Not all estate agents are created equal. In the property market, various estate agents compete for custom and adopt unique modes of working in an attempt to rise to the top of the industry. This means that there is significant variation from agent to agent, and as in any service industry, you encounter the excellent and the poor.
The easiest way to identify a good estate agent, and conversely to flag up a bad agent, is through recommendations. The recommendation may come from a close friend or family member, or even from an online review, and is the closest thing that you’ll get to prove that they are a good agent.
You might assume that you can identify a good or bad service by looking at things like its fee structure. Of course, just because one estate agent takes a lower fee than a competitor this doesn’t mean that they offer a better service, and in fact, the opposite may well be the case. Very often, when it comes to property you get what you pay for.
You might also assume that by approaching the larger corporate estate agent you will get the best service, lowest fees etc. However, this ignores the importance of locality and personal service. You will find that independent local estate agents often have the knowledge and experience needed to sell your property in the best way possible.
Thankfully these days it’s never been easier to find estate agents, and now you can do so online.