For most people, their property is their most significant financial asset. Selling it is therefore a time to carefully consider who should act on their behalf.
Here are some of the questions you should ask a prospective agent:
- Have you recently sold similar properties in this area?
- Do you have a database of active buyers looking for this type of property?
- What are the local market conditions for this type of property?
- Where and how will my property be marketed?
- Who will be my main point of contact during the sale process?
- Do you have in-house solicitors to allow the estate agency and legal work to be done under one roof?
- Are you able to conduct viewings if I were to be unavailable?
- What level of experience do your staff have?
- What is covered in the fees and are there other charges?
- What evidence do you have to support your valuation?
A good agent will be happy to answer all of your questions and will be able to produce the required evidence to support their claims. Sellers have plenty of choice but it is worth remembering there is a wide gulf between the best and worst agents. Taking your time to ask the right questions will be time well spent as an experienced local agent with a wide-ranging marketing strategy will be more likely to be able to achieve the best price in the best possible timeframe.