However, the opposite is true when finding an estate agent. You want a locally-based estate agent as they’ll know what your area is like and where all the amenities are. For example, if a potential buyer asks where the nearest school is, your estate agent can give them all the information they need.
Have a walk around your area and look for ‘sold’ signs in front of people’s houses. This will show you who is operating in your town or city and what type of properties the estate agents have experience in selling.
Should you use an online estate agent? Online agents like Yopa and PurpleBricks have become popular in recent years.
While you can save a lot of money by using these services, it means you end up doing a lot of the work yourself. Plus, you’re not as likely to get an accurate valuation as they won’t have the same level of local knowledge as an estate agent operating in your town or city.
Ask for reviews
If friends or family have sold their homes recently, ask them who they used. Encourage them to be honest; you want to know what the estate agents did well and what they could have done better!
Also look at reviews online – Google, Feefo, and Trustpilot are good places to start.
See what you get for your money
Not all estate agents offer the same services, so it’s important to see what you’ll get in exchange for their fee.
Consider:
· Whether they’ll carry out viewings on your behalf
· Where they’ll promote your property
· How often they’ll communicate with you
· Whether there are any additional fees (for example, photography, advertising or ‘for sale’ boards)
· How many buyers they have on their books
· What they’ll do if your property isn’t selling
· Whether you’ll have to pay their fees if the sale falls through
Give your prospective estate agents a call or pop into their offices. Remember, you’re under no obligation to pick an estate agent to work with at this stage.
Bear in mind that it’s not all about money when selling your property. You might sell faster if you pay a little bit extra, or a more expensive estate agent might get you a better price.
Can you work with more than one estate agent? Some people use multiple estate agents to sell their property. The advantage of this is you reach more prospective buyers, but you will have to pay more fees.
It’s important to look at the contract as the estate agent may say you can’t appoint another estate agent for a set amount of time. If you do, you might need to pay two lots of commission.
Get to see them in action
When you’ve found three or four estate agents you’d be happy to work with, ask them to come and value your property.
This will give you an opportunity to see how knowledgeable and friendly they are, as well as ask any questions.
Don’t automatically go for the estate agent that values your property the highest, as there’s no guarantee your home will go for that price!
And finally…
Don’t forget to ask your estate agent if they’re signed up with BreezeMove!
If you want to sell your home up to 50% faster, Breeze Move is here to help.
Our unique online system means you can see how your house sale is progressing every step of the way. You don’t need to contact your estate agent for daily updates, meaning you spend less time on the phone and more time getting excited about your brand new home!
Contact us for your free demo today and see how we can make selling your property a breeze.
