Q. I am a first time seller and am completely unsure who I should instruct to sell my property for me. I have asked around amongst friends and colleagues but no one has a recommendation so I am feeling a little overwhelmed as I know that Estate Agents in general don’t have the best reputation in the world. Can you give me some pointers to find a suitable professional agent that is not going to rip me off?
A. I hear you, it really can be quite a challenge to hand over the keys to your precious property to someone you hardly know and expect them to deliver a sale in a reasonable amount of time and then ensure it exchanges and completes. Sourcing and instructing an agent to sell your property is not something that should be taken lightly, instructing the right agent will mean the difference between achieving the right price for your property within a reasonable time frame for a reasonable fee. If you get this wrong the results can be very damaging, if a property is not sold within a reasonable time frame it will defiantly lose its momentum and be stuck on the market for a long period of time with little or no interest. A professional agent that is familiar with his market will price the property at a price that will sell in a reasonable time frame. And if for some reason the property is not selling they will take action, whether that is with a price reduction or a switch in marketing as they will know the importance of being proactive in a competitive market. Firstly look for a regulated agent a member of the NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) All their members are qualified professionals and must follow strict rules of conduct. If you go to their website www.naea.co.uk you can use their Find An Agent tool to find a leading Estate Agent in your area. Look for an agent that has some longevity within the area, this will ensure that they know their market and will price the property correctly, and finally find someone that you gel with, someone that you feel you can trust and find easily approachable, you will be speaking to them most days so far better to instruct someone that you feel you have a connection with.