Test drive a few estate agents before you decide which
one you'll use.
Ask to view houses. What are the agents like? Are they helpful? How
long does it take for them to arrange viewings? Do they get back to
you when they say they will? How long does it take for them to organise
accompanied viewings?
I know one estate agent locally who took 2 weeks to show someone round
an empty property they had the keys for! That sort of timescale is
pretty shocking and might put off many buyers. This might not seem
important if you're planning to do your own viewings but it is the
general poor attitude that you need to be wary of. If they're not
interested in selling one property, what will make them want to sell
yours?
For getting valutations pick several estate agents
- Look at valuation - is it too high? Have they given
a much higher price than any of the others?
- Are they eager to get the job of selling your house?
- Do they seem knowledgeable?
- What fees do they have? Will they negotiate?
- Do they pay for the HIP?
- What if you change your mind? What costs are you liable for?
- Do they have people on their books looking for your type of property?
Ask Estage Agents for feedback
A good estate agent will always ask people for feedback
about your home after they've viewed. Sometimes there's nothing
you can do because they say the location is wrong.
But what else might they say?
Some houses I've seen have had issues which I felt were offputting.
A kitchen too narrow for a dishwasher might be no good for someone
who's after room for one. A house with too much work needing doing
might be overpriced for someone who's after a bargain.
Take in feedback. Consider what you can do about it. Next time you
could suggest that there is room for a dishwasher in the kitchen
if you swap something round, or you could consider dropping the
price a little.
Sometimes you won't get feedback and you're left wondering why someone
doesn't like your house. Don't worry too much - get on with the
next viewing!