So, you are looking to put your house on the market. One of the most important instructions you make when selling your property is choosing the right estate agent. Estate agency is an extremely competitive industry fraught with pitfalls and unpredictable behaviours; so, knowledge really is power.
We have put together some tips to help make sure your decision an informed one!
Remember the agents offering the lowest fee aren’t always the way to go; the same goes for agents who over inflate the value of your house.
What you need is a good quality agent who’s going to get good quality potential buyers and keep your best interests at heart when negotiating the price.
We’ll save the whole ‘Online vs High Street Agents’ debate for another time. But, when you have estate agents coming round to view and appraise your property here are some tips to help you identify which agent will be the best for you.
Before they come round
- Do your research – look on Zoopla, Rightmove and Onthemarket and see what other houses in your neighbourhood are for sale, how long they’ve been on the market for and who’s selling them. Then look at the ones sold in the last 6 months, how much they achieved and who sold them. I recommend inviting the 3 estate agents in who have sold the most and who are the most experienced in the area to then come round and quote.
- Negotiate on the fee – but remember their willingness to negotiate on their own fee may reflect their negotiating tactics. Are they going to get you the best price?
- Possibly suggest a scale of fees – a fee if they achieve their asking price, as well as fees for above and below the asking price
- Do not chose on price alone as that effects their marketing – look at the properties they’ve got on the market and make sure their pictures are going to set your house off to the best
Questions to ask them
What do you think are the key selling points of this property and are there any short term fixes I should do? (Remember they are trying to get the business but if they’re not honest at this point, how will you be able to trust them as the sale goes forward?)
- What similar properties have you sold in the last 12 months and what prices did they go for? How many offers did you get on them and how long did they take to sell? (And if you’ve done your homework you’ll know if they’re telling the truth – and ask them about specific properties)
- How many “hot” buyers do you have in my price range right now?
- How do you check that prospective buyers can afford to buy my property?
- Once you’ve found my perfect buyer, how do you progress the sale and what does that actually mean you do?
- How do you follow up with prospective buyers after they’ve viewed the property?
- Do you do weekend and evening viewings
- Will you accompany buyers on all the viewings?
- What additional fees do you charge on top of the agency fees?
- Are floorplans and pictures included in the fee and do I have to pay more for brochures etc.
- Where will you advertise the property – online, offline, press, window
- How long am I tied into you for?
- What are your terms and conditions?
- Which redress scheme do you belong to? (It is a legal requirement that all estate agents belong to a scheme in case there are issues in the future)
- Why should I choose a High Street Agent over an on-line agent?
If you’re overwhelmed with the thought of moving house, be it for yourself or someone in your family and would like a chat about how the Homemover Specialist could help you, contact us on 01344 723292 or by email. For more top tips and latest news from this new budding sector make sure you follow our Facebook and Twitter pages.
