Sterlinghomes Avis 

Illegal contracts written to lock in & trick landlords into hidden fees. Full management fee does not include all the extra fees or doing absolutely anything. No option to terminate them. Do not use this company.

I want to add my experience to the 1* team. Before using this company read their terms and conditions on any contract carefully. Look for the cancellation clauses particularly. We used them as an agent to rent our house, been with them 16 years, when we tried to cancel them as our agent they wanted to take commission from us as we had a tenant (who cancelled their agreement with them) claiming we stole him so want 12.5% of our tenants rent for the rest of the tenancy could be up to 10 years or more! Have reported them to Property Ombudsman and Trading Standards. They are now taking legal action now against us.

We attempted to make an offer on a property through Sterling Estate Agents and were told we had to complete anti-money laundering (AML) checks and pay a £180 fee (£75 per person plus VAT) before they would even submit our offer to the seller.
This is not only excessive but also not legally required. Under the Estate Agents Act 1979, estate agents must pass all offers to the seller promptly and in writing, regardless of whether AML checks or proof of funds have been completed. HMRC guidance also confirms that AML checks are required only once an offer has been accepted, not before, and despite highlighting this to them, Sterling refused to submit our offer.
Requiring buyers to pay £180 upfront creates a financial barrier that is unnecessary and unfair. It risks shutting out genuine buyers and gives a misleading impression of legal requirements.
Know your rights. You should never be asked to pay just to have your offer submitted.

We initially selected this agency based on a compelling personal presentation written by their Managing Director, Benjamin Bird, which highlighted our potential for a swift sale, which we wanted, and competitive bidding among multiple buyers. However 9 weeks later we find ourselves disheartened by the reality: no quick sale and only 3 unsuccessful viewings.

It is important to note that Clause 1 of their agreement binds clients for a duration of 20 weeks, significantly longer than the 8 - 12 weeks offered by other agents. Through meticulous record-keeping, adherence to their complaints procedure, and a detailed account of their numerous marketing missteps, we successfully negotiated a reduction of our commitment to 15 weeks. Unfortunately that was 4 weeks ago and since then communication has been sparse and no additional viewings have been arranged.

This combination of ineffective communication, lack of reassurance and unsatisfactory performance has diminished our trust in their capabilities. As a result, we cannot recommend Sterling Estate Agents.

With 6 weeks remaining in our agreement I will review this post every week with a further honest appraisal on our experience until its conclusion.