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When you’re selling your property, it’s of vital importance to know who you’re working with.
This is our independent Dedman Gray Auctions review. Our private researchers analysed their company records, strengths and weaknesses.
In here, you’ll find everything you need to know about Dedman Gray Auctions and whether you should trust them to sell your property quickly.
Your next step
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose an auction house or a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a company you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a company to buy or sell your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you.
If you’d rather take the auction route, click the ‘free auction appraisal’ button and we’ll put you in touch with the auction house that we think is the best fit for your property.
Our recommendations cost you nothing and they guarantee you the very best service. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
Company
Established in
2008
Members of RICS
Not stated
Members of Propertymark
Not stated
Trading standards approved?
Not stated
Members of TPO
Yes
Registered with ICO
Yes
How often are auctions held
Six auctions per year
Online auctions
Yes
Fees
2.5% + VAT £350 + VAT entry fee
Complaints procedure
Yes
Customer service
3.8 / 5
Trustpilot service
None
Dedman Gray auctions is an Essex based property auction house specialising in problem properties across Essex and neighbouring counties. They are part of a property management firm that also offers estate agency and letting services.
- PSW Rating
4 / 5
1. Dedman Gray Auctions: Company Overview
(source: Companies House)
- Listed with Companies House: 19th November 2008
- Registered Office: 103 The Broadway, Thorpe Bay, Essex, SS1 3HQ
- Registered directors: Beverley Gray, Michael Gray
- Company number: 06753193
- All the information seems up to date and correct
Dedman Gray Auctions is small local property company in Essex, which includes an auction house. The company specialises in problem properties, such as short leases, structural defects and non-traditional construction.
As such they tend to operate at the lower value end of the market, with the vast majority of their sales below £100,000. They operate online auctions every couple of months, with around 60 lots in each.
Auction houses such as Dedman Gray Auctions offer a quick and easy way to sell your property, combining the best of both worlds, with a quicker sale than an estate agent and a higher sale price than a cash buyer would offer.
Auctions will charge a similar commission to an estate agent, at around 2.5% + VAT. You will also have to pay legal fees for the preparation of documents both prior to the listing and following the sale, as you would with an open market sale. There is no commission to pay on a quick cash home sale and the legal fees are often covered by the more reputable companies.
Auctions may generate a higher selling price for your property than a quick cash sale, especially if there is competitive interest, however there are no guarantees of the price you will achieve, or even whether you will sell at all. With just six sales per year, failing to sell with Dedman Gray could delay your sale by two months or more, leaving you with a sale that is no quicker than an estate agent sale, but which will attract a lower price for your property. A cash home buyer may not give you as much as either of the alternative sales methods, but at least your sale will be swift and guaranteed.
2. Dedman Gray Property Auctions: Strengths & Weaknesses
Dedman Gray Auctions have a good reputation in their local area, especially for helping sellers to dispose of problem properties which might not sell easily on the open market.
They say that they have a ‘vast database of local buyers including solicitors, surveyors, architects, developers, builders & investors’, and this means there will be plenty of buyers in the market for this type of property. That said, the relatively small number of properties available may limit the amount of interest from these sources.
Their website is functional and straightforward, if a little dated, and it lacks the customer-friendly guides often found elsewhere. They are also quite a specialist auction house, both in the type of properties they deal with and the limited region that they cover.
If you have the right type of property for sale in the Essex region, than Dedman Gray could be an excellent choice.
Are they Propertymark members?
Dedman Gray Auctions website does not show Propertymark logos for their business, and they cannot be found on a search of the Propertymark website.
This does not necessarily mean that they are not Propertymark members, but prospective sellers should double check this.
By using a Propertymark Protected member you are guaranteed to be consulting with a professional who will give you up-to-date advice and guidance. Propertymark regulates members’ activity according to a code of conduct and rules, with disciplinary action for instances of non-compliance.
Are they TPO members?
Dedman Gray Auctions are members of the Property Ombudsman and so they have agreed to follow a strict code of practice in the way they conduct their auction business.
As a member of the TPO, they have also agreed to accept TPO’s independent mitigation in any disagreements with clients. The TPO can help to resolve disputes which cannot be sorted out between you and the company, and can award compensation where appropriate.
Are They Regulated By RICS?
Neither Dedman Gray Auctions, nor their directors, appear to be members of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors when we did a member search.
Being a RICS member means customers will be given terms of engagement that are fair and clear, and which meet all legal requirements and relevant codes of practice. This may still be the case with Dedman Gray, without RICs membership.
Are they Registered With The ICO?
Yes, Dedman Gray Auctions has been registered with the Information Commissioners’ Office since 2014.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent regulatory body set up to uphold information rights. Membership demonstrates that a company takes their data gathering and storage responsibilities seriously and has put steps in place to protect your information.
Are they GDPR Compliant?
