How do you choose between: The Good, The Bad and "Comissery"?

How do you choose between: The Good, The Bad and

  

How do you choose between: Online, Hybrid, National and Local Estate Agents?

 

 

With more choice than ever before how do you decide which estate agent to entrust with the sale of your home.


Estate agents focus on promoting their individual strengths, making it confusing when trying to compare the differences between agency services vs costs and ultimately, selecting the one you can trust to achieve the right price and successful sale of your property.

Here is our 10 Point Guide (from within the industry) to consider when selecting an agency service;

1. Do they advertise on Both RIGHTMOVE and ZOOPLA property portals?
With the vast majority of buyers searching online for their next property, if your house is not visible on these portals you are seriously limiting the number of buyers that will see your property. Other property portals are available (which cost Estate Agent’s less to advertise), but they have far fewer visitors.

2. Have they got Local Property Knowledge?
Location, Location, Location. Property values and demand can differ significantly from street to street within a town. The only way to build and maintain that knowledge is through active engagement within the local property market.

3. Who will support you through the SALE and CONVEYANCING process?
It’s important that you can trust and maintain a professional relationship with the person responsible for selling your home and guiding you through the conveyancing process through to completion. When meeting the agent do you feel you could work with them for the next 3months. If not provided would you be comfortable without a primary point of contact, or being dealt with through a call centre should any issues arise?

4. Will you be charged any upfront or hidden fees?
Some agents advertise cheaper pricing models where you are required to Pay-upfront, or they tie you into a credit agreement, so they get paid immediately and you have to pay regardless of if they sell your home. Will you be comfortable if you have paid and your property has not sold, meaning you then have to pay a 2nd agent to sell your property?

5. Will you be Tied to a restrictive contract?
Agent contracts vary, some agents tie you in to a minimum contract terms of 12 weeks or more, whilst others enable you cancel with no cost at any time. Similarly, many agents prohibit you from listing with another agent (dual boarding) should you decide your current agent is not performing as originally expected. Are you required to sign a contract that restricts you from leaving ant any point should you be dissatisfied with the level of service or progress received?

6. How will your property STAND-OUT?
With the volume of properties advertised on Rightmove and Zoopla, your home should stand-Out from the crowd, creating desire with buyers to arrange viewings. Floor plans are a must have, as are high quality photographs, showing off your properties best features to generate interest. Have a look at property pictures published by potential agents on their website or Rightmove, how do they compare, and would they entice you to arrange a viewing?

7. How easy is it for you or a buyer to arrange viewings and contact the agent?
With increasingly busy lives and properties being viewed via the internet, buyers and sellers want to be able to arrange viewings, discuss properties, negotiate sales in the evenings and over weekends. This means agency staff should be available (not just an answer phone or call centre messaging system), to meet this demand. Staff should be available as required to attend viewings and negotiate sales on a Sunday. What are the opening hours for potential agents and will they attend out of hours views, or charge additional fees for this service?

8. Can you access Genuine published customer reviews?
Many of us would check review sites such as Trip Advisor before booking a holiday, but may not consider doing the same to check our estate agent. Do the agents you are considering publish a link to a trusted impartial customer review service such as TrustPilot or Feefo?

9. Access to information as and when you want it 24x7?
Agents should maintain regular contact with their clients. However, there are instances where you have 8 viewings in the diary and would like to check the day, time or name of the buyers coming, or maybe you want to read feedback from previous viewings at 10pm on Sunday evening. Customer portals are increasingly popular in these situations enabling you to always have relevant information at your fingertips. Is a secure client portal provide by your potential agents?

10. Do they maintain a network of Local Services?
Throughout the property sale / purchase process there are a number of other services you may require from Mortgage Advisors and solicitors to EPC assessor, Surveyors, structural engineers and damp specialists. Having a network of reliable and trusted services that can be recommended can be extremely beneficial as and when required. Do the agents you are considering have a local network of trusted service providers?

If you are looking for an agent that provides all of the above as standard, talk to Jump-Pad -  A Refreshing Approach to Property Sales & Lettings.

Jump-Pad is 100% Focused on achieving 5Star customer services ratings from ALL our customers via Feefo, with a Fixed Fee of only £749.  To find out how Jump-Pad could help you, Contact US for further details or call us on 01925 351 871.