How to interview an estate agent

sixpence.

Hello

Having come off another thread about selling my flat, I've realised that working with an estate agent to sell a flat is a bit like interviewing someone for a job, considering the fee and task at hand!

To that end, I'm curious as to what - based on your information and experiences - you would want to know about an agent before you started working with them and in order to ensure that they were the right person to work with. 

Beyond this list of questions is there anything else you would ask? https://media.product.which.co.uk/prod/files/file/gm-401e2b00-5791-4cff-92d6-445eb41e5f97-5d2dbaf1c92a6-estate-agents-questions-checklist-2019-1.pdf 

I won't fire them out all at once during the valuation. 

I'm first asking about the fee over email, before even booking a valuation, because I'd like to have that information at hand.

I appreciate your help - I'm really trying to make this process as painless as possible!

Thank you

DullGreyGuy

Just remember that lots of people lie during interviews and some of these questions are really subjective, eg "have you sold a property like this recently?"... how long is "recently"? Would any 2 bed flat be "like this" or do you think only other penthouses count? You could tighten the question by saying "sold any £1m+ penthouse flats in the last 3 months" but you are still taking their answer on faith.  Not to get shot down but most people with "agent" in their traditional job title aren't best known for openness and honesty. 

 Personally, it's key to find out if this is the person you will be dealing with day to day or not, if it is there is just the general how do you get on with them? will you look forward to your daily/weekly catchup or dread having ever to speak to them?

 one Q I would add is the frequency and method of updates... if you want hour by hour stats you'll really !!!!!! an agent that says they'll only update you when they think they have something major to tell you. 

Miri_J

One thing I noticed is that the person who comes to value your property, is most likely not the person who will be showing people around your property. They send the 'boss' to do the valuations, but the younger folk in the office to do the viewings. If you really want to know what they are like, then by all means check out what they have to say, but then book a couple of viewings with your favourite couple and see what the sales folk are really like. Call the into offices a and make enquiries, get to know the people who are dealing with people who walk in off the street. They are the ones who will really be selling your flat. It makes a big difference. Anyone can say anything in an 'interview'.

Skiddaw1

I also think there's often an instant rapor with the 'right' agent. When we sold previous house, it was the agent who fell in love with my rather idioyncratic potting shed

Albermarle

Miri_J said:

One thing I noticed is that the person who comes to value your property, is most likely not the person who will be showing people around your property. They send the 'boss' to do the valuations, but the younger folk in the office to do the viewings. If you really want to know what they are like, then by all means check out what they have to say, but then book a couple of viewings with your favourite couple and see what the sales folk are really like. Call the into offices a and make enquiries, get to know the people who are dealing with people who walk in off the street. They are the ones who will really be selling your flat. It makes a big difference. Anyone can say anything in an 'interview'.

I think you would have to be realistic that for a viewing they are going to send the juniors.
My concern would be who get involved if later negotiations got a bit fraught/complicated.

Hoenir

sixpence. said:

Having come off another thread about selling my flat, I've realised that working with an estate agent to sell a flat is a bit like interviewing someone for a job, considering the fee and task at hand!

Never goes well to tell somebody in a different profession how to do their job. Has a tendency to back fire.  

eddddy

Hoenir said:

sixpence. said:

Having come off another thread about selling my flat, I've realised that working with an estate agent to sell a flat is a bit like interviewing someone for a job, considering the fee and task at hand!

Never goes well to tell somebody in a different profession how to do their job. Has a tendency to back fire.  

I'm not sure that the OP is planning to do that.

In simple terms, it's more a case of saying "You're an estate agent, tell me why you think I should give you the job of selling my flat - instead of giving the job to one of the many other estate agents?"


Typically, an estate agent will talk about their strengths, but keep quiet about their weaknesses, so perhaps it's good to have a list of questions that are intended to uncover any weaknesses.

And an estate agent might make claims that aren't 100% accurate, so it's good to ask questions that challenge the claims.

FlyMeSomewhere79

For us we looked at customer reviews to select a few top rated local agents to come and value our house and then it was a case of who was well informed, the lady we went with was clearly experienced, she had printouts of local sales and listings to back up her valuation and she had enthusiasm for our home.

The guy from her office that did all our viewings was equally as enthusiastic and did a fantastic job of selling every aspect of our home and the local.area that our house is in - it's worth being present for a viewing to see how the estate agent performs because we viewed houses and were told to just show ourselves around! 

NameUnavailable

OP - in your other thread you said you found an agent you liked, why haven't you gone with them? Or did you throw 100 questions at them and they ran a mile?!