by Rosie McLean 
Surveys from “Which?” consumer magazine show that 5 out of 6 sellers are happy with their estate agent. But that means almost 17% are dissatisfied. Before you get to the stage of entering into a sales contract, there’s a lot to find out about the company you’ll be entrusting to sell your home and checking if they’re right for you.
- Use your local knowledge
Firstly take a look around your neighbourhood and examine For Sale signs – it gives an idea of the more popular agents and whether they sell properties like yours.
Ask around – consult families, friends, and neighbours for their recommendations – and consider knocking on doors of properties with For Sale signs to ask them what they think of the company selling their home.
- Do your research
Check in estate agents’ windows and on their websites. This will tell you a lot of valuable information. Here’s what to look for:
Do they cover your area? How many properties for sale are like yours?
Are the pictures well taken, and are the descriptions clear and relevant? Are there a lot of homes marked “reduced”, or does it seem like they have got their prices right?
How long have they been going and how many years of experience do they have between them? This may be on their website.
- Ask them round
Shortlist two or three agents and ask them to come round to your property. A face-to-face meeting is a good way to find out if you like the person and if they feel trustworthy, as this is what buyers will also be looking for.
Do they seem enthusiastic about your home? What do they think your house is worth? If their valuation is over that on similar properties for sale by £5,000 or more, how realistic is that and why have they come to that decision?
They should be able to provide evidence of local sold prices. Remember it’s you who makes the final decision on price and according to your circumstances, especially if you need to sell quickly.
Find out what their fees are and what percentage of commission will be charged, as this often varies between agents. What will be included for that money, and what costs extra?
- Marketing
There are lots of questions to ask here. What online portals will they use? The main three are Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket – do they work with them all?
Do they have a have a “premium listing” feature on their website, and does it cost extra? As well as pictures, will they provide a floorplan and a video?
Will they put advertisements in the local papers featuring your home – and if you’re selling an expensive, upmarket property, might it be featured in national newspapers or magazines?
Will your home appear in their branch windows, and for how long? How many relevant buyers do they have on their books, and will they contact them all?
And can they conduct viewings in the evening and at weekends if you don’t want to do it yourself?
- Ask their advice
An experienced estate agent who knows the market will be able to advise you how best to present your home and whether there are inexpensive ways to make it stand out. They will also tell you what the best selling points are – and be honest about the worst aspects and suggest how to minimise them.
Once viewings start, will they seek feedback from potential buyers and pass it on to you in case there are any changes you can make?
- Get the best deal for you
Once you’re happy that you’ve found the right agent for you, see if you can negotiate on the length of time you will be tied into a contract. Suggest four weeks, which will give you enough time to check that they’re performing as well as you would like.
- Double check credentials
A good estate agent will be a member of these groups: the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme. They may also belong to the national Relocation Agent Network (RAN).
Here at Chimneypots our friendly team has over 100 years’ combined experience with property. Just contact us to discuss all your selling and buying needs. We are proud to be the only estate agent in the area to belong to RAN.
