Whether you are selling or letting a property, choosing the right agent is vital. So, bypass the glossy brochures, look past the glib, slick presentation and in the famous words of Janet Jackson ask, “What have you done for me lately?”. You must be prepared to ask the difficult questions; because it isn’t what they say that is important, it is what they don’t say. As a rough guide, try asking these questions:
“Will you be personally attending every viewing?”
“Are you prepared to attend viewings outside your normal working hours?”
“Will you fully qualify all potential viewers?”
Most agents tend to ‘blanket market’ property to their magical mailing list, which more often than not is not kept up to date with hot buyers real-time requirements. Often properties that could be sold sit on agents’ books for months simply because they are not targeting the right buyers or the right decision makers.
And finally; never be afraid to ask the estate agent how many properties they have on their books and how many members of staff they have to look after them. Then as they say in America, “You do the math”.