The Dedman Gray Auctions website does not list either a privacy policy or a cookies policy, so it is not possible to assess whether or not they are GDPR compliant.
It is not clear how data is collected and stored, or what marketing or promotional activity you may be agreeing to by providing them with your personal data.
With this in mind, users are advised to be extremely cautious in offering any personal data other than that which is absolutely necessary. You should carefully check any agreements or cookie approval pop-ups that appear. Never simply click yes just to clear your screen.
Have They Traded For More Than 5 Years?
Dedman Gray have been trading for around seventeen years and in that time, they have built a reputation in the local Essex area.
We use the ‘over/under 5 years trading time’ as a rule of thumb to gauge whether a company is an established entity with a lot of experience under their belt, or just a newly founded business that may not have the expertise or reputation you can rely on.
How often Are Auctions Held?
Dedman Gray Auctions hold property sales online six time per year, featuring around 60 properties per sale. Bids are placed online or via a proxy bid placed in advance with the auctioneer.
The Dedman Gray online auction platform provides all the benefits of traditional auctions, but with the added advantage of being able to bid pressure-free from the comfort of your own home or office via a desktop, tablet or mobile phone.
To place a bid, you need to have registered in advance and provide compulsory information such as proof of identity and your source of funds, in order to comply with money laundering regulations.
Once the virtual hammer comes down, the sale becomes legally binding and contracts are immediately exchanged. The buyer must then pay a deposit of 10% and agree to complete the sale in a maximum of 28 days.
Selling a property at auction is often better than an estate agency sale. This is because the deal is legally binding and so there is no risk of the sale being affected by surveys, cold feet or countless other issues. As many as one in three estate agent sales fail, but auction sales rarely fall through.
what does it cost to sell with Dedman Gray Auctions?
Dedman Gray Auctions do not list their charges online however our sources tell us that they charge 2.5% + VAT commission and a non-refundable auction entry fee of £350 + VAT. These are both average for the sector and there are lower commission fees available at other auction houses.
It is worth noting that the £350 auction entry fee will not be refunded if your property fails to sell, and you may be asked to pay a second entry fee if you need to relist a property that fails to sell.
How long does it take to sell?
Dedman Gray Auctions may not provide as fast a sale as some other auction houses. To begin with, their auctions are only held six times per year, limiting your opportunity to sell and extending the wait for the next auction if your property sale is not successful.
Furthermore, Dedman Gray have a lower success rate than some other auction houses. For example, their most recent sale, in Jul 2024 had 60 lots, with 23 withdrawn, meaning just 61% of properties sold. Their previous auction was similar, with 22 of 61 lots withdrawn, leaving a sold rate of just 64%.
This means that one in three properties are likely to go unsold at these auctions. However, these figures assume that properties were withdrawn because they failed to reach their reserve price. Properties may have been withdrawn for other reasons and if so, this would increase their sale success rate.
It should be noted that the four-week completion deadline for an online property auction does not give residential buyers much time to arrange a mortgage. This can limit potential buyers to developers, investors and cash buyers. Less buyers in turn means less competition and so lower sale prices.
This is where a quick cash sale could be a better option. You may get less for your property, but you will get a guaranteed sale in as little as seven days, with no risk of your property going unsold or not achieving the price you hoped for. A cash sale is clear and quick.
Anything Else Suspicious?
We didn’t find anything that raises suspicion during our thorough research of Dedman Gray Auctions. Our investigators sifted through all of the data and legal records of Dedman Gray Auctions and everything was clean.
However, we’ll redact this paragraph at the first glimpse of dodgy practices.
We never stop researching and our unbending commitment to excellence doesn’t waver. This paragraph is only valid up until the ‘Last Updated’ date of this review, which can be found at the top of this page.
Anything Else You Should Know About?
As far as we are aware, Dedman Gray Auctions haven’t received any additional awards or prizes.
There’s nothing more we could add.
3. Dedman Gray Auctions: Customer Experience
To assess the overall user experience (UX) of dedmangray.co.uk we first analysed their website for ease of use and intuitiveness.
The Dedman Gray Auctions website is simple and functional and lacks some of the more user-friendly features of other auction sites, such as buyer and seller guides. There is a meet the team page to introduce the people you will be working with.
There is a brief introduction to the company on the home page, but the focus of the site is very much on the next auction.
If you are ready to go ahead, there are lots of click through buttons to make it easy to register to bid or to contact them for a free property appraisal.
First Response Time
We calculated their First Response Time (FTR) by messaging them at approximately 11 AM on a non-holiday weekday (on a Monday to be exact) and used a stopwatch to estimate how long it took them to respond.
Dedman Gray Auctions responded in 48 seconds.
Which is much faster than the industry average. And a fast FRT is something we consider highly important, especially in this sector.
A faster response time suggests that the auction house is better equipped to deal with customer queries.
