How to choose the right agent

A strong local presence

A local presence and area knowledge is one of the main benefits of working with an estate agent when selling your home. Agents in your area will better understand local buyer demand, the price of other homes that have sold nearby, and what is most important to buyers in your area.

This insight will help with setting a realistic asking price and creating the most effective marketing strategy for your home. An active local agent might also be able to connect you with their network of buyers already looking in the area and have a good knowledge of the kinds of questions buyers will ask during viewings.

Understanding fees and contract terms

Estate agent fees are an important consideration, but you should always look carefully at the contract terms attached to them. Fees are often charged as a percentage of the final sale price but can also be fixed‑fee or alternative pricing models.

You should fully understand what the agent’s fee covers, when it’s payable and whether it might apply on a ‘no sale, no fee’ basis. You’ll also need to check for tie‑in periods, notice periods or exclusivity clauses, and whether there are any charges for extra ways to market your home, which we’ll cover next.

Marketing packages offered

Marketing your home is a key part of attracting buyers, so make sure you understand what estate agents includes in their marketing package. The minimum would usually include listing your property on major property portals like Rightmove, along with photography and a description.

Enhanced marketing options might include professional photography, floorplans, video tours or premium listings on portals. You might also be offered email alerts, social media promotion or window displays in local branches, but not every property needs every option, so it’s worth asking the agent which tools they’d suggest and why.

Comparing valuations and approaches

Most sellers speak to more than one agent when having their home valued. A valuation is more than just a price estimate, it’s also a good chance to understand how each agent approaches valuing and selling your property.

When valuing your home, the agent will likely consider recent sales of similar properties, local market conditions and buyer demand in your area. A good agent should be able to explain their recommended asking price clearly. Overpricing will likely reduce interest and prolong the sale, while underpricing might raise concerns about your home’s value.

Industry qualifications and professional memberships

Increasing numbers of estate agents now hold industry qualifications and professional memberships. These can include being members of or holding qualifications from:

• Rightmove Certificates and Qualification for Agents
• NAEA Propertymark propertymark.co.uk
• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) rics.org
• The Guild of Professional Estate Agents guildproperty.co.uk

All members are required to work to agreed codes of practice and the relevant logo will be displayed in their offices. You can check on the trade body websites to ensure an agent is a member if you have any doubts.

As part of being a professional and holding membership, there are a number of key areas an agent needs to ensure are in place:

• Professionalism and Training: Agents will need to ensure that their staff have a minimum level of on-going training to keep their skills up to date.
• Redress Schemes: All member agents will be part of a redress scheme that allow you to resolve any complaints that you’re not able to resolve directly with the company
• Reputation: Agents have to uphold their reputation to maintain their business and therefore need to take a professional approach to their work.
• Knowing their client: As part of taking on a new seller and buyer, an agent will need to take some basic information and identity documentation so that they know who they are working with.
• Compliance: Being registered with HMRC to ensure they comply with all the obligations under the money laundering regulations.

Recommendations and reviews

Recommendations and reviews are something most of us rely upon when choosing a product or service, and the same is true for estate agents. Reviews can reveal other sellers’ experiences with a particular estate agent, while personal recommendations from friends, family or neighbours can help you to find an agent that has proven their ability to provide a good service and get the results you want.

Online reviews can help you to build a picture of an agent, especially when you consider reviews from a variety of different platforms. Check for themes in reviews around agents’ communication style, responsiveness or how confident and supported people felt during the process.

Positive first impressions

First impressions play a bigger role than most people realise when choosing their estate agent. Early interactions can give you clues about how the agent communicates, organises their work and treats clients.

A good agent will be able to clearly explain the process to you and will listen to your concerns, answering your questions carefully. You should also consider first impressions when looking at an agent’s website, photography and property descriptions, as this is the experience your potential buyers will also have.

What to do next

Create your shortlist

Use the find an estate agent tool on Rightmove, which is a simple way of shortlisting potential estate agents in your local area. Search for your selected estate agents on Rightmove to see if they have experience in selling your kind of property.

There are also other review sites including Google, that will rate and review the performance of agents.

We recommend picking a shortlist of three agents to value your home. They should each give you a copy of their terms of business, a sample of their work, along with their marketing recommendations for your property. Take time to compare their services and what they have on offer and the fees they charge.

Could you sell privately?

It is possible to sell your property privately, but there are significant risks attached. For most people, selling a home is the biggest and most important transaction they will ever make and most of us will only do it once every seven years on average.

Using professionals for each part of the process will provide you with expert knowledge and the right legal protection. Selling your home can be an emotional experience and having a professional to guide you will ensure you make the best of the opportunity. Making a mistake could be expensive and time-consuming.

It’s always worth remembering that Rightmove is a professional services portal and does not accept property advertisements directly from private sellers or private landlords.

Find out more about the advantages of using an estate agent when selling your home.