08th December 2020

Remember to be ‘Agent Aware’

Choosing the ‘right’ Estate Agent.

If you have decided to sell your home. Now is the time to ensure you pick the Estate Agent that is ‘right’ for you. The one that you choose should most definitely be ‘friendly, approachable, fair and professional’. But that’s not all, because we would also advise sellers to:

– Call a few agents to ask about properties and see how your call is handled.
– Get ideally three valuations.
– Choose your agent based on the value for money, local expertise and the level of service they offer. And don’t be fooled into automatically going with the agent who gives you the highest valuation as they may be doing this just to get you on their books!
– Be wary of how long some of the agent’s ‘sole agency’ tie-in period is.
– Trust your gut, as most of the time it’s right!

Prepare for viewings

Here is some obvious advice for making your home look appealing:

– Depersonalise and declutter. While a house should feel homely, you need to allow the potential buyer to imagine his or her own family in the property. It will also save you time when it comes to packing!
– Make sure your kitchen and bathroom are looking tip-top. Typically, these are the rooms that buyers want to see the most. Ideally, they shouldn’t look as if they need a huge renovation or a lot of money needed to be spent on them.

Accepting an offer

We recommend that you follow your agent’s advice, because they are after all the experts in both the local area and also how the local market is currently performing. You’re not just negotiating on the price but also on the buyer’s availability to move within a time-frame that suits you. It’s no good accepting an offer if you’re looking for a quick sale yet the buyer has somewhere to sell.