And if they’re better equipped to deal with customer queries, then it means they’re investing their resources where it matters the most.
Client Satisfaction Guarantee
Dedman Gray Auctions don’t offer a formal Client Satisfaction Guarantee, but they are well established in the Essex area and as such their customer service may be seen as a given for clients at in their specialist sector.
Client Complaints Procedure
Like most reputable companies, Dedman Gray does have a formal complaints procedure listed on their website, where clients can express any disagreements, issues or just plain dissatisfaction with the overall service.
By having such a procedure in place, they show that they are willing to listen and if possible, rectify any problems that may arise. Since they are members of The Property Ombudsman, customers also have the back-up of independent mitigation if this complaints procedure does not satisfy their grievance.
Speaking To Past Customers
A legitimate auction house that does what it promises shouldn’t have a problem letting you speak to their past customers.
Of course they need to have the permission of the individual involved and provide some kind of proof that it is a genuine past client of theirs.
We strongly encourage all our readers to ask to speak to a past client.
4. Dedman Gray Auctions: Online Presence
In this section, we’ll discuss what the public thinks of Dedman Gray Auctions and what online reviews the company has received.
Keep in mind that online reviews can be easily faked. The company in charge might hire fake review writers to write positive reviews. Or on the other hand, their competitors might hire fake review writers to write negative reviews and tarnish the said company’s reputation.
Also, social media followers can be artificially inflated.
That’s why we deem this section as purely anecdotal.
Customer reviews
We were unable to find any independent reviews of Dedman Gray on the standard review sites, such as Trustpilot, Google or Feefo.
As such, we are unable to comment on their levels of customer satisfaction, either good or bad.
Domain Rating
- Domain Rating (DR) – 24 / 100
- Search Traffic – 2,200 unique visitors per month
Social media presence
- Facebook – 1.5K followers
- X (Twitter) – 625 followers
Media Mentions
- N/A
TV Channel Features
- N/A
We didn’t find anything suspicious with Dedman Gray Auctions’ social media or online presence.
We also didn’t find anything suspicious with their domain rating and backlink profile nor their unique monthly search traffic.
The Final Verdict
By their own admission, Dedman Gray Auctions specialise in hard to sell, problem properties within Essex and the neighbouring counties. If you are in the right market, and the right area, then they could be the ideal choice as an auction house.
However, they type of investment buyer that these properties attract could mean that sellers of higher quality properties may miss out on the price they deserve.
Dedman Gray are also relatively small, with just six auctions per year of around 60 properties, meaning they handle just 360 or so lots per year. This small number may limit the number of buyers they attract.
On the plus side, their website does mention ‘unique radio advertising across the region’, although no details of this are given.
In summary, if you are selling a problem property in the East of England, Dedman Gray would be a strong choice. Other sellers may need to consider their choice of auction house.
Get The Best Cash Offer For Your Property
Your next step
Once you’ve read our impartial guides, you’re completely free to choose an auction house or a cash homebuyer and contact them yourself. There’s no obligation to use our introduction service. We’ll be happy to have helped you to find a company you can trust and stop you being taken for a ride. Our work here is done!
However, we understand that choosing a company to buy or sell your home is a big decision, so if you prefer, you can break it down into easier steps.
First, click the cash offer calculator button below to see how much cash buyers offer for properties like yours. It’s completely free to find out, and it only takes a couple of clicks. You don’t have to give any personal information, just an estimated value of your home.
Then, if this figure works for you, simply add a few more details of your home and we’ll connect you with the cash homebuyer we think is best suited to you.
If you’d rather take the auction route, click the ‘free auction appraisal’ button and we’ll put you in touch with the auction house that we think is the best fit for your property.
Our recommendations cost you nothing and they guarantee you the very best service. The PSW is well-respected within the industry and companies will go all out to prove that they’re worthy of our recommendations, so that we keep sending customers to them.
Click below to start your home selling journey.
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Compare Companies
Dedman Gray Auctions is just one of the many fast home-buying companies in the UK.
In order to make sure you choose the right one, it’s best if you compare them all.
Look at their strengths & weaknesses, their pros & cons and make an informed decision.
It’s essential to know you’re in safe hands, that’s why we’re here to help.
Use our company comparison table to find a reliable and trustworthy service, and decide whether expediting the sale of your property is the right thing for you.
Content Updates
This review is being constantly screened by our investigator team and will be corrected in line with the emergence of new evidence.
If a company contacts us with a genuine and verifiable piece of information which supports their cause, then we’ll immediately redact the review and point to the new information.
On the other hand, if we discover that a company which we’ve previously praised for a certain industry trait, starts to dabble in dodgy practices, we’ll also redact the review immediately.
We’ll point to our new findings and we’ll adjust the table metrics and scores accordingly.
For this reason, make sure to take notice of the ‘last updated’ date at the top of this page.
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