I need to explain why I am so disappointed with the service I have received from Nested. I currently live in a four bedroom detached house in Kent, within the M25. I first came across Nested after seeing their advert in CityAM on 6th July and, as I was considering downsizing, was interested in their system that allowed me to sell 'chain free'. They do this by giving me an advance that I pay back once they have sold the property. Their fee for doing this (3.5%) is quite high for an estate agent, but I considered it was acceptable for putting me in a chain free status. I read the advert and studied their web site but could find no reference to the fact that they insist on having power of attorney over my house. Other areas of concern arose as our discussions progressed. What other Estate Agent: - decides on the market price and selling price with no input from me. - insists that I use one of their six nominated firm of solicitors. This questions if the loyalty of this six is more to Nested, who provide them with a steady flow of clients, rather than me. Why are they afraid of letting me use my own solicitor? - apparently charge their 3.5% fee twice. Power of Attorney My main concern is that I have to give Nested power of attorney over my property. I have paid off the mortgage on my property but this power would enable them to re-mortgage it up to its total value. Nested could then use these funds in an attempt to solve a cash flow problem or to attempt to avoid going into administration. If Nested did go bankrupt before my existing property is sold it would still be in my name and I would then be faced with a massive mortgage on it that didn’t exist before I got involved with Nested. A report in the Financial Times in October, 2017, stated that London has the lowest rate of start-up survival in the UK: only 50.1 per cent of companies formed in 2013 endured for three years. When I originally asked for a copy of the contract, Nested sent me a contract for ‘Mr Example’. Having read it, I explained to them that I had not read the details in this contract concerning mortgages as I am downsizing and don’t currently have a mortgage and nor will I need one on my new property. Their representative agreed that I did not need to read these clauses. A complete description of the service Nested provides was never given to me. I have only picked up that I need to give them power of attorney from reading the two personalised contracts they supplied for me to sign, which they would come round the next day to collect. If I had not taken the trouble to read them in detail, I would have given them the power potentially to defraud me. What I find surprising is that, on our first meeting, Nested supplied a page and a half of definitions and 'mortgage', 'charge' and 'power of attorney' do not appear on it yet these are major factors in the whole process. (This list does helpfully explain that HMRC refers to HM Revenue & Customs!) Nested told me that they need the power of attorney in case I attempt to defraud them in some way. If I gave them power of attorney, what power do I have to stop them defrauding me? An upfront description of the complete process is surely essential or else what are they trying to hide? They NEVER volunteered anything about the power of attorney hoping, it seems, that I would sign the contracts without reading them. I have recently examined their web site again and I still cannot find any reference to power of attorney. Fees To explain this, I have taken their advance as ‘x’ and their 3.5% fee as ‘y’. They provided me with a 'home sale proposal' which states that the advance will be x-y. However, their contract states that the total amount I must pay back is x+y. It therefore looks to me that I am paying their 3.5% fee twice. They told me that this had to be presented in this way because it was a requirement of the Financial Conduct Authority. Nested did not explain why the FCA had this requirement. MY RESPONSE TO YOUR RESPONSE Thank you for your reply. I felt that I had to respond to your responses on the different matters that I raised. Power of Attorney You say that you tried to explain the use of Power of Attorney when someone came to visit. I have no recollection of such a visit and on no occasion when I was visited were the words Power of Attorney used. As I said earlier, the best time to have mentioned it would have been when I said to the lady that I have not read the mortgage clauses in the ‘Mr Example’ contract as I currently do not have a mortgage and would not need one on my next property. The lady agreed that I did not need to read these clauses. It has made me wonder if she knew about the Power of Attorney requirement. You say that it is a very limited legal clause but once I give you Power of Attorney I have no control over how you use that power. Also in your reply, you did not respond to the point that ‘Power of Attorney’ was not included in the page and a half of definitions. List Price You say that you do allow customers to determine their own list price. I asked the lady to increase the quoted asking price by about 5%. She refused this request with a statement along the lines ‘We know best’. Clause 6.8 states “We have the right to decide the list price at all times from the start of the Nested Due Diligence Period. The Home Sale Proposal the lady sent me stated that Ed Plumb was my relationship manager. When I asked her do I deal with him from now on, she said that she was my relationship manager and that she didn’t know why Ed Plumb’s name got mentioned. It didn’t fill me with confidence. Solicitor I asked if I could use my own local solicitor but the lady said this was not possible and that I had to use one of your six, contrary to your reply to me. She said that I could use my own solicitor for the purchase of my new property but not for the sale of my current one. Fees The Home Sale Proposal stated that you would advance me 93% of the expected sale price, less the 3.5% fee. In clause 5 of the Offer and Advance Conditions contract, it states that I must pay back a figure that is equal to the 93% advance plus the 3.5% fee.

Even though I couldn't use Nested to sell my flat, as it's a shared ownership, they went above and beyond to give me advice about how to sell it.

