"Like most emerging sectors which utilise technology, the MMA has received criticism from consumer bodies and some agents."
The online auction service says this is down to the innovative property sales process reducing transaction times and fall-throughs, providing certainty to movers and creating additional revenue opportunities for estate agents in a challenging market.
The MMA, known also as a conditional auction, allows prospective buyers to place bids on a property within a given timeframe. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder is required to pay a reservation fee to secure the property.
The buyer then has 28 days to exchange and a further 28 days to complete.
Due to the flexibility it offers, the sector has grown rapidly in recent years as estate agents and consumers recognise its potential.
LetsBid already has over 100 agents registered and to date its partner agents have listed over £30 million of property on the site.
Meanwhile, several other online auctioneers have reportedly sped up transactions and generated millions of pounds in fees for estate agents.
Shaking off a negative reputation
Like most emerging sectors which utilise technology, the MMA has received criticism from consumer bodies and some agents.
The criticism has largely focused on an alleged lack of transparency over the non-refundable reservation fees paid by purchasers, which often cost around £5,000 plus VAT or circa 5% of the agreed purchase price.
From June 1 2019, the Property Ombudsman tightened its membership criteria to ensure agents disclose all referral fees and explain the pros and cons of their recommended method of transaction at market appraisal stage.
"The MMA has battled back strongly from criticism to become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the property market due to its many benefits," says Milton Rodosthenous, director of LetsBid Property.
"The Property Ombudsman's recent intervention was welcomed as it will help to improve transparency. As long as buyers and sellers are aware of how the Modern Method of Auction works, as well as the costs they will be required to pay, they'll then be able to decide if it is the right option for them."
"The costs levied on buyers and sellers by agents and auctioneers should also be fair and reasonable. We've taken steps to address this, for example, by taking the buyer's reservation fee off the agreed sale price as long as the exchange happens within the agreed timescale."
"The MMA is an impressive fledgling industry which has helped to keep the property market moving during a difficult period," he says.
Helping agents to get results
The MMA has provided agents with a new way to get results for their vendors at a time when many properties have been 'sticking' on the market.
Official government figures show that the average property sale takes 18 weeks, with up to 33% of transactions falling through.
Selling via the MMA helps agents to beat these figures and help consumers to move home more quickly and with greater certainty.
"Our estate agents control the duration of each listing. Most transactions will agree the reservation within 48 hours of agreeing a price, but we give agents the opportunity to come to a suitable agreement of their choosing with buyers and sellers," Milton explains.
He says that agents using MMA are benefitting from being involved in more transactions which involve no chain.
"Our agents enjoy working with committed buyers and sellers who have no fear of being gazumped or gazundered."
"The Modern Method of Auction is improving fall-through rates and helping to increase consumers' confidence in agents and the wider property market," he says.
Daniel Levine, branch manager of Winkworth Hendon, one of LetsBid’s partner agents, comments: "In an ever-changing market place, agencies need to be able to adapt to the new technologies and services available to them."
"With the Modern Method of Auction, vendors are able to achieve a great price for their property in a much quicker timeframe with less hassle."
An attractive option for buyers and sellers
Opting to buy or sell a property via the MMA provides buyers and sellers with a range of benefits. As more consumers and agents have become aware of the sector's existence, it has been growing in popularity.
"The Modern Method of Auction provides consumers with more flexibility and time than the traditional auction process. However, it provides more certainty and a quicker turnaround than the private treaty sales option," adds Milton.
"Sellers enjoy the potentially lower costs and benefitting from the professional guidance of professional agents and auction platforms, while buyers can unearth a bargain if they calculate their costs effectively," he says.
"It's for this combination of reasons why we expect the MMA sector to grow further in the coming months and years."
"While the government continues to attempt to speed up the transaction process and Brexit uncertainty is ongoing, the MMA provides the alternative transaction process the market has been crying out for," Milton concludes.
