Selling your house is one of the biggest financial moves you might make in your life so, when it comes to choosing an estate agent, you will want to be sure your property is in safe hands. Finding an estate agent, who you trust and have confidence in will help to make the experience as smooth and as stress-free as possible. In our first of a six-part series advising on key stages through the property sales process, Deborah Richards, Managing Partner of Maddisons Residential, details the key questions you should be asking when searching for your estate agent.

Seek out the smaller points of difference between each estate agent

When it comes to finding your estate agent, you will undoubtedly have a variety of prospects to choose from and in essence, the basic stages of selling your house will be the same, whichever agent you choose. Most agents will list your property on the same portals, such as Rightmove, PrimeLocation and OnTheMarket), handle viewings and provide feedback. However, it’s the small details, in the way each agent operates, that will really make the big difference. By doing some research and asking the right questions, you should be able to decipher which agent will suit you and your property’s needs best.

Are they right for your property?

A good place to start, when you’re on the hunt for an estate agent, is to ask them if they have sold similar properties to yours before: which will be particularly insightful for pricing considerations, as it can help you gauge how confident they will be in selling your house at the price you are aiming for. If you can learn about some of the stories of these previous sales and the journey they went on, it will help you to estimate what your experience will be like with this agent.

Aside from directly asking the estate agents, you can also do a bit of mystery shopping yourself by enquiring about a property like yours which is currently for sale. This will emulate the experience prospective buyers of your house will have, so you can judge if it meets your standards.

What experience does the team have and how do they work?

Learning who the team consists of, and which of them will be looking after your property, will give you a valuable insight into the atmosphere of the estate agents. Ask questions about the what the sales journey will be like to get a sense of the structure of the team and how they operate. For example, ask what the procedure would be if your property doesn’t sell straight away: would there be a review and which team member would take care of that aspect. It’s also worth enquiring about what happens after an offer has been made – if the agents will step away at that point or remain involved.

Ask them to sell themselves to you

Finally, you can ask your agent to pitch themselves and get them to explain why you should pick them. You can really put their selling skills to the test here and figure out their values as a business.

Finding the right estate agent for you is more than just ticking boxes; it’s important that they hold the communication and people skills which will enable you to form a comfortable working relationship with them, as well as ensuring you are confident that they are capable of fulfilling the all-important job of selling your house.

Could we be the right estate agent for you? If you want advice and help on selling or buying a property in or around Tunbridge Wells, please contact us as our experienced team would love to help.