This is the first in an eight-part series in which we set out, plainly and honestly, what a good estate agent actually does for you at every stage of a sale — starting here, before you’ve even decided to sell.
Why Straight-Talking Advice Comes First
Sincere, straight-talking advice is invaluable in a world where too many people will simply tell you what you want to hear. The oldest trick in the book is still around: an agent suggests an inflated asking price to win your instruction, only for tears to follow once the property has gone stale on the market and the price has to be dramatically cut to secure a sale. In today’s market, where mortgage lenders scrutinise valuations more closely than they once did, an inflated price doesn’t just cost you time — it can cost you the sale altogether when the buyer’s lender values it lower.
A Good Agent Looks Beyond the Obvious Question
A good estate agent recognises a responsibility that goes beyond simply answering the question you’ve asked. There is often more to a market appraisal than meets the eye. A vendor might want a quick sale to relieve a financial pressure, for instance — yet it may be that the property could be let out readily, producing the income needed to solve the problem without a sale at all.
Advice That Can Increase, Not Just Protect, Your Price
Most people are keen to maximise their sale price, and that’s our objective too. So let your agent advise you, because there can be value in unexpected places. Reconfiguring how rooms are used to better fit today’s lifestyles — a proper home office, for instance — can genuinely add value. If anyone knows what’s hot and what’s not, it’s your local estate agent.
In part 2 of this series, we’ll look at valuation — and why the highest figure you’re quoted isn’t always the right one.