Choosing your Agent
The role of an estate agent
Essentially, the role of the estate agent comprises 4 main elements:
- To provide expert advice on the pricing and positioning of your home in the marketplace in order to maximise its appeal to the widest possible audience.
- To attract serious buyers through the proactive use of the most effective marketing techniques.
- To negotiate a sale on the best possible terms.
- To help smooth the sale through to a successful conclusion.
Choosing the right agent
In other parts of the world, estate agents have to be professionally qualified and even licensed. Unfortunately, that is not the case in Britain. Here, in spite of repeated calls - not least from responsible industry groups like The Guild - anyone can set themselves up as an estate agent, without any previous training, qualifications or experience whatsoever.
In fact, if anything, this problem is getting even worse. So-called "virtual" estate agents, with no High Street presence whatsoever, and no staff to give expert local advice, are proliferating. Even supermarkets are trying to get in on the act - presumably in the belief that selling houses is as simple and straightforward as selling baked beans!
All estate agents are most definitely not the same - and not even the big, well-known national chains are any guarantee of good service. Estate agency is essentially a people business - so the service you get is only as good as the people staffing that particular branch.
Now, more than ever before, you need to consider your choice of agent very, very carefully - because your decision can materially affect not only the quality of service you receive, but also how quickly you sell your home, and the price you achieve for it.
