How to find the best estate agent

Choosing an estate agent is important – but how do you separate the good agents from the bad? Our expert guide will help you find the best estate agent

Remember: the agent works for you

When you sell property, it’s vital that you find the best estate agent for you. It’s wise to keep in mind that high street estate agents work for commission, which means that you’re in a strong position – if they don’t sell your property, they don’t get paid. That’s why shopping around for the best estate agent to sell your house is so important.

Choosing sole or multiple estate agents

The first decision you have to make is how many estate agents you should use. Home sellers usually select just one estate agent. This can be simpler to manage and is usually cheaper as agents will charge more for multiple agency arrangements. Using one estate agent also avoids the risk of the seller paying double commission (see possible traps below).

Select a shortlist of estate agents

When it comes to choosing the best estate agent to sell your house, it helps if you can shortlist your options to three. Use the list below to help you draw up a shortlist, then invite the handful of estate agents round to do a valuation. In drawing up a shortlist you should:

Ask family, friends and neighbors – it’s always good to have a personal recommendation
Compare local estate agents based on the facts: how quickly they sell property, how close they come to achieving the asking price and how successful they are
Make sure the estate agent has experience of selling property like yours.
Look at the properties that the agent sells on Zoopla and Rightmove. Are the pictures well taken, and the descriptions clear and relevant?
Do not feel pressured to hire the estate agent you bought your house from. Obviously, if you were impressed by how they sold your house to you, you might decide to go with them again, in which case, add them to your shortlist.
What is their viewing policy? Check they will accompany potential buyers when you are out, or all the time if you want them to take the lead.

Find out about their standard terms & conditions, particularly their standard commission rate and typical tie in period

Check the performance of your estate agent

Invite your shortlisted estate agents to your home to discuss their offer and conduct a valuation. This is a good opportunity for you to ask them some further questions to help find the best estate agent to sell your home, such as:

How quickly do they sell homes? What’s their track record with achieving the asking price?
What is their reasoning behind the value they’re proposing to market your property at?
Are they members of an accredited independent ombudsman service? They must be either a member of the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme
Will details of your property be shared with their colleagues? It’s good if more than one person in the office can talk enthusiastically and with knowledge about your property
What would they do if your property was not selling as quickly or at the price you expected?
Are they open at weekends? A surprising number of agents only work during the week, and perhaps do half day on Saturday, which means they are less accessible to potential buyers

Beware of estate agent valuations

Estate agents know that one of the main reasons people pick them is the valuation they give. They take two general approaches:

Some estate agents give deliberately optimistic valuations, to win your business and make you think you can get a higher price with them, only to reduce the price a few weeks later following a lack of viewings.
Other estate agents insist they are giving a realistic price, and tell you not to be fooled by falsely high valuations
You will need to try to establish the best price that meets your objectives. The agent should come armed with evidence of local sold prices to support their valuation.

Property marketing strategy

In choosing the best estate agent, it’s important to establish how they plan to market your property. You need to understand what their plans are, and be comfortable with their approach. You should ask them:

Which portals are they are using? You want your home listed on the big property portals namely realestate.com.au, domain.com.au, as well as property.com.au
Will they use premium listings on Rightmove or any other features (e.g. virtual video tours) to showcase your home? And will this come at an additional charge to you?
Will they advertise your property in local newspapers? Which ones? If you are selling a more expensive property, will it feature in any national newspapers or magazines?
Will your property feature in their window? For how long?

Choosing the best estate agent to sell your house

In summary:

Make sure you shop around for the best performing estate agent near you – compare local estate agent success rate, speed of sale and track record on asking price
Make sure you get along with your estate agent, and that you trust them. They will be the first point of contact for any potential buyers, so you need to make sure that they will represent you and your property well – see what you should expect from your estate agent in our guide what does an estate agent do
Remember to read the contract carefully and check your sole agency tie in period and required notice period. If you don’t understand something, ask. If you are not happy in any way do not sign the contract.

Ready to sell or invest?

At Empower Estate agents, We provide a great experience, outstanding marketing & the best negotiations tactics to help our clients to achieve their property goals. One of our best real estate agents in South Western Sydney Sana Ullah, a well-experienced, trusted and reputed real estate agent in Sydney with his excellent marketing skills.

We believe, Buying or Selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. That’s why finding a real estate agent with the experience to guide you through the process is key. Our extensive southwest western Sydney real estate market research and strategies will help you to sell your property at the highest value.

Disclaimers: Data provided in this article is of a general nature and should not be construed as specific advice or relied upon in lieu of appropriate professional advice.

Find us: