The benefits of choosing a solicitor estate agent
Having worked within the property market for more years than I care to remember, I’ve seen many market conditions and many marketing strategies which have been good, bad and ugly. It’s a misconception to think that when the market is strong, as it currently is, no matter what strategy or agent you choose, you’re going to get the best price.
In a strong market sellers are sometimes tempted to go down the cheaper online alternatives because they think their house will sell anyway and in most cases it will, but what really should be taken into consideration is how well it sells. When choosing an agent it’s important that they don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Dealing with something as important as your home, it’s crucial to be hand held from start to finish and implement a strategy that works for you, your situation and your needs. Selling a home is an emotional journey, and shouldn’t be treated or feel like you’re part of a ‘conveyor belt process’. It’s essential to have an experienced and level headed agent to help you make informed decisions and maximise your selling price.
One of the reasons online can seem to be a cheaper option is because in many cases the sellers are encouraged to arrange their own viewings, negotiate their own sale and as exciting as this may seem, there is a skill to negotiating a sale to its full potential. Would you trust your dentist to fix your car? No, because he/she doesn’t have the necessary skill set or experience. The most important piece of advice I can offer is, do not negotiate your own sale – don’t even discuss figures with any potential buyers. I can guarantee every agent will have a story to tell of how a seller has lost thousands because they told the buyer how much they were looking for. Leave it to your property manager who will get you the best price and guide you through the potential pitfalls that you’ve never even thought of.
Look at the whole package before you commit to any agent, their selling fees may look cheaper on the face of it but add-ons such as viewing packages, conveyancing packages and their chosen surveyors could be more expensive making the end figure considerably higher. If you defer your payments to the end, check you’re not locked into a conveyancing package you have to pay to come away from regardless if you sell or not.
I personally am passionate about selling property as are my fellow ESPC member firms and what we are equally passionate about is making sure that clients are treated as individuals and not a reference number on a portal. Yes, it seems on the face of it, we charge more than on-line agents but we do the work to get you the best price and to the end of your selling journey with your sanity in tack (even it if affects our own).
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