Thinking of Selling but don't know which agent to choose.

This article gives advice - Telegraph Saturday 17th January

(1) Look for a Company with experience and a high profile in your area - Word of mouth is a neat way of finding an agent who goes the extra mile, although Khalid Ghani, director and franchiser (Finchley) at Ellis & Co, tends to pitch using client testimonials to explain his service. It is essential that the right asking price is set. Pitch it too high and you will lose the all-important initial impact, which could lead to your property sitting on the market months and eventually selling for less. The question is though, how do you know whether your agent is setting a fair price? One way is to do your own research by trawling internet sites such as Zoopla and PrimeLocation for comparable properties in your area. The other way is to find an agent with local market knowledge, a recognisable quality brand, prominent highstreet office and good local reputation. And beware agents who simply employ people on commission to get listings because they are more likely to overvalue, forcing you to reduce the price later.

(2) Present Property – Consider how they present property to attract buyers, such as the quality of pictures and floor plans and if they make use of videos. Another important aspect is how many potential buyers they can put your property in front of. You should look at what web portals the agent is on. The better agents will apply search engine optimisation of their own website and the properties advertised on it.

(3) Posing – Martin Bikhit managing director at Kay & Co estate agents in London “If I were selling I would go through the buyer’s experience with a few agents. I would look at how they treat the buyer and how they engage to try to sell a house to me”.

(4) Accompanied Viewings

(5) Justify Fee - Ask your agent to justify their fees. Their answer will reveal how they will work for you. If the agent doesn’t negotiate and explain why their fee is higher, then they are not going to be a good negotiator for you either. “People put the value of an agent’s experience over the fee. A flat was on for £480,000, and an offer came in for £470,000 but I managed to broker a compromise for £475,000. I gained £5,000 for the vendor. Some agents would have settled for the offer, but the small difference in my fees helped them secure a much better deal”.

(6) Qualified Agent – “A good agent uses their instinct, knowledge and experience...” you need to trust your own instincts, too. If you don’t have a good feeling about an agent, perhaps he or she isn’t the one for you.

The full article can be found on the telegraph website telegraph.co.uk/property