How to choose an estate agent

Before you start thinking about getting valuations for your home, it is worth doing research to make sure you select the most appropriate estate agent to sell your property. You should think about contacting around three estate agents. To help choose the appropriate agents, there are a number of questions you need to ask to give you the best chance of selling your home quickly at the best possible price. 

There is no point instructing an estate agent that only sells large country homes if you have an urban flat. Whether you're selling a house, flat, cottage, bungalow or studio apartment, it's worth looking for estate agents that have a good track record of selling similar properties to yours in your area. Are they currently advertising similar properties to yours? If so, they are likely to have a bank of buyers on their books looking for properties like yours. 

You should check if any estate agent you select is signed up to the National Association of Estate Agents, the Guild of Professional Estate Agents or the Ombudsman for Estate Agents. Members of each organisation voluntarily sign up to a code of practice and are generally taken more seriously than those who are not. Take note that you also need to take a look to see of the agent comes recommended and how well they will be able to work for you overall.

Estate agents will usually charge between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of the final sale value of the property as commission. In some cases, you can haggle to get the fee down, but this may end up being a false economy. Remember, your estate agent works on a commission and you want them to be motivated to sell your property fast. By haggling too low, you may be taking away much of the incentive the estate agent needs to focus on your sale. Agree a fee that provides a fair deal for both parties. One tactic could be to pay the full fee if the agent achieves the full asking price and a sliding scale downwards if a lower price is achieved.