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Questions to ask an estate agent 17:02 - Jul 28 with 5480 views

I'm looking to sell my house for the first time. I've got three coming round this week to give us valuations.

I've obviously Googled it and read all the 'top 10 questions to ask before selling you home' type articles - but if anyone has any killer questions outside the obviously feel free to share.

Questions to ask an estate agent on 08:50 - Jul 29 with 1205 views

hampstead_blue

Questions to ask an estate agent on 08:29 - Jul 29 by hype313

Essentially they all do the same thing, chuck it on Rightmove and lobster pot. People are far more knowledgeable about the areas they want to buy, from standard of schools, crime, local links etc, all of this information is available online.

It won't be long before agents are redundant in my opinion, and we will all be able to advertise it ourselves on rightmove for a one of flat fee.

So go for the cheapest rate and let the area and house sell itself.

I am not sure about your fees thought.

If an agent has a chunky fee they will sure as eggs are eggs sell it hard.
If I am paid commission I'm going for the easiest and biggest fee I can get my hands on.

It's simple.

Set the price correctly and set the hare running.

This is one of those moments where fees matter. To the agent.

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Questions to ask an estate agent on 10:33 - Jul 29 with 1165 views

uefacup81

From experience, I think the maxim/gambit of letting the market decide is fraught with risk.

The number of properties I've been to that have been sold by fixed-fee/low effort agents where I've walked away thinking "b*gger me sideways, they've undersold that" speaks for itself.

Poll:

Predictions for tonight?

Questions to ask an estate agent on 11:20 - Jul 29 with 1151 views

Argyle_blue

I've bought and sold a lot of houses - So my tips:

- Definitely haggle on fees but don't always go with the lowest - you may lose out if an agent hasn't got the reach or expertise to get the best out of the marker - you might save £100 on fees but lose out on £2000 of selling price.

- Beware agents that flatter you with either a magically 'high' fee or a very 'low' fee to drum up interest. Doo your research and see what is achievable. You don't want the house on the market for ages waiting for a high fee or going too cheaply.

- Remember that their priority is to get the house sold asap and yours is to get the highest price you can. These are not always compatible! Don't be pushed into accepting offers.

- Key to getting best price is getting the highest amount of demand generated. This involves people being able to find the house easily and also people making bids. Ask about which sites they use to advertise.

- Look at the photos the agents take of houses. Do they take the sort of photos that would make you want to buy the house or are they a bit rubbish? This makes a big difference.

- In COVID times it may be worth asking how the agent will show the house to those that may not be able to visit in person.

- Don't go too much on whether they seem 'nice'. All estate agents are sharks - head not heart!

Good luck!

Questions to ask an estate agent on 11:48 - Jul 29 with 1139 views

ElephantintheRoom

As someone who has just sold a parent's house in suffolk and my own in rural essex I can offer you two bits of pertinent advice

Assuming they are all the same is wide of the mark... one or two actually do some work. Having decent photos is very important... if one offers 'prfessional photos' for not much take it as you can always reject it.

Avoid the online solicitors at all costs... they are singlularly useless in most areas and dont really exst... there is more to selling a house than putting it on rightmove... not much admittedly - but every little helps

Always make sure you are around for viewings - they usually send clueless people who dont mind which house they sell - so its up to you to market your house effectively

Ask for a discount on their ludicrous 1% fee.

And never ever use a solicitor for something as easy as conveyancing... do it yourself if you can be bothered.... or use an online fixed price conveyancer

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Questions to ask an estate agent on 14:15 - Jul 29 with 1111 views

PrideOfTheEast

Questions to ask an estate agent on 11:20 - Jul 29 by Argyle_blue

All great advice.

Wouldn't worry too much about fees. Definitely test them on whether they have any potential buyers lined up.

Questions to ask an estate agent on 16:36 - Jul 29 with 1086 views

Meadowlark

Make sure they do as you tell them.
Try to negotiate a lower fee.
Their valuation is a guide only, you probably know what it's worth/what you want for it. Don't let them under value it. They're looking for fast turnover so will try to sell it as fast as possible.
If there's a lot of buyer interest don't let them force you into taking the first offer.

Questions to ask an estate agent on 17:54 - Jul 29 with 1063 views

trueblue1970

Questions to ask an estate agent on 08:27 - Jul 29 by uefacup81

Avoid Purple Bricks

Granted they serve a particular niche within the market and are probably an okay bet if you're after a quick sale and aren't too bothered about the price you'll get. If you look at them, however, be prepared for them to vastly over-egg the value of your property in order to try and win your business.

Frankly, their business model is not geared towards them being motivated to do their best for you. They're getting paid regardless, and the fee is fixed, so why should they go above and beyond in order to try and get you the best price possible?

There's certainly suspicion within the industry that their reviews are not all they're cracked up to be either: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/purplebricks-trustpilot-reviews. I've just taken a look on TrustPilot and it seems very odd that almost all of the positive reviews refer to the individual agent by their full name without exception...

They go big on the whole 'no commission' aspect of their business but, assuming you've got an 'average' £200k property, that saving would be wiped out instantly if a traditional agent was able to get you an extra £1k for your property.

Do your own research
Spend some time on https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices.html and form your own reasoned opinion as to what your house is likely to be worth. It's not quite as powerful as the tools that Estate Agents and Surveyors use, but if you know what you're doing and what you're looking for then you should be able to get a pretty good idea.

If an agent's figure varies from the figure you've calculated, present your own evidence to them and ask them to comment upon it.

Likewise, take a look at the agent's pages on Rightmove and Zoopla. Look at what they're marketing, how much they've got it on for, and how long it's been on the site. If there's stuff that's been languishing, press them on it. Find out why it's not sold, and what they're doing to try and get it to sell.

Know the market
Don't necessarily believe all the doom and gloom about post-COVID house prices. I'm a surveyor up here in Norfolk and we're actually finding that sale prices are going up rather than down. Some of it can be attributed to there having been an imbalance in the number of sellers and buyers. There's also an element of people wanting to move away from the big cities. It may well be the case up in Yorkshire too?

Ask for a road-map
Press the agent for the worst-case scenario. They'll certainly be trying to wow you with how quickly they think they can sell the property for you, but press them on what they'll do if things don't go as smoothly as that. How do they intend to keep the listing fresh and prominent, and generate interest, if the property is still sitting on the market after six weeks?

My experience of purple bricks is the opposite they priced my house between the two other quotes I had, I asked to go with a higher price and got it, I found them really good and a lot cheaper than normal estate agents, each to their own but if I was selling again that’s were I would be going

Questions to ask an estate agent on 19:35 - Jul 29 with 1043 views

BlueForYou

I'm selling at the moment. Biggest problem is estate agent didnt tell us that our buyer is using Purple Bricks & their conveyancers Premier Property Lawyers. Avoid this company with everything you have. We havent heard anything from them in five weeks so far. Plus they are based in the Leicester Lockdown area. Were using standard Estate Agent with local Solicitor. Its going to be a very long process.

Questions to ask an estate agent on 07:32 - Jul 30 with 997 views

yorkshireblue

Questions to ask an estate agent on 08:22 - Jul 29 by stopmoaning
Oh and if you're in Yorkshire like your name suggests, then me too, whereabouts are you?

Thanks again, some really good advice and questions to ask. We’ve got three coming today. Based on the conversations I’ve had with them on the phone one seemed very good, one ok and one a bit meh.

I’m close to Nostell Priory.

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