Choosing the right estate agent for your home
Choosing the right agent can mean the difference between more money in your pocket as well as a smoother selling process. Take a look our tips to make sure you make the right choice.
Ask for recommendations
Recommendations from friends ad family are invaluable. If you know someone that has moved recently, you should definitely ask them about their experience. What were the good and bad parts about the sale and then ask the agents you are considering to sell your home about those things.
Go undercover
One trick you can use is to go into an estate agency and pretend to be 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 home.
Ask questions
The more questions you ask, the more information you will have in order to make a better informed decision. For example,
How long is the agency contract?
% of asking price achieved?
Average number of offers per sale
Amount of % increase from first offer to agreed price
Success rate of agreed sales through to completion
Who will be directly responsible for the property sale?
What is the ‘plan B’ marketing strategy
Negotiation
The job of an agent is not just to sell your home. It’s to achieve a premium sale price for your property by negotiating the highest possible price which puts more money in your pocket. Ask them to explain their negotiation strategy and ask for recent examples of how the agent has produced the best possible result for the seller.
Onward purchase
You have an agent that acts for you when you sell, but most people don’t have anyone to help them when they buy. Ask if your agent will help negotiate the purchase price on the new home that you wish to buy.
Professional photos
Ask if the photos and 3D tour will be taken and created by a professional photographer. An estate agent with a fancy camera that has been on a 1 day photography course, doesn’t take professional photos. A professional photographer will be able to make your home stand out above other homes on the market.
Ultimately, you will be working with your agent very closely for a few months so you’ll need to choose someone that you feel you can trust as well as someone that will give you the best advice throughout the process.