How to find a great estate agent
Your next home needs to meet all of your requirements; it should be comfortable, spacious, low-maintenance and easy to get to. Finding a property that has all of those qualities is not an easy job to do alone. To help you out on your house-hunting odyssey, you may need to go through an estate agent, but what should you look for in one?
Firstly, look to see if the estate agent selling a property is whether they are registered with an industry regulator. These include the Property Ombudsman and can act as a trust signal. The more they have, the more trustworthy they will be.
Next, if you are looking to move somewhere new, look for an estate agent with local knowledge. They should be aware of things like local transport links, schools, jobs and amenities such as supermarkets and surgeries. They should also know about the average property prices for their locality too.
What Customers Said
Spend some time thoroughly reading through customers’ reviews of different estate agents. They will tell you about how good (or bad) an estate agent is. Reviews can be found on websites of estate agencies like Hatched.co.uk or on search engines, where each company is given an average star rating underneath the link to their website.
When looking for feedback, consider what you want from an estate agent. Any reviews that go into specifics like property prices and the time taken to make a sale will be really useful. Also, look to see if anything positive has been said about customer service. Compare different estate agents to see which ones have the best reviews.
Ask a Friend
If you are hesitant in choosing an estate agent, try to ask a friend or relative who has recently moved home for their advice. If they have had a good experience, look at the agency who arranged their purchase or sale. Otherwise, you are better off looking elsewhere for support in moving up the next rung of the property ladder.
Finally, when choosing an estate agent, you must look at their experience. When making a phone call, emailing or meeting them in person, ask them about their knowledge of buying and selling. Ask them to talk you through the process of buying or selling a property.
You could also ask if they know about any expenses such as Stamp Duty for first-time buyers or any commission fees that you need to pay. If they answer your question clearly and easily, you will have chosen a great estate agent.