How to Choose the Right Estate Agent for your House Sale
When it comes to selling your home, you need to make sure that you have the right estate agent. An agent who understands your needs and is best placed to ensure that you achieve the best price for your property.
There are many different companies around all competing for your business, so it is important to make sure you are comfortable with who you have representing you.
Our tips and tricks will help you pick the perfect agent for you:
1. Ask for recommendations
Of course, the most obvious trick is to ask everyone you know who they would recommend. You want to know which friends have moved recently and who they used. Make sure you find out if there were any issues. The other thing you can do is have a look around the area or online and see which estate agents are getting a lot of business. Online reviews from real customers can be a big help in swaying your decision. CLICK HERE to view our testimonials page.
Having been established since 1977 at Church & Hawes we find that we have dealt with the majority of local home movers and have provided them with a very positive experience.
2. Check industry credentials
All estate agents are required to be members of the Property Ombudsman so make sure that yours is. Many will also be members of various trade bodies. Memberships of these will mean that the estate agent has to follow a code of conduct. This is likely to imply that they will have higher standard of professionalism and diligence and therefore are going to be able to help you throughout the process in a more effective manner.
For your information Church & Hawes are also members of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA Propertymark) the aim of this brand is to improve standards across the industry and ensure that agents who are members provide better protection for their clients. CLICK HERE to find out more.
3. Go undercover
One trick you can use is to contact an estate agent as a mystery shopper with a view to looking to buy a property like yours. You can then evaluate how they treat you. Are they showing the property in the best light? Would you buy your property from them? This will give you a realistic idea of whether they are going to be able to sell your house easily.
We find that our customers are refreshed by our focus on selling homes. This may seem stupid as we are “Estate Agents” but many agencies focus on selling mortgages and conveyancing services and lose sight of promoting their client’s property.
4. Get at least three agents to view your property
When it comes to picking an agent, you want to make sure that you shortlist but not too much. Get three different agents to view your property, but don’t just be tempted to go for the agent that values it the highest. This may just be a ploy to get your business. You want to pick an agent that is going to be open and honest about your property and who will give you a realistic appraisal based on the current market conditions.
At Church & Hawes, our aim will always to be to supply you with an honest valuation with a view to achieving an efficient sale for the best possible price. Always remember regardless of the market conditions if a property is appropriately marketed and priced correctly it will sell!
5. Have a list of questions
You want to make sure that you ask the estate agents certain questions- things like, if you go for a sole-agency contract what is the tie in period and how much do they charge? How will they advertise your property? Who will handle the viewings? How long has the estate agent been established and what is their level of experience.
We want to make you feel comfortable when you instruct us to sell your home and no matter how minor you think your question may be (we have heard them all before) we will do our best to put your mind at rest. The home sale process can be very stressful and you need an estate agent you can trust.
6. Decide between Sole-Agency or Multi-Agency
When selling your property, you want to decide whether to go with Sole-Agency or Multi-Agency. Multi will mean that your property is marketed through a number of different agencies and in theory will be seen by more people, but it costs more. Really, a great agent should be able to get you the reach you need without another agent's help. If they're not able to sell the property, getting multiple agents on board is not going to help. Instead, why not research thoroughly for a great agent before you start. They may cost a little more than a cheap agent, but it'll cost less than a multi-agency contract, and they can get you the price you want and need. Church & Hawes will offer invaluable support with your most important asset.
Check the Sole agency length, if an agent requires a long sole agency period, in excess of 12 weeks, then you should really question their confidence in finding you a buyer.
Our focus is on value, our experience, local knowledge and local multi office network is unrivalled when it comes to selling homes from Mid Essex to the East Coast. Agents nowadays all advertise on the same property portals so the Multi-Agency agreement is less common with the emergence of National Property Portals.
What qualities do the best Estate Agents possess? CLICK HERE to find out more.