How to pick a good Estate Agent?

rl290

Also, phone them as a prospective buyer, and see how helpful they are over the phone. If they are useless, don't go near them

R

timmyt

Avoid Tesco. Good grief, if you want maximum exposure, then use Rightmove, as personally I won't look at a property where the owner has gone cheap - what else is cheap about someone wanting a supermarket to sell their house.

Your call though.

googler

timmyt wrote: »

Avoid Tesco. Good grief, if you want maximum exposure, then use Rightmove, as personally I won't look at a property where the owner has gone cheap - what else is cheap about someone wanting a supermarket to sell their house.

Your call though.

So what's your breakpoint between 'cheap' and all else?

Would you similarly avoid viewing properties advertised through Housenetwork, The Little House Company, etc. ???

timmyt

yes.

Rightmove is the best. If it is not on Rightmove then something is up, but if I was desparate to find a proeprty in a certain location I might scour I guess.

(I don't even like private sellers, fear of something to hide. Agents may have a high and often easy fee, but they squeeze the pips out of the buyer to get best price and so pay for themselves.)

Just my non-legal views.

Fire_Fox

timmyt wrote: »

Avoid Tesco. Good grief, if you want maximum exposure, then use Rightmove, as personally I won't look at a property where the owner has gone cheap - what else is cheap about someone wanting a supermarket to sell their house.

Your call though.

I imagine you being related to Hyacinth Bucket. :rotfl:

Richard_Webster

Ask them what they think your house is worth and why.

Then ask what terms they would want. If they say they want a 16-20 week sole agency ask them whether the asking price would be the same if the only had a 4-6 week sole agency!

In other words, don't be fooled if they flatter you by telling your house is worth a high figure because they may only be saying that to get the business and tie you in only to suggest after a month or so of no viewings that you reduce the asking price....

I agree with Miss Motivation's comment:

I don't think you should generalise when it comes to local/national agents. For example....Countrywide haven't got the best reputation in general and yet I know a Bairstow Eves office that is amazing, in fact I have recommended them (they are not in the area where I work).

We had a local Mann & Co branch a few years ago where the manager was amazing - she then went on to being a super sales chaser kicking other local managers to do things and she was really good to work with - then she left to do other things. So I agree with Miss motivation - some of the big ones need to be watched - but they will vary from office to office depending on the quality of the staff at each office.

jay7_2

Customer reviews might help sometimes:
https://www.allagents.co.uk
reviewestateagents.com
etc.

scooter_chick

House_owner wrote: »

Did you have a good expereince with the estate agent that you brought your house through? When putting our house up for sale, we avoided the estate agent that we brought through, because we had a bad expereince when buying with them

I had a great experience buying through my agent, and that's why I'm back with him 13 years later now I'm selling! However I did have other agents round to do the valuation & get quotes from, I didn't blindly go with them...

calebdylan

Here are the some important tips to keep in mind when selecting your estate agent:

1. Zero in on a few potential estate agents based on feedback from friends and relatives, colleagues, websites etc. It helps to have a few names instead of just one so you’ll be able to pick the best after you’ve spoken with them. While short-listing, one of the most important criterion to focus on is experience. Find out some information on their background, getting information about deals they’ve recently closed and how they would deal with your property sale if it was not selling as hoped. It is often said you are only as good as your last sale.

2. Interview all the short-listed estate agents and gather information about their experience and credentials. The latter is important because the of a estate agent profession is not as highly regulated as some may prefer and there are not many barriers to entry. Someone who has taken the time to qualify with related qualifications and has membership of professional organisations/bodies may help you negotiate a better deal and provide a better service.

Squish_21

I'd go by:
1) past expierence with an EA (buying, selling or renting)
2) the cost
3) my impression of them when they come to value my property
4) and finally personal recommendations from friends or family.