Choosing an Estate Agent
Selling your home is a big decision. And naturally, picking the right estate agent to help you market and sell is a similarly important choice. So, how should you set about finding the right agent for you, what criteria should you consider, and how can you be confident in making a final decision?
While it probably hasn’t escaped your attention that we ourselves are a Camberley estate agent(!), this guide is intended to be free of bias. We’ve drawn from our experience as customers of other estate agents – both in Camberley and across Surrey, Berkshire and Greater London – coupled with some insider knowledge from an agent’s point of view.
This article will provide you with some key considerations, criteria, and good questions to ask prospective estate agents – ultimately enabling you to make your own decision.
Do your own research
For most of us, the search for a service provider of any kind usually starts online. And with so much information – and so much choice when it comes to agents – it can be tricky to know where to begin.
You’ll likely be using a search engine like Google at this first stage, but one thing to be aware of is not to automatically default to the first couple of agents you find. These are typically paid adverts or promoted listings and – in our experience – the agents with the deepest pockets don’t necessarily provide the best service. So, be prepared to dig deeper.
Also, be aware of different types of estate agent. Traditional high street agents will probably be front of mind, as you see them when in town and they often have the most sale boards. However, that doesn’t mean they’re the best fit for you. In this area, for example, there are several growing independent Camberley estate agents, plus online and national agents too. Each will have their merits, which is why doing your own research is essential.
Estate agents’ websites
A good place to start is the agents’ own sites. Here you can get a sense of their ethos, how they communicate and how they work. Check out biographies, customer testimonials, and examples of other properties they’ve sold or currently have listed.
Property portals
Check popular property websites such as Rightmove, Zoopla, PrimeLocation and OnTheMarket, which often have profiles for estate agents in your local area. While you’re there, get a sense of the profile, type and average value of properties different agents typically deal with. And also search for properties similar to your own that have recently sold and are currently on the market - within a mile of your post code to gauge the current market and prices. Being armed with this knowledge yourselves will be helpful when later meeting with agents.
Other online sources
Google and Trustpilot reviews can also be insightful, allowing you to better understand the experiences of other customers with agents you are considering.
Seek referrals - on and offline
Referrals from others can be helpful when narrowing your shortlist. Reach out to people whose judgement you trust in your network – friends, neighbours, work colleagues or other parents at the school gate. Ask who they’ve used and would recommend. This could either give you some new names to try or reinforce the case for an agent you’ve already found and liked the look of.
Alternatively, if you are in the early stages, you could use social media such as Facebook to ask for recommendations in a local area group.
Shortlist
You’ve done your desk research and spoken with others in your network. The next task is to shortlist your favourite options.
We’d always recommend speaking with – and ideally meeting – a handful of local estate agents. Three is probably the optimum number for most people.
By reaching out to several agents, you’ll not only build your knowledge by asking lots of questions and hearing different viewpoints but, crucially, you’ll also get at least three price valuations.
Meeting the agents
It goes without saying that a face-to-face meeting with agents should have a big bearing on your decision. After all, first impressions count and having a good ‘gut feel’ about an agent is important.
So, how do you put prospective agents through their paces and ensure you get all the information you need? Here are a few insider pointers:
All in?
Where possible, if there are two (or more) parties involved in selling the property, you should both attend these meetings. You may each notice different things or have different preferences. By both being there, you’ll find it easier to discuss and agree on the right agent for you later.
Key criteria / things to ask agents
“Who will be working on our sale?”
While most agents will send out directors or experienced agents to conduct valuations and lead early-stage conversations with customers, that is not always the case once the ink is dry on your contract. Find out who will handle viewings, negotiate offers, and be your main point of contact thereafter.
Quite often with larger high street agents, you’ll find junior team members are assigned to viewings. That’s not necessarily a problem, but it can be if colleagues aren’t properly briefed on a property and cannot answer questions.
Similarly, when it comes to the ongoing handling of your sale, seek assurances that you will have a single point of contact and won’t be passed from pillar to post when your contact goes on holiday.
“How and where will you market our home?”
With this question, you are seeking to understand their approach to marketing new listings. Their answers will show you how proactive they are – whether they simply upload to the portals and hope for the best, or whether they also target the right buyers through more strategic outreach.
You will naturally want your property listed on the major portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, PrimeLocation and OnTheMarket) as these reach the highest volume of prospective buyers.
But beyond this, will the agent also use social media – and if so, how? Who do they see as the likely profile of buyer for your home, and do they know how to reach them? Lastly, what does their marketing look like? Is it contemporary, do they use professional photography and video tours, and can you see some examples?
“What is your sales fee and contract length?”
In your local area, you’ll likely find that estate agents benchmark against one another on aspects such as fee and contract length. Nevertheless, these are important things to clarify before you sign up.
When it comes to fees, you may find there is room for negotiation – and that’s absolutely worth a conversation. But be wary of any agent who is too quick to drop their price or slash it significantly. Ultimately, this can be indicative of a ‘numbers game’, where an agent simply needs a volume of listings and will do anything to hit their targets.
As for contract length, anything from 12 to 26 weeks is possible. We suggest being wary of tying yourself into contracts at the longer end of that range, as it can point to an agent being less proactive if they know they have five or six months to sell your home.
“How did you come up with this valuation?”
We all naturally want to achieve the highest possible sale value for our property – and most estate agents want the same. However, it’s important that a valuation is grounded in reality.
The practice of overvaluing is, sadly, common. Some agents will readily use it as a tactic to win an instruction and tie you into a long-term contract, planning to reduce the asking price later. Ultimately, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
You can protect yourself from this trap in a couple of ways. Firstly, by seeking valuations from multiple agents to be able to compare. Secondly, by asking agents to back up their valuation with details of comparable properties they’ve used to inform their projection.
Conclusion
After all that, it’s decision time! We’ll leave that part to you, as choosing an estate agent is very much a personal choice. There is no one-size-fits-all, and what matters most is being clear on what kind of agent you want (and don’t want), so you enter the process with your eyes open.
Getting this right should make selling your home simpler and less stressful from start to finish. Good luck!
And if you or anyone you know is looking for a Camberley estate agent - or indeed in another area nearby - please get in touch.