Selling your house can be an exciting time, but when choosing an estate agent you want to have confidence that they are the right company to do the job. Of course, unless yours is a luxury property that can be marketed nationwide, you will be limited to the estate agents in your area. However it is surprising what a difference it can make from one company to the next when trying to sell for a good price, within a reasonable time. To help you find the right agent for you, we’ve got a few top tips.
Do Some Groundwork
Don’t just go in all guns blazing when you want to find a local estate agent. Before you introduce yourself to any representatives, ask around to see if friends and family have any recommendations. Meanwhile, a visit to the premises will give you a feel of how switched on the team is, and how professional they are.
Are their properties selling fast, and do they seem to be dealing with lots of similar ones to your own? Switch on to these issues as soon as possible when considering moving house, to get a feel for the market and the best agents in the area.
Look Beyond the ££££ Signs
When you have a good idea of the most suitable agents for you, invite a few round to view your property. Of course the one burning question during a valuation is ‘how much is my property worth?’ However make sure that you use this valuable time with the agent to find out the finer details such as the fee that they charge for their service (and whether VAT is included), what experience they have had selling similar properties, and how they will advertise if you choose them.
It will be near impossible to ask every question during this visit, so don’t commit to anything during the valuation. Wait until you’ve talked with all of the potential agents, and then if you need to clarify anything further before your decision you can request further information to make an informed choice. You can also try to negotiate by comparing offers like for like.
Go With Your Gut
Ultimately, you need to be able to communicate well with the person responsible for selling your property, so think twice if they’ve ticked all the boxes but you’re not quite sure about them. They might be able to talk the talk now that they’re trying to get you on board, you want to be sure that they will prioritise you as a client throughout the process too.
There is no guarantee that one agent will be able to sell your house over another, however by doing your research you can be sure that you made the best possible choice backed by advice from other homeowners, considering more than the asking price, and asking the agent the appropriate questions. In doing so, you can have peace of mind that you have chosen a company which is committed to selling your house.
This article was written by Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, a freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellyGGrassam. This article was written with useful information from ADM Residential.
