1. Ask for recommendations
Of course, the most obvious trick is to ask everyone you know who they would recommend. You want to know which friends have moved recently and who they used. Make sure you find out if there were any issues. The other thing you can do is have a look around the area or online and see which estate agents are getting a lot of business. Online reviews from real customers can be a big help in swaying your decision.
2. Check industry credentials
All estate agents are required to be members of the Property Ombudsman so make sure that yours is. Many will also be members of various trade bodies. Memberships of these will mean that the estate agent has to follow a code of conduct. This likely implies that they will have higher standard of professionalism and diligence and therefore are going to be better for you.
3. Go undercover
One trick you can use is to go into an estate agency and pretend to be looking to buy a property like yours. You can then evaluate how they treat you. Are they showing the property in the best light? Would you buy your property from them? This will give you a realistic idea of whether they are going to be able to sell your house easily.
4. Have a list of questions
You want to make sure that you ask the estate agents certain questions- things like, if you go for a sole-agency contract what is the tie in period and how much do they charge? How will they advertise your property? Who will handle the viewings? How long has the estate agent been established and what is their level of experience.
5. Decide between Sole-Agency or Multi-Agency
When selling your property, you want to decide whether to go with Sole-Agency or Multi-Agency. Multi will mean that your property is marketed through a number of different agencies and in theory will be seen by more people, but it costs more. Really, a great agent should be able to get you the reach you need without another agent's help. If they're not able to sell the property, getting multiple agents on board isn’t going to help. Instead, why not research thoroughly for a great agent before you start. They may cost a little more than a cheap agent, but it'll cost less than a multi agency contract, and they can get you the price you want and need.
