Moving house is one of the biggest steps you’ll likely take. Estate agents provide invaluable expertise and peace of mind to millions of people when moving home or purchasing a new property. With so many agents on the high street, there are certain things you should look for when searching for a suitable estate agent to sell your property. But if you didn’t follow this guide, how can you tell if your agent isn’t performing?
Here are six tell-tale signs it’s time to abandon ship, and to make sure you’ve got the best estate agent possible.
Communication issues
Are you finding it tough to speak to an agent, or get a straight answer? You should feel like priority number one at all times, with information readily available to you. Establish whether a mobile, landline or email is the best way to contact your agent and if you’re still having issues getting through- or are failing to get a response within a reasonable time frame – move on!
There’s a lack of guidance
The information your estate agent can provide could be essential, owing to their in depth knowledge of the property market. If you feel they’re not helping you in the right way, think about changing experts. It can start as early as pricing your property, or putting in an offer for another. They perhaps aren’t helping you with legal aspects when you’ve paid for this. If you feel frustrated or undersold at the lack of guidance you’re receiving, say adios!
Your house isn’t selling
If you’re having few or no viewings week to week, ask why. Ask if there’s anything you can do to aid this, and make sure agents are giving you correct and sufficient guidance (see above). Ultimately you’re paying your agent to sell your property. If they aren’t performing then you should know why, and how they plan to fix the situation. Sometimes properties take time to sell, but you need to make sure agents are doing everything in their power to avoid your property falling by the wayside. Your property still isn’t shifting? Wave goodbye!
Lack of exposure
With home buyers heading to the internet as the first port of call to find their dream property, it seems obvious that your estate agent should be listing your property on their own website. Another must have marketing tool is advertising your property on the major property portals such as Zoopla, Rightmove and OnTheMarket. Is your estate agent using social media? Do they list properties in any printed material, such as the Whitegates Property Life and Property Matters magazine? Do they send out regular marketing emails?
These are all property-marketing basics, fundamental to selling a property, and all included when you choose to sell your property with Whitegates. If your agent is not using every channel available to them to market your business and find a seller, move along!
You’ve noticed a high staff turnover
You strike up a great working relationship with the agent who initially came to value your property. But it’s one month on and suddenly she’s no longer at the agency. Change happens, of course, but if you notice a lot of new faces at your estate agency, it should raise suspicion. A good estate agency should have a low staff turnover. A constantly changing team makes for an unsteady foundation; local knowledge will be depleted and it demonstrates a distinct lack of investment from the team. Do you really want uninspired, disconnected agents looking after your property’s future? Time to leave!
Your property information isn’t kept up to date
The majority of property searches begin online these days. You need to ensure your agent is presenting your property in a favorable and competitive light. Is the description fair yet complimentary? Are your images of a professional quality? Does the listing include floorplans and local schools? If your property information isn’t thorough and your estate agent doesn’t look likely to change this, walk away!
We hope you found this information useful. If you have any questions, or would like to adopt Whitegates as your property professionals, why not stop by your local office today?