Although I didn't eventually opt to use Nested in the end (we were lucky in that we got a buyer to agree a price above what Nested thought we would obtain, and quickly, through cheap as chips Purple Bricks), we had an extremely good experience. I worked with a guy call Anup, and he went above and beyond ti provide local market stats for me even though it was clear from the outset that I would likely end up not using Nested (I explained we might use later on if property sale falls through). He also spent a lot of time on the phone with me and provided me with additional helpful info after I told him we wouldn't be choosing to use Nested this time, as I needed a recommendation for a solicitor and he emailed me a list of close partnership companies they have reviewed and feel are very good. They were extremely good too, so the referral was very much appreciated! They definitely give more than they take, from the experience I had anyway!

With the caveat that they couldn't take on our property, they explained why and shared research on the local market, as well as making themselves available to offer phone and email advice on how to sell our home. They came across as knowledgeable, including about the area, and helpful (and I was expecting them to be comparable in knowledge to the online agents like Purple Bricks and House Simple who I spoke to).

Nested have been really professional from start to finish. Once our offer was accepted our dedicated 'progressor' Stuart Milburn took us through the process step by step. He was extremely professional, and really well informed in the legal processes that were happening with both our purchase and the sale of our flat. Stuart went above and beyond in finding answers to queries for us when we encountered difficulties, and I know without him the process would have been far more stressful. Thank you!

Nested delivered on all their commitments just as promised. I would not be in my new home today had I relied on the traditional estate agent model. Very satisfied with the service received.

We had quite a tight timetable to sell our London home; we wanted our son to finish his year in reception at school and then move house over the summer holidays ready for him to start at his new school in September. Commuting wasn’t an option; we were moving 250 miles away! Our proposed house purchase fell through. We had no interest from any viewers in buying our London home. We were feeling very anxious about our relocation. Enter Nested. Because they guaranteed us an amount for our home, it gave us a great negotiating position for purchasing our new home. The team were great at quickly explaining the model to estate agents so we were able to make an offer on our dream home and secure it. Because of the Nested advance we were able to move on our timetable. We moved at the end of August and our son was able to start school in September. I thought selling our house in London would be a pain; but I was wrong. Nested made the process smooth and judged how much to contact us perfectly. Nested dealt with queries from the buyers effectively. We have now exchanged contracts and expect to complete in 2 weeks. Part of the Nested model is that you have to use someone from their legal panel; they want conveyancers who are familiar with their model so it makes the process smoother. I work in the legal profession so I am fussy about legal service providers- but the service we received was top notch. In summary, from start (Alice- explaining the model and patiently answering questions), middle (Nick- arranging viewings and talking me through the approach) and end (Stuart with the sale negotiations), Nested have been fantastic. Yes, it’s not necessarily the cheapest model- there are some cheaper high street agents (although not all of them are cheaper- some London agents charge you the same commission as Nested but without the advance!) But those agents can not guarantee you an amount for your property and guarantee you will be able to move on a set date. We needed that certainty- and so Nested worked out perfectly for us.

We had an absolutely fantastic experience with Nested. The team is young and full of enthusiasm which is infectious. They are professional, courteous and passionate about what they do. Special thanks to Aaron, Tom and Becci for making our house sale incredibly stress free, we couldn't have done it without you!

I rarely if ever review companies as im usually of the opinion that good service should be a given in business, but dealing with Nested was a refreshingly different experience. Nested was recommended to me by a close friend who knew that quickly available funds was perfect for my situation. I was helped from the start by Hannah who took the time to cheerfully and expertly answer my seemingly never ending stream of questions and put my cynical mind at ease. If im completely honest I thought the whole thing sounded to good to be true but now I think this really is a brilliant way to sell your home and hopefully will make the rest of the market sit up and take notice. Sadly in my instance and partly because of the infancy of Nested my property didn't fall into a category that they are currently able to work with. Yet despite this and with nothing to gain for themselves Hannah took time out to research and e mail me very useful information that would enable me to choose the best local estate agents for my market. Service above and beyond and for that im very grateful. although now I don't really want to go back to the old fashioned way of selling either. haha

Amazingly Professional throughout the whole Process. It was quite a challenging move due to our incompetent conveyancors but Stuart really supported us and helped push the move forward. Would highly recommend Nested.

Nested was recommended to me by someone who has just used its service and was very impressed with its operation. Nested was unable to take on my son's apartment as it is above commercial premises. However, despite not becoming a client, Hannah spent time and effort in giving me very useful advice and information to help me with the sale. She could not have been more helpful and interested in our situation. Although, it is a relatively new company, I have the impression they want to provide a first class, quality service and I think the concept is both refreshing and forward thinking. I just wish they could have helped us!

I wand to buy a home, not sell one why should i fill so many details on my current one? Why you need my current home value since i am not selling?

