How do I choose an estate agent?
Why is it important to work with the right estate agent?
When it comes to selling your home, taking the time to choose the right estate agent for you is one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make.
A good estate agent will guide you through the process and keep in touch with you every step of the way, ensuring that you feel fully informed about any developments affecting the sale of your property and offering sound advice. They should also have a strong presence on all of the major online property portals to ensure that your home is marketed as effectively and widely as possible.
At Link Agency, communication is one of our strengths. We will keep in touch even when there’s nothing much to tell you. In fact, our commitment to customer care is one of the reasons that we retain our clients.
We also make full use of the wealth of new technology available to us so that we can showcase your home to its best possible advantage, creating high quality photographs, floor plans and marketing materials to achieve the best possible outcome for you. We use a trusted professional photographer, as well as offering imagery by drone and the very latest virtual staging technology to help potential buyers visualise themselves living in your home.
You’ll find our properties on all three of the best known online property portals - Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket.com.
We’ve also invested heavily in our website and worked incredibly hard to ensure that, when a potential buyer searches online for a new home, Link Agency is on the first page for each of the key search terms that they’d be likely to use.
Our use of the latest technology to assist us in our work, together with our managed door policy at our offices on Pasture Road in Goole, ensures that our talented team can use their valuable time to do what they do best; sell your home for you. It also means that you’ll never struggle to reach us by telephone or to book an appointment with us during office hours. In other words, we will look after you and your property well.
What can go wrong with an estate agent?
You might find that some estate agents quote a low a fee, to sell your home, only to lose interest if it doesn't sell quickly. Failing to give your property the time and investment it deserves.
Here at Link Agency, we believe that the decision to work together has to be right for both us and the client. We’re happy to discuss your expectations, and will always be realistic and completely honest with you about whether or not we can meet them. We won’t waste your time.
Does an estate agent need to be qualified?
Yes, it’s our view that all estate agents should be qualified. That’s why every member of our team is not only qualified but also receives ongoing training and development opportunities to further boost their knowledge and skills.
The UK Government is currently pushing for all estate and letting agents to become qualified so the industry is changing, but we’re already one step ahead of the pack.
Phil, Marie and Jayne have more than 60 years of local property sales experience between them, but we also have several newer team members who bring a fresh perspective and are skilled as using the latest technology available to us. All in all, we have the perfect combination of experience, creativity and technical know-how within our small but highly skilled team.
What are some of the ‘red flags’ of bad estate agents?
When choosing an estate agent, there are definitely some ‘red flags’ to look out for. Poor creative materials, such as unflattering or amateur-looking photography, and limited coverage on the leading online property portals are telltale signs that an estate agent is not prepared to fully invest in its clients and their properties.
As a bare minimum, an estate agent should be on at least two of the top three property portals - Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket.com.
Here at Link Agency, all of the properties that we offer for sale or to let are featured on all three of the top online portals. We also invest in the highest possible level of subscription on Rightmove, which means that the maximum expenditure is going on products that will benefit you and your property, such as the ‘premium display’ and ‘feature property’ options.
If an estate agent won’t invest money to sell your home for you, it’s a major red flag and you should seriously consider whether they will maximise your property’s potential.
What are some good questions to ask my estate agent?
Here are a few key questions to ask when choosing your estate agent:
Who will look after my property?
Who will I deal with?
How easy is it to contact them?
How much experience do you have of selling properties like mine, in my area?
Who will deal with the progression of my sale, and how close to the situation are they?
Will they prioritise your sale progression?
For example, Marie in our team has a wealth of experience and manages the progression of each sale personally. She speaks to everyone in the chain regularly, including the solicitors and other estate agents, working hard to keep you informed every step of the way about any issues affecting the chain.
Only a tiny proportion of our sales fall through - far less than the national average of 25 per cent. This is because we’re incredibly attentive, and our use of technology makes us more efficient. Ultimately, when choosing an estate agent, you need to be sure that they are running a good business. Being an independent estate agent with a skilled team and a managable number of listings works well for us because it means that we’re dedicated to you and your property sale.
Tagged as: Selling
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