Choosing your Agent - continued
Independent and local, or a faceless nationwide corporation?
Does it really matter who owns an estate agency? The short answer is yes. Independent estate agents are experts in their local market. As an integral part of the communities they serve, their businesses really do stand or fall by the quality of service they provide and by their ability to successfully deliver sales at the best possible price.
All Guild Members are independently-owned.
Reputation and standing
In estate agency, as in everything else, one of the best guarantees is a solid local reputation. You also need to be sure that your chosen agent adheres to the very highest professional standards, operates to a strict Code of Conduct, and carries professional indemnity insurance.
Guild Members are individually hand-picked as highly-regarded agents in their locality. They adhere to the very highest professional standards, operate to a strict Code of Conduct and are required as a condition of membership to have professional indemnity cover.
Trust and confidence
A key element in your relationship with your chosen agent must be trust. In 2004, The Guild set new standards for the entire industry by becoming the first national network to insist that all member firms belong either to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or The Property Ombudsman.
National network
While expert local knowledge and reputation are crucial, it is still important that your chosen agent should be part of a nationwide network, to ensure that your property benefits from the widest possible market exposure.
Guild Members are part of a national network of offices working together to serve you better. Its headquarters are the prestigious National Property Centre in London's Park Lane, providing high-profile exposure to the London market and direct access to the international investment community.
