How do I find a suitable estate agent to sell my home?

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Hi Ruth
 
I would suggest that you seek advice from 2 or 3 Estate Agents who are prominent and deal with the majority of sales within the area which can be cross referenced with current sales or houses under offer on the internet.  That will then provide you with an average price or potential resale value of the property but be aware of the Agent attempting to over price the house in order to gain your instructions which may be accompanied with a higher commission charge but with very little chance of finding a purchaser.  

You need to ask them what houses they have sold in the area requesting specific examples of addresses and sale prices rather than being ‘hood winked’ by a house agent who is only seeking to gain instructions at a much higher recommended asking price.  

There is a natural tendency to follow the advice of the Estate Agent who provides you with the highest Market Valuation but make sure that they back it up with evidence of other sales otherwise you could be on the market for a considerable period of time with constant phone calls from the Agents requesting further price reductions in order to try and generate interest in the property.  A simple guideline here is to demand evidence of recent sales which can be shown on a laptop whilst the Agents are assessing your own property, but be aware of the Estate Agent overpricing your house in an attempt to justify a higher fee charge.

reallymoving comment:

If you would like more advice about Selling Your Home, head off to our Moving Advice for selling property here.

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Paul Jackson FRICS

Paul Jackson Surveyors

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