ve lived through some truly terrifying times of late, from the 2007 financial crash, Brexit, the pandemic and most recently, the mini-budget.
"So it’s no surprise that we ain’t afraid of no ghosts and, in fact, the more frightening encounters within the home tend to be the things that could properly scupper a sale, such as damp, rodent infestations and subsidence.”
