Q. Is there really any need to use an Estate Agent to get your property sold today? With the internet playing such a big part in most peoples lives surely I could manage this just a successfully without an agent?

A. True, you could easily advertise the property yourself both in the local media and via the use of the many property portals available. However, the role of an Estate Agent is to bring buyers and sellers together and then negotiate on the sellers behalf, once that stage has been reached a host of other parties become involved in the buying process. The 3 main other parties are Legal advisors, Lending institutions, and surveyors or valuers. Your Agent is unique in that he is the only person that can actually communicate with every party that is involved in the transaction, thus being able to communicate quickly between all sides and therefore aiding not only a speedier transaction but also being able to resolve problems quicker than they might be otherwise. With regards to marketing an agent will always have the upper hand in this respect, simply because they will produce well presented details and have advertising budgets that will allow them to market the property effectively.