How to choose an agent
Let's face it. Choosing an estate agent is unlikely to be in many people's top ten fun things to do list. But it is a necessary evil.
So, what should you look for when choosing an agent to make the whole experience as pain free as possible?
If you’re still not convinced, how about these reasons:
Price
It's tempting to opt for the agency which gives you the highest valuation for your home. Although the extra pounds may look tempting, a price which is too exorbitant will prevent anyone even stepping over your threshold and by the time you realise you're asking way too much the house looks as appealing as a stale iced bun left over in the baker's window at closing time.
The first four weeks your home's on the market are the biggest hitters in terms of viewings - and while you don't want to lose out, you need to make it sufficiently attractive pricewise to potential buyers. It's no good theoretically believing your home is worth more. In a market driven economy it's the buyers who determine the price. As a local agency with experience - and dare I say it - more mature staff - we know the area frighteningly well. We know what's popular, which roads attract a premium, where the best schools are and which houses have gone for how much in what period of time. We monitor the market very closely and have a pretty shrewd idea of what sort of figure your home's likely to achieve.
Your own timescale will also determine the price you ask. If you're not in a rush you may be able to ask a little more - although beware of the stale bun scenario. If you're keen to move or have found somewhere you like then selling for a little less is worth far more than a few extra thousand on your own sale six months down the line by which time you've lost what you're after. Swings, as they say, and roundabouts. And it all comes out in the wash. More clichés will doubtless follow.
So - the moral is - don't be tempted by the seemingly glittering jewel whose beauty may be shortlived.
Fees
Opting for the lowest fee can be shortsighted. There is truth in the saying you get what you pay for. Saving a thousand or so on the fee at one end may lose you far more than that at the sale end. It may also cause you a bucketload of hassle as the likelihood is those agencies offering lower fees are likely to have fewer staff - and therefore less time to devote to your sale. They may well be younger and thus less experienced. And although they may achieve an initial sale, following it through to completion is another ball game altogether. That's the tricky part. Juggling a chain, recalcitrant solicitors and mortgage lenders is a delicate business requiring the tenacity of a bulldog and the diplomacy of Kofi Annan.
Local or national?
We say local - we would wouldn't we? Many local agents, such as Brian Holt, belong to the National Homes Network which gives buyers and sellers access to a nationwide web of agents without the anonymity and corporate driven sales targets of a big national organisation. Chances are the local agents have been working in the area for donkey's years (oh dear there goes another cliché) and value properties in their sleep. Yes, we really can be that sad. This is one area where being parochial is a positive boon despite its negative connotations. National chains don't provide a national service or national advertising.
Service
When I go into a shop where the staff are polite, helpful and show me what I want in areas I like, rather than what they want to sell, as I leave with a warm glow in my stomach, that I'm likely to go back there. Being an estate agent is, surprising though it may seem, more than placing a photo and a price in our window and the local paper. Getting bums on seats is not too difficult. When it gets complicated is the juggling I referred to earlier - keeping the chain together, chasing building societies and financial advisers, chivvying conveyancers and reducing the consumption of tissues devoured by weeping vendors. If would-be buyers come back with comments about the odd smell in the utility room, the overly brown decor and the swirly patterned carpets we like to feed it back to you so you can do something about it and increase your chances of selling. In fact, we like to warn you about smelly dogs and playrooms stuffed to the gunwales with jigsaws and grilling kippers before anyone steps over your threshold. We're not Kirstie and Phil but a few inexpensive changes can make the difference when it comes to a sale - and a final price. And if you want a four bedroom detached we won't send you details of two bedroom flats. We let you know what's going on, we remember your name and we don't need to cross reference you in our filing system before we can work out who you are. Call it old fashioned but we like it and so do most of our customers!
...residential property specialist
