Q. I have just had an offer accepted on a property which I am delighted about and the purchase is subject to me selling, however I now find myself in a little bit of a dilemma. I had already sourced an agent to sell my one bedroom although I had not officially instructed and signed their terms of business yet, but having met and really liked the agent that is selling the two bed I have just had my offer accepted on I am beginning to wonder if it would be to my benefit to instruct them to sell mine too, do you think this is a good idea?
A. Instructing the same agent that you have decided to purchase through to also handle the sale of your related property would actually be a very sensible idea. Whilst there is nothing wrong at all with instructing a separate agent keeping the two together all under one roof will make the whole process far easier to manage especially if you have confidence in the agent. In fact sourcing a reliable agent that you have an affinity with and feel confident that they can work in your best interest should always be the priority, so for me that would be the deciding factor. Having a proactive agent that is both experienced and confident would be my personal priority and if you happen to have found this in the agent that you are purchasing through then I would definitely instruct them to also handle the sale of your home. Having a chain always adds an extra dimension to any buying and selling process so having someone managing the whole transaction that is in the unique position to be able to speak not only to you the seller and buyer but also your buyer and the seller on your purchase as well as all your respective solicitors really helps to keep the communication fluid and easy to get the job done, otherwise it can take days on end just to communicate something simple along the chain where more than one agent is involved and you have solicitors that wont communicate by telephone or email only letter or fax. Ultimately any good agent will get the job done but if you can work with one efficient agent rather than two then it has to be the preferred option.