Choosing The Right Estate Agent For Your Sale

Start With Local Knowledge, Not Local Charm

Every agent will tell you they know your area. Fewer can prove it. Before you invite anyone round, spend an hour with the Land Registry sold price data and check which agents are genuinely shifting properties on your street and in the surrounding postcodes. A branch that has sold four similar three-bedroom terraces within half a mile in the past six months is a very different proposition from one that simply lists a lot of stock.

When you meet them, ask for evidence rather than opinion. Specifically:

• Three comparable sales from the last six months, with the original asking price, the agreed price and how long it took to sell.
• How many of those sales actually completed, not just went under offer — fall-throughs tell you a great deal about how a sale was qualified.
• The average difference between their asking prices and achieved prices across their whole book.

A good agent will have these numbers to hand and will talk about them candidly, including the ones that were tricky.

Understand The Fee Before You Fall For The Percentage

Commission rates vary widely, and a lower percentage is not automatically better value. An agent charging 0.9 per cent who takes five months and two failed sales to get you £240,000 has cost you more than one charging 1.4 per cent who achieves £255,000 in six weeks.

Read the terms carefully, and pay particular attention to:

• Sole agency versus multi-agency. Multi-agency usually costs more but can suit unusual or hard-to-value homes. For most standard properties, sole agency with a sensible tie-in works well.
• The tie-in period. Four to six weeks is common in England and Wales; anything beyond twelve weeks deserves a hard look, particularly if you may need to move quickly.
• VAT. Quotes are often given excluding VAT, which adds 20 per cent. Ask for the total figure you will actually pay.
• Withdrawal and notice terms. What happens if you want to leave, and how much notice must you give?
• Marketing costs. Are professional photography, floorplans, a video tour and portal listings included, or billed separately?

In Scotland the structure is different again, with offers over, home reports and closing dates, so make sure whoever you instruct is genuinely experienced in that system.

Marketing Reach: Where Will Your Buyer Actually Come From?

Most buyers now begin their search online, so the quality of your listing does real work. Ask which portals your property will appear on, and whether it will be featured or standard. Beyond that, look at how the agent presents properties: sharp, well-lit photography, accurate floorplans, a genuine description rather than a list of adjectives, and a video or virtual tour where it suits the home.

Also ask about their database. A branch with two thousand registered buyers actively looking in your price bracket is a genuine advantage, and an agent who emails matching buyers before your listing goes live can generate early interest — which is often where the strongest offers come from. The traditional for-sale board still matters too, particularly in high-footfall locations.

Communication Style Matters More Than You Might Expect

Selling a home takes weeks or months and involves dozens of small decisions. You want someone who answers the phone, returns calls the same day, and tells you uncomfortable things early rather than letting you find out for yourself.

Notice how they behave before you instruct them. Did they arrive on time? Did they follow up when they said they would? Did they listen to your plans, or talk over them? That behaviour is a preview of the next few months.

Ask directly how often you will hear from them, who your main point of contact will be, and how viewings are arranged and fed back. Weekly written updates should be the minimum standard, not a favour.

Ask The Awkward Questions Before You Sign

A short, direct conversation now saves a great deal of frustration later. Ask:

• What price would you put it on at, and what evidence supports that figure?
• How long do you expect it to take, and what happens if there is no interest in the first three weeks?
• Who conducts viewings — the person who valued the property, or a junior colleague?
• How do you handle offers, and will you qualify buyers financially before recommending one?
• What is your fall-through rate, and how do you progress a sale through to exchange?

Push back on anything vague. An agent who cannot explain their reasoning clearly at this stage will not become clearer once you are tied in.

Trust Your Instincts Alongside The Spreadsheet

Compare three agents properly. Get their valuations in writing, put the fee structures side by side, and weigh up local evidence, marketing quality and communication rather than price alone. The cheapest fee is a poor bargain if the property sits untouched for months, and the most expensive agent is not automatically the best.

Choose the one who knows your market, explains their thinking without defensive bluster, and treats your sale as though it matters to them. That combination is worth far more than a few tenths of a per cent.