How to choose the right estate agent

When choosing the right estate agent for you, it is certainly worth finding out how accurate their valuations are. A good agent should be able to tell you what percentage of their original asking price they achieve on average, as well as how long they took to find a buyer against national averages.

You should also ask the person valuing your property if they are going to be carrying out the viewings or if they are going to be involved in the sale once they have walked out the front door. All too often the agent valuing your property is paid when you sign the firm’s contract rather than when they sell your property.

When choosing your estate agent, you want to make sure that they are honest, reliable and that they understand your motivations for selling. As an independent agency, we have the flexibility to adopt whatever approach we feel is of the most significant benefit to our clients. Corporate rules or targets do not restrict us, so you can be sure that our prices and aspirations align with your wants and needs.

A good estate agent should offer an understanding ear, actionable and sensitive advice and accurate information. We pride ourselves in being highly personable and empathetic to the needs of our clients. We always have time to listen with interest, and we believe passionately in providing straight-talking advice that is responsibly realistic rather than insincerely flattering.

Ultimately the critical part of choosing the right estate agent is considering the strength of their service, reputation and marketing plan – not merely on their valuation or commission rate. Plus, you have to be able to get along with them. After all, you’re going to be working closely with them for the duration of the selling process, so choose the agent you like best!