The relationship with Nested started well - good proposition and knowledgable staff. The issues arose when we moved to contracting - they relied on clauses that were not made apparent and adjusted the Nested Advance value post contract signature. I originally signed the Nested contract with a Nested Advance figure agreed in writing with no contractual clause to alter (and I also served notice to the existing agency I had previously instructed, making them a sub agent). Nested later made me aware that they had listed the property and were taking enquiries without having countersigned the e-contract. Without countersigning, Nested could alter and behave however they liked...which they did. They will keep their side of the contract unsigned until such time they need to call upon it...but you will have signed up to Ts&Cs that are essentially worthless. They turned out to be quite unscrupulous and that was enough to dissuade me from continuing with them...if they can act like that before you have drawn down the advance, they will not work with your best interests in mind. Do take caution.

Nested are brilliant! They ensured we got our dream home! All 4 staff that I had communication with were fantastic. All very competent, efficient and friendly. They made the process run as smoothly as it possibly could.

We’d listed our property with a high street agent for a few months, it had become evident that our asking price was too high, viewings had stopped. We knew we’d have to drop the asking price but the agent wasn’t offering any advice. We heard about Nested through a friend who spoke very highly of them, I didn’t think it would work for us as we had built our house and there was nothing in the market to compare it with. We decided to contact Nested to hear more about their business model. Ed from Nested came to view our house, I was immediately impressed, he was personable, had a great knowledge of the local market and I trusted his opinion. The valuation was lower than what we would have liked, but I thought it realistic as I’d been following the market. The great thing for us was that we could put an offer in on a house we’d been intrested in for a while. It needed work so we put a low offer in, Ed spoke to the agent selling the property to confirm we were chain free and our offer was accepted. The money all worked out, we were selling our house for less but with the help of Nested our lower offer was accepted. At the lower asking price we found a buyer for our property on the first day of viewings, so we didn’t need to draw down the advance. Thanks to Nested for providing an efficient and professional service.

The Nested team were very professional from start to finish. The business model was explained to us and we decided to take the chance. We were offered a fair advance in a difficult, buyers market. The photograph and floor plans were great and communication was always easy. Nested were true to their word and I would recommend using this company. Thanks to Andy, Henry and Nicole for making a stressful experience easier.

I really liked the idea of Nested, they give you the opportunity to move "chain free" due to allowing you to pull out capital from your home before you sell it. In reality though, with our current economic climate with homes struggling to sell, the combination of a low valuation and a high fee meant that we wouldn't really have much money left to buy what we want if we were to sign up with them. We were also concerned about the clause that states Nested could accept any offer for your home after a three month period. I would highly recommend signing up to Nested if you have some extra money saved up and you do not need all the money from your home in order to get the house that you want. I understand why their fee is so high, especially in the current housing market, they take a risk giving you the money in advance for your home. But maybe a better strategy would be to drop the fee price and keep to the low valuations or have higher valuations with a higher fee. I am not sure. It is tricky as the housing market is not great at the moment. I wish them the best though and I am sure we shall be in touch again at some point in the future. The team are fantastic and very friendly, we dealt with Freddie Elliott who was very patient especially as we had so many questions! We might reconsider this again sometime next year if we still have not sold.

Nested made it possible for us to buy our dream home! We sold our flat with Nested, beginning the marketing of it towards the end of 2017. Even though we did not have an acceptable offer on our flat after a couple of months, we were still able to make a proceed-able offer when our dream house came on the market at the start of 2018. Because our offer was backed by the Nested advance, we were a chain-free buyer (effectively making an all-cash offer) which put us in a stronger position than other interested parties and ultimately secured us the purchase. With any other estate agent, this would not have been possible. On the sale side, Nested have a dedicated exchanges and conveyancing team, and Becci did a fantastic job across the board: in lining up our flat sale and house purchase so we did not have to draw the advance despite benefitting greatly from the certainty it provided, in dealing with the various parties (buyers, solicitors, agents) and keeping us completely informed throughout the whole process, and even in calming us down during a moving day hiccup. This aspect of the Nested service is immensely valuable and really makes selling/buying property a less stressful experience. Its also worth shouting out the amazing Agency team for their great work in marketing the property and making that stress-free, and mention that the photos taken (and team used) by Nested for the online portals are also fantastic! The whole Nested team were supportive and quick to resolve any bumps that come along with the home-buying process with no fuss. We definitely recommend it to all our friends who are thinking of moving up the property ladder!

Nested is by far the best company I have dealt with for selling and buying property. They are absolutely amazing at what they do! I have bought and sold several properties in the U.K. previously, and each time it has been a painful and tedious process, so using Nested has been a refreshing experience as they were efficient, adaptable, diligent, honest and professional. They gave a fair valuation of our flat and gave us the ability to live in the property we were selling whilst simultaneously renovating our newly purchased home. It was brilliant! The actual sale of our property took longer than expected and had many obstacles to overcome. However this was partly due to a rubbish Solicator I hired, despite this, Nested continued to push through and dealt with everything professionally and efficiently. I can’t tell you how important this was, and regardless of the challenges we came across Nested guided and aided us through it. Highly recommended!Thank you to the entire team, especially James, Fraser and Becci!

What a lovely and seamless experience! We moved from London to our dream home in North Wales and couldn't of done this without Nested. They have a fantastic and devoted team who are always willing to go that extra mile. Would highly recommend.