Truth be told, we know that estate agents aren’t popular,
when I tell people what I do most of the time they either wince or are
surprised – trust me, some of us are actually nice!! Buying & selling a
house is a minefield which can be incredibly stressful, so you need to find an
agent who you trust.
So how do you choose?
Ask friends – word of mouth is a brilliant way to get
recommendations of who to use and who NOT to use. Everyone has got a horror
story but judging by how many thank you cards we get from vendors a
lot of people have some really great experiences with estate agents.
Use social media – everyone has a Facebook
page and a Twitter
handle nowadays so why not have a look and chat to the agent on there. What
sort of things do they post? Do they respond? Is it updated regularly?
Check out the websites – since the launch of ‘On The Market’
in January last year, agents who have marketed property through that site have
had to drop Rightmove or Zoopla . This is something that Spencers chose not to
do as we believe we get too many enquiries from them to justify dropping one of
them. Is their own website any good? Do they have a mobile site so that people
can use it when walking past your property?
Meet the negotiator - as well as the valuer, meeting the
negotiator selling your home is a great way to do this. Whilst it isn’t always
possible to meet the negotiator before you actually market the property, why
not visit the office or mystery shop them over the phone by booking a viewing
or asking about a particular property. Does that negotiator know all about it?
Have they visited the property? What’s the area like? When was the property
last rewired? You’d be surprised by how many agents have never seen the houses
that they’re selling – how can you possibly sell something you haven’t seen??
What is the negotiator like? Would you feel comfortable representing you? After
all, they will be speaking to buyers on your behalf.
How do they conduct viewings? – Maybe I’m not like everyone
else but I really dislike ‘open house’ viewings. I want to be able to speak to
the agent or vendor showing me round so that I can ask questions, you can’t do
that with 10 other people standing in the kitchen with you!
You will no doubt have heard all the old adages ‘you get
what, you pay for’ & ‘your home is your biggest asset’ and they are all
absolutely true. There are so many agents out there who will offer you a
valuation on the same day you call them and a cheap fee if you instruct them on
the spot, but does that always get you the best agent? I would be concerned if
someone could come straight out and see you and then offer you a fee of 0.5% -
doesn’t that smack of desperation?!
At Spencers we pride ourselves in going the extra mile for
sellers & buyers, we all live locally and will do everything we can to sell
your house. Come in and have a cuppa with us to have a chat.